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Be sure to paint in a dust-free environment. If painting indoors, be sure to use a quality air mask. Don't paint in an area where overspray will affect furniture or floors. Placing the guitar body inside a large box on top of a portable worktable (such as a TV tray) will greatly reduce overspray and will protect other items in the area. Choose the paint or stain you want to use. Apply a few coats of primer/sealer. If using a solid color, apply the coats of paint. If using a stain, wipe on the stain. Apply a clear coat to the guitar. Wait. Polish the finish. Reassemble the guitar.
There are numerous air particles in the great outdoors even on a clear day that will seriously mar your finish-- including bugs that will be drawn to the odor! Always wear goggles. A workshop, garage or similar enclosed area will suffice. The opening of the box should be to the side so that the paint is contained within the box and the guitar can be slid in and out. Putting newspapers inside the box provides an easily-replaceable painting surface. For solid color finishes, use a paint that is very durable, such as polyurethane or nitrocellulose. Nitrocellulose is the gold standard and can be found in auto parts stores or online, but it dries very slowly. For a stained finish, use a water based stain and a nitrocellulose or polyurethane clear coat OR an oil based stain with an oil based finish such as Tru-Oil. Sprayed on finishes will prevent unsightly brush marks. Use a primer that matches the type of paint you are using. Aim to apply 2 or 3 thin coats rather than 1 thick one, as this helps the primer to dry properly and prevents drips. Apply two thin coats of paint, allowing the manufacturer's recommended drying time in between. Wait one week for the paint to completely dry before applying the clear coat. First, wet the guitar body with a little bit of moisture to ease the application of the stain and prevent blemishes. Apply the stain following manufacturer instructions, and apply as many coats as needed to achieve the look you're after. Again, nitrocellulose is recommended. Apply each coat as thin as possible, building up a clear, protective finish on the guitar. You may need to apply as many as a dozen thin coats to achieve a factory finish. Apply them in sets of three thin coats with a few hours in between coats and a week in between sets. The first set of coats need to be very, very thin. After that you can apply them on a little thicker but make sure to avoid runs. If you chose a nitrocellulose or polyurethane finish, wait 3 to 4 weeks for the paint to harden. If you chose an oil based finish, such as Tru-Oil, you only need to wait a few days! Wet-sand the hardened finish starting with 400 grit, then 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, and finally 2000. Do not skip any steps or else tiny pits, scratches, ans swirls will be in the finish and will be impossible to get out. Do not sand through the clear coat and into the color coat especially on the edges of the body where the clear coat may be thinner; this is the reason why the clear coat requires so many coats. Stop here for a satin finish. For a mirror-like shine, use a buffing wheel and buffing compound such as 3M "Finesse It". Alternatively, you can use "Micro Mesh Finishing Pads"a set of fine grit sanding sponges with #1500, 1800, 2400, 3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000, and 12000 gritsthat can be used to give a high-gloss finish without needing an expensive buffing tool. Screw or bolt together the guitar's hardware. If you had to snip any wires to disassemble the guitar, you'll have to solder them back together. This is now also a good time to replace the cheap factory components, namely the potentiometers, with high quality ones. You can even buy a new pick guard or make a custom one. Once assembled, the guitar can be cleaned and shined using your usual guitar polish. Now just string it, tune it, and enjoy your beautiful new instrument!