Paint a new San Dimas?

[MarkThomas]

My buddy is going to be buying a Style 1 sometime in the coming year, and is a fan of white guitars. Apparently, the San Dimas does not come in white, so just curious how much you guys think it would cost to get one stripped and repainted in bright white?

I assume an auto body shop would be a good place to have it done?

[dg]

It's not necessary to strip it unless he's concerned about too much paint deadening the tone or something. People paint right over finished guitars all the time, and that would save a lot of money (or time & effort if he decided to strip it himself).

Here's Marty Bell's pricing page for some kind of ballpark idea of what a pro job runs:

http://www.martybellfinishing.com/priclist.html

[Axewielder]

By the time you get it back from the typical paint shop, Charvel will probably already be out with the white ones.

[dg]

Yeah, but if he doesn't send it off, then they won't do a white run. I vote he takes one for the team.

[Ben...]

Yeah, but if he doesn't send it off, then they won't do a white run. I vote he takes one for the team.

You all know it's true.

[bibz]

Local sprayshop did my guitar overnight, I even took my car to get it colourmatched too! Cost about the same as all the materials would have, so no brainer here.

[MarkThomas]

Is Charvel supposed to be releasing a white San Dimas?

So about $300 to paint a guitar? What would an autobody place charge? I assume the finish at least needs to be roughed up first to accept the new color? Maybe too many coats of finish would take away from the sound?

[MEGADETH13]

as long as you get the clear coat layer of paint off and its down to base color/primer the paint will stick.

[ManInTheBox6]

Hey, I have had many guitars painted by autobody shops, I now paint my guitars myself. Cost all depends on the finish you get,# of clear coats you want, and work you want them to perfrom. ie, stripping, sanding, priming and sanding,acually painting, wet sanding,wet sanding in between clear coats, ect. I would do all the labor work myself to make it more cost effective,quality of work being done, plus you don't know tech working on your guitar. Do as much of the work you can yourself if you are going to go Autobody shop route.