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Posted: 10/6/2014 7:07:58 PM EDT
Caveats to the following:
I've never had wood nor auto body shop. My general level of finish work on painted surfaces rivals that of an average 3rd grader. I've never refinished a guitar. This will be very picture-heavy. A couple years ago, I picked up a nearly destroyed MIJ square heel Ibanez RG570. The neck had stress cracks that were decently glued, along with some deep dents on the back. The body and headstock had serious dents and cracks, and the Edge tremolo was ditched in favor of some generic licensed FR. I've obtained another original Edge, and will probably drop in an extra set of EMG pickups. The planned color is an ambitious black to pearly blue burst. I disassembled it, stripped the poly, and stashed it in a drawer for a long time, and now am embarking on a journey of madness. Not pictured are the "before" pics of the original paint and body damage, the heat gun stripping, the neck damage that's currently mask taped, or the first failed primer job from this week (that's the white color). Gently scorched, stripped, and block sanded to 150 grit. 
Some of the damage, in varying stages of filling: Body cracks: 
Pieces broken off: 
Dents, dings, general mayhem: 
Headstock: 
The first go-around with what I thought was smooth sanding and repair still looked awful after wasting a can of Duplicolor primer trying to build. I attempted a little glaze, which promptly dissolved the primer. I re-stripped and sanded to 150, and applied a lacquer-based glazing putty. My skill with glaze will make auto body and paint experts laugh or vomit. Much sanding will be required, and hopefully it won't crack or shrink. 
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Posted: 10/6/2014 10:11:31 PM EDT
[#1]
Cool.
 I have a basket case Jackson Dinky laying around that I need to do that with. What did you use to strip it? |
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Posted: 10/6/2014 10:19:03 PM EDT
[#2]
I would do a borox swirl on that one. |
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Posted: 10/6/2014 10:36:46 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Cool.
I have a basket case Jackson Dinky laying around that I need to do that with. What did you use to strip it? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Cool.
I have a basket case Jackson Dinky laying around that I need to do that with. What did you use to strip it? Primary poly stripping was with a Harbor Freight heat gun, rigid putty knife (don't do this, as it makes more gouges if you have gorilla hands like me), lacquer thinner, and finally sandpaper. Lots of sanding. Also enough naphtha throughout sanding to make the neighbor's cat a little woozy. I used DAP plastic wood filler for the deepest cracks and the bottom strap button mess. Once stripped, the condition of the body revealed itself as even worse than it looked with paint. This guitar was heavily abused, so it would be a write-off anyway. Later in the project, it will also be my learning mule for fret refinishing. It took working the entire body and lots of glaze before I started to get the hang of smoothing the stuff on. When this application cracks and falls off, I'll know what to do to replace it. 
Quoted:
I would do a borox swirl on that one. Hmm. You do have a point. It is an RG, the "poor man's JEM." |
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Posted: 10/7/2014 12:04:50 AM EDT
[#4]
Wow! That's pretty beat up! Old RGs seemed to be pretty strong guitars considering their light weight and thin necks, but I guess everything succumbs to abuse eventually.
A tilt neck joint would place that in the late '80s all the way up until 1993, I think. I have a friend with an RG570 with the tilt neck joint, V7/V8 humbuckers, and the super-wacky SB2 blade humbucker. Dates to 1992 or so, if the Ibanez Wiki is correct. He will *never* get rid of that guitar! |
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Posted: 10/7/2014 12:24:55 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Wow! That's pretty beat up! Old RGs seemed to be pretty strong guitars considering their light weight and thin necks, but I guess everything succumbs to abuse eventually. A tilt neck joint would place that in the late '80s all the way up until 1993, I think. I have a friend with an RG570 with the tilt neck joint, V7/V8 humbuckers, and the super-wacky SB2 blade humbucker. Dates to 1992 or so, if the Ibanez Wiki is correct. He will *never* get rid of that guitar! |
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Posted: 10/7/2014 12:37:13 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Basswood is pretty soft, and dents easily. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Wow! That's pretty beat up! Old RGs seemed to be pretty strong guitars considering their light weight and thin necks, but I guess everything succumbs to abuse eventually. A tilt neck joint would place that in the late '80s all the way up until 1993, I think. I have a friend with an RG570 with the tilt neck joint, V7/V8 humbuckers, and the super-wacky SB2 blade humbucker. Dates to 1992 or so, if the Ibanez Wiki is correct. He will *never* get rid of that guitar! Nooo kidding. My gateway drug into early RGs back around '92 was my basswood RG770 that fell off the Hoshino distributor's wall. The wood got smacked badly, but the Ibanez tech gurus made sure it was totally playable. It still is an amazing guitar to play, and I'll never get rid of it either. I had another tilt neck basswood RG and sold it, and still have an AANJ (mahogany) S540 that I'll also never sell. This basswood body is also obviously stupid soft, which is why it's going to wear a second skin of glazing putty and opaque paint. I'm worried I'm going to dent it with the blasts of compressed air I'm using to blow off sawdust. 
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Posted: 10/7/2014 10:40:38 PM EDT
[#7]
More pics to follow. It's sanding night. If I'd worked extra shifts for the amount of time spent so far, not bought this train wreck in the first place, and not purchased so many supplies, I'd be playing a decent 1990s Universe or mildly ratty MIJ JEM.
Do not use a full 4.5oz lacquer glaze on a guitar. It's probably overkill, and most will end up as sawdust on the floor. 
On the upside, many of the cracks look better with some glaze and 220 grit sanding. It won't be perfect, but hopefully better than it was.  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/7/2014 11:30:34 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Nooo kidding. My gateway drug into early RGs back around '92 was my basswood RG770 that fell off the Hoshino distributor's wall. The wood got smacked badly, but the Ibanez tech gurus made sure it was totally playable. It still is an amazing guitar to play, and I'll never get rid of it either. I had another tilt neck basswood RG and sold it, and still have an AANJ (mahogany) S540 that I'll also never sell. This basswood body is also obviously stupid soft, which is why it's going to wear a second skin of glazing putty and opaque paint. I'm worried I'm going to dent it with the blasts of compressed air I'm using to blow off sawdust. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wow! That's pretty beat up! Old RGs seemed to be pretty strong guitars considering their light weight and thin necks, but I guess everything succumbs to abuse eventually. A tilt neck joint would place that in the late '80s all the way up until 1993, I think. I have a friend with an RG570 with the tilt neck joint, V7/V8 humbuckers, and the super-wacky SB2 blade humbucker. Dates to 1992 or so, if the Ibanez Wiki is correct. He will *never* get rid of that guitar! Nooo kidding. My gateway drug into early RGs back around '92 was my basswood RG770 that fell off the Hoshino distributor's wall. The wood got smacked badly, but the Ibanez tech gurus made sure it was totally playable. It still is an amazing guitar to play, and I'll never get rid of it either. I had another tilt neck basswood RG and sold it, and still have an AANJ (mahogany) S540 that I'll also never sell. This basswood body is also obviously stupid soft, which is why it's going to wear a second skin of glazing putty and opaque paint. I'm worried I'm going to dent it with the blasts of compressed air I'm using to blow off sawdust. I had a 770FM w/ EMG 81/SA/HA pickups around '90-'92. Wish I still had it. 
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Posted: 10/8/2014 12:25:15 AM EDT
[#9]
770FM. I don't think I've even seen one of those in the flesh, so to speak.
My wife came out and saw the progress tonight. She laughed and told me it looked the same as when I started, "but pinker." The discerning eye will indeed see that it is again sanded and remarkably similar to the starting point. The major difference seems to be the amount of putty dust I had to sweep out with a leaf blower. That, and now 220 grit instead of 180. Also, some of the worst finish damage is marginally improved. Today's learning point: Don't waste glazing putty. It will take a long time to sand. 
Tomorrow afternoon is forecast for 77 degrees and sunny. It's a bit humid, but I'm planning to screw a stick into the neck pocket and primer the guitarsicle. My RG770DXLB (bad phone pics): 
The carnage on the body allowed me to get an otherwise unobtanium guitar on my budget then. I'm too nostalgic to refinish it. It has little collector value but tons of sentiment. I traded my very first guitar - hot pink Kramer - and a few weeks of Ramen noodle budget for the RG.  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/8/2014 1:09:15 PM EDT
[#10]
Love the 770! Thing's metal as hell!
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Posted: 10/8/2014 1:35:41 PM EDT
[#11]
Thanks. I love the thing, and recently went over the setup to fine tune it a bit. It needed a little neck shimming and less truss rod tension/back bow. IIRC the action is now somewhere around 1mm at the 6th string 12th fret with negligible buzz.
My BIL is a session guitarist in LA and didn't want to put it down when he came to visit. His comment was, "man, this thing plays itself!" Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/8/2014 2:23:30 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
770FM. I don't think I've even seen one of those in the flesh, so to speak. My wife came out and saw the progress tonight. She laughed and told me it looked the same as when I started, "but pinker." The discerning eye will indeed see that it is again sanded and remarkably similar to the starting point. The major difference seems to be the amount of putty dust I had to sweep out with a leaf blower. That, and now 220 grit instead of 180. Also, some of the worst finish damage is marginally improved. Today's learning point: Don't waste glazing putty. It will take a long time to sand. http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151/sleepdr/Guitar/69FB7533-0BC9-4C70-8346-F7E9AC754826_zpsno8dhesy.jpg http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151/sleepdr/Guitar/9EC8540C-6A2D-4B31-9F06-489D8BBFEBB1_zpsevabligm.jpg http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151/sleepdr/Guitar/718298B8-105B-4CBF-A878-808D72574B5F_zpsw2zfyuhd.jpg http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151/sleepdr/Guitar/61ABDF8A-9A5C-4C88-B587-3777FD79BD87_zps7xmnirpa.jpg Tomorrow afternoon is forecast for 77 degrees and sunny. It's a bit humid, but I'm planning to screw a stick into the neck pocket and primer the guitarsicle. My RG770DXLB (bad phone pics): http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151/sleepdr/Guitar/86FEFFDB-AEA3-4D6A-A0D7-E6EE75A68E4E_zpskhruk43c.jpg The carnage on the body allowed me to get an otherwise unobtanium guitar on my budget then. I'm too nostalgic to refinish it. It has little collector value but tons of sentiment. I traded my very first guitar - hot pink Kramer - and a few weeks of Ramen noodle budget for the RG. http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151/sleepdr/Guitar/5A54D9E2-4DEE-4C1C-B03E-CA5B64EC1A26_zpss0cdybzl.jpg Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I had a Focus 6000. It was my second guitar, but first decent one. The Ibanez was my third. I worked my ass off one summer to buy it. The Kramer factory color was a sort of vintage white. It took a hit one day; paint and wood damage. I did the sanding and wood repair. I refinished it in snakeskin by Jim O'Conner through Wayne Charvel in Calimesa.
I went the way of strats and teles around '94, but I've been wanting a soloist-Floyd-type guitar again. I still have the original Floyd from the Kramer that I need to restore for a Warmoth build. Your thread is motivating. 
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Posted: 10/8/2014 5:40:47 PM EDT
[#13]
Hopefully more pics to come later today. Retaping the cavities is a nuisance. Parent-teacher conferences have higher priority.
Tier one painting stand, complete with sandbox play sand ballast: 
ETA: 
Totally intentional tiger stripe finish, there. Ouch. Hopefully a couple more coats will make it sandable to smooth. Tomorrow will be sanding day. Again. 
The runs don't look as bad from 6 feet away.
[img] Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/8/2014 8:29:32 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I had a Focus 6000. It was my second guitar, but first decent one. The Ibanez was my third. I worked my ass off one summer to buy it. The Kramer factory color was a sort of vintage white. It took a hit one day; paint and wood damage. I did the sanding and wood repair. I refinished it in snakeskin by Jim O'Conner through Wayne Charvel in Calimesa.
I went the way of strats and teles around '94, but I've been wanting a soloist-Floyd-type guitar again. I still have the original Floyd from the Kramer that I need to restore for a Warmoth build. Your thread is motivating. That's like a Who's Who of 1980s superstrat. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/9/2014 8:28:53 PM EDT
[#15]
Guide coat, in preparation for sanding the filler primer.
Come to think of it, that would actually be a pretty cool look for the finish. Too bad this was just throwaway rattle can enamel spritzed over the primer. 
There may actually be a guitar hiding in there somewhere.  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/12/2014 1:08:26 AM EDT
[#16]
Pros do this better and faster, but I'm happy with the progress this far. It's definitely a learning process. There are a couple small sand-throughs on this layer of primer filler, but that should be ok since the next coat is primer sealer. Progress is slow between work and an annoying upper respiratory infection.
The neck pocket cracks look better. 
The main body cracks and dents smoothed nicely. 
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Posted: 10/12/2014 3:05:38 AM EDT
[#17]
If you have the time, check out this website for refinishing tips and tricks books this site sells. (no I am not affiliated with him at all)
 He use to have sample videos of the work he shows you the step by step how to do these, but they are gone now for some reason. I have this book below and it's impossible to mess up with the way he details everything.  There is also a link to a sister site there that sells vinyl wraps.  |
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Posted: 10/12/2014 3:00:38 PM EDT
[#18]
Thanks for the links.
I have a lead on a 1990s Japanese-made Jackson King V with EMGs installed. I'd be tempted to grab it for the under $200 and 2hr drive asking price (worth it for the pickups) and refinish it with some decals or something gaudy. |
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Posted: 10/12/2014 6:25:06 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Thanks for the links. I have a lead on a 1990s Japanese-made Jackson King V with EMGs installed. I'd be tempted to grab it for the under $200 and 2hr drive asking price (worth it for the pickups) and refinish it with some decals or something gaudy. |
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Posted: 10/12/2014 9:49:27 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Bolt on or neck through? Either way, if the guitar is in good shape it's easily worth more than that. Japanese built Jacksons have been gaining in value recently. Do you know which version of the King V it is? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Thanks for the links. I have a lead on a 1990s Japanese-made Jackson King V with EMGs installed. I'd be tempted to grab it for the under $200 and 2hr drive asking price (worth it for the pickups) and refinish it with some decals or something gaudy. Not yet. I think it's a bolt-neck Standard, but don't know much about Jackson's. It has 24 frets, reverse headstock, fin inlays, "professional" script on headstock, and blank truss rod cover. |
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Posted: 10/12/2014 10:30:12 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not yet. I think it's a bolt-neck Standard, but don't know much about Jackson's. It has 24 frets, reverse headstock, fin inlays, "professional" script on headstock, and blank truss rod cover. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Thanks for the links. I have a lead on a 1990s Japanese-made Jackson King V with EMGs installed. I'd be tempted to grab it for the under $200 and 2hr drive asking price (worth it for the pickups) and refinish it with some decals or something gaudy. Not yet. I think it's a bolt-neck Standard, but don't know much about Jackson's. It has 24 frets, reverse headstock, fin inlays, "professional" script on headstock, and blank truss rod cover. Here's a website that explains it a little: http://audiozone.dk/index-filer/jackson-pro-professional.php Also, don't let the Polar body turn you off it's tone is very similar to Alder. |
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Posted: 10/12/2014 10:50:38 PM EDT
[#22]
I don't actually find an OEM model that corresponds well. It has a Floyd Rose trem, consistent with Standards, but the neck looks like early 1990s Pro. Without a serial number, I can only guess that it's a parts guitar priced at a decent part-it-out price. I'm suspecting it wouldn't be worth the time and money expense to chase it, once I factor in 5 hours of round trip driving in my gas-guzzling truck.
This is the guy's ad: http://boise.craigslist.org/msg/4614946344.html |
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Posted: 10/12/2014 11:01:35 PM EDT
[#23]
Are you going to put an a Ibanez decal back on the headstock?
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Posted: 10/12/2014 11:17:23 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Are you going to put an a Ibanez decal back on the headstock? Haven't decided what to do with the headstock. Solid color vs mini version of the body, decal vs no. I'm doing my best to keep the rear headstock s/n and MIJ decals intact. The lightly rubber-stamped ink in the neck pocket succumbed to blue painter's tape. It's still technically an Ibanez, in fact more so since I'm putting an original Edge back in there, so I wouldn't feel bad about using a decal. |
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Posted: 10/13/2014 2:00:51 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I don't actually find an OEM model that corresponds well. It has a Floyd Rose trem, consistent with Standards, but the neck looks like early 1990s Pro. Without a serial number, I can only guess that it's a parts guitar priced at a decent part-it-out price. I'm suspecting it wouldn't be worth the time and money expense to chase it, once I factor in 5 hours of round trip driving in my gas-guzzling truck. This is the guy's ad: http://boise.craigslist.org/msg/4614946344.html I would have him send good close up pics of the guitar, especially the areas I mentioned before making the trip. But like I said, if it's a real MIJ King V, it's worth it. Also have him send some closeups of the pickups. Some of the cheaper Jacksons have Jackson branded passive pickups that look like active pickups on the outside, and the Jackson logo is in the same place as the EMG logo. And part of me does wonder if that isn't a parts guitar too. It could just as easily be an X or JS series that came with a liscensed Floyd and had a Professional neck slapped on it. One more thing, I've called into the customer service number on Jackson's website and it sent me to a Fender call center, which makes sense, since Fender owns Jackson. I had questions about a Jackson Dinky I got in a trade here on the EE (thanks again Clharr), and the Fender guy was more than helpful. He punched up the serial number on his computer and told me when it was made, what pickups it originally came with, ect. They have all the Jackson stuff in their database, so if you can get the serial number off of the seller, you'll be able to find out what's up. |
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Posted: 10/13/2014 2:06:09 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Haven't decided what to do with the headstock. Solid color vs mini version of the body, decal vs no. I'm doing my best to keep the rear headstock s/n and MIJ decals intact. The lightly rubber-stamped ink in the neck pocket succumbed to blue painter's tape. It's still technically an Ibanez, in fact more so since I'm putting an original Edge back in there, so I wouldn't feel bad about using a decal. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Are you going to put an a Ibanez decal back on the headstock? Haven't decided what to do with the headstock. Solid color vs mini version of the body, decal vs no. I'm doing my best to keep the rear headstock s/n and MIJ decals intact. The lightly rubber-stamped ink in the neck pocket succumbed to blue painter's tape. It's still technically an Ibanez, in fact more so since I'm putting an original Edge back in there, so I wouldn't feel bad about using a decal. |
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Posted: 10/13/2014 2:13:45 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryDamn. I might decal my trusty ole MightyMite |
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Posted: 10/14/2014 11:13:04 PM EDT
[#28]
Progress is delayed because OWWW! Miserable cheap chicom folding workbench collapsed with the weight of my vise and crushed my finger between the legs.
Monkey... guzzling... son of a... 2$ crack house prostitute, that hurt. The leg buckled backwards, so trying to lift the weight actually ground it further into the joint. Good thing I don't make my living with hand dexterity. Oh, wait, I do. Might be having a little chat with a hand surgeon if it's hurt as badly as it feels.
Until then a teaser. In ARFCom style, I'm embracing the danger of buying and using a gun without training. And it's a cheap gun, too. One of the docs I work with has a $1500 HVLP gun. I have a $16 Harbor Freight "HVLP gun."  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/15/2014 5:39:12 PM EDT
[#29]
Sorry about your hand dude. I know that hurt.
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Posted: 10/15/2014 10:36:38 PM EDT
[#30]
Sorry to hear about your hand dude!
This was the results of me trying to work on a FAL years ago. Wife says it would of been cheaper to just have gone out and bought one this! I was using an Exacto knife to open up a sanding disk to shave down the barrel threads to get it timed correctly.  I have the smaller "detail" version of that gun. Be careful, it spits once in awhile while spraying. Make sure to spray some sample material a few times before committing to the guitar.
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Posted: 10/16/2014 11:24:18 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Sorry to hear about your hand dude! This was the results of me trying to work on a FAL years ago. Wife says it would of been cheaper to just have gone out and bought one this! I was using an Exacto knife to open up a sanding disk to shave down the barrel threads to get it timed correctly. <a href="http://s212.photobucket.com/user/cozmacozmy/media/booboo.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc272/cozmacozmy/booboo.jpg</a> I have the smaller "detail" version of that gun. Be careful, it spits once in awhile while spraying. Make sure to spray some sample material a few times before committing to the guitar. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Sorry to hear about your hand dude! This was the results of me trying to work on a FAL years ago. Wife says it would of been cheaper to just have gone out and bought one this! I was using an Exacto knife to open up a sanding disk to shave down the barrel threads to get it timed correctly. <a href="http://s212.photobucket.com/user/cozmacozmy/media/booboo.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc272/cozmacozmy/booboo.jpg</a> I have the smaller "detail" version of that gun. Be careful, it spits once in awhile while spraying. Make sure to spray some sample material a few times before committing to the guitar. Wow. I hope your wife thinks scars are sexy. I'm trying to convince my wife of that, one ER visit at a time. Quoted:
Basswood is pretty soft, and dents easily. Yes, yes it is, for those that missed it the first time. I was touching up a tiny sand through today and chasing the trem insert threads to clean them out. A momentary lapse of attention meant two new dents in the body from the dropped trem stud. I'm not even buying primer in rattle cans any more. Tonight's auto parts store trip netted a quart of filler primer and gallon of reducer for the next few mistakes. Also following me home was a quart of silver lacquer to go along with the black. Overwhelming straw poll results (including my long-suffering wife's opinion) now say "silverburst." Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/18/2014 1:15:51 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Wow. I hope your wife thinks scars are sexy. I'm trying to convince my wife of that, one ER visit at a time. Yes, yes it is, for those that missed it the first time. I was touching up a tiny sand through today and chasing the trem insert threads to clean them out. A momentary lapse of attention meant two new dents in the body from the dropped trem stud. I'm not even buying primer in rattle cans any more. Tonight's auto parts store trip netted a quart of filler primer and gallon of reducer for the next few mistakes. Also following me home was a quart of silver lacquer to go along with the black. Overwhelming straw poll results (including my long-suffering wife's opinion) now say "silverburst." Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Sorry to hear about your hand dude! This was the results of me trying to work on a FAL years ago. Wife says it would of been cheaper to just have gone out and bought one this! I was using an Exacto knife to open up a sanding disk to shave down the barrel threads to get it timed correctly. <a href="http://s212.photobucket.com/user/cozmacozmy/media/booboo.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc272/cozmacozmy/booboo.jpg</a> I have the smaller "detail" version of that gun. Be careful, it spits once in awhile while spraying. Make sure to spray some sample material a few times before committing to the guitar. Wow. I hope your wife thinks scars are sexy. I'm trying to convince my wife of that, one ER visit at a time. Quoted: Basswood is pretty soft, and dents easily. Yes, yes it is, for those that missed it the first time. I was touching up a tiny sand through today and chasing the trem insert threads to clean them out. A momentary lapse of attention meant two new dents in the body from the dropped trem stud. I'm not even buying primer in rattle cans any more. Tonight's auto parts store trip netted a quart of filler primer and gallon of reducer for the next few mistakes. Also following me home was a quart of silver lacquer to go along with the black. Overwhelming straw poll results (including my long-suffering wife's opinion) now say "silverburst." Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile She definitely kicked my ass for that one!
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Posted: 10/31/2014 7:58:19 PM EDT
[#33]
The Hazard Fraught HVLP gun spits like an MLB pitcher. I managed to get one edge of the guitar with nice coverage at the end, but the rest looks awful. Back to the wet sanding.
I may just 86 the HVLP gun, dilute the snot out of the color coats, and paint it with my airbrush and its little 0.35mm tip. 
 Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/31/2014 8:05:17 PM EDT
[#34]
Get some old cardboard boxes and make a few trial runs on them with the paint gun. For what it's worth that's what I did before trying to paint anything.
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Posted: 10/31/2014 10:35:24 PM EDT
[#35]
Are there burrs inside the jet or on the needle?
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Posted: 10/31/2014 11:12:14 PM EDT
[#36]
I don't know whether there are burrs, whether the practice wood & paper I used for setup were enough, if the paint was thinned properly, the HF cheapo gun sucks, or if I'm just on the bad part of the learning curve for a bigger spray gun.
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Posted: 11/1/2014 1:22:25 AM EDT
[#37]
I don't want to say I told you so... but I told you so. The one I had from HF spit like mad as well. I wasn't doing any detail work with it so I never messed around with it to get it right. Hope you get it figured out!
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Posted: 11/3/2014 9:01:09 PM EDT
[#38]
The compressor got dialed all the way back from "disintegrate," past "kill," and back to "stun."
I've now graduated from spitty, over-dry paint spray to orange peel. Woohoo! I'm going to try not to sand this coat back to the Stone Age, and hopefully salvage it. 
Preview of things to come:  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 11/5/2014 10:10:00 PM EDT
[#39]
$35 HF detail gun to the rescue!
That's a furring strip screwed into the neck pocket, as mentioned before. A couple c-clamps hold it to the garage storage shelving as an ersatz drying rack. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 11/8/2014 8:32:51 PM EDT
[#40]
The airbrush burst turned out ok on the headstock.
I'm going to let this stew for a couple days and see how I feel about the teardrop burst airbrushed on the body. There are a couple coats of clear between the black and the silver, so I could conceivably sand back the black or try to feather it better. Will paint the back and sides, maybe with the detail HVLP gun to see how they turn out. If better, I'll redo the front of the body. 
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 11/8/2014 11:47:04 PM EDT
[#41]
Are you spraying inward or outward when doing the burst?
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Posted: 11/9/2014 2:04:21 AM EDT
[#42]
Outward with a 0.35mm needle & nozzle in a dual-action airbrush. I'm thinking that's the right size for the headstock, but the body might need the detail gun.
Think I should sand or re-silver and try the other direction? Maybe follow all body contours and get some silver back in the horns? |
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Posted: 11/9/2014 9:00:48 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Outward with a 0.35mm needle & nozzle in a dual-action airbrush. I'm thinking that's the right size for the headstock, but the body might need the detail gun. Think I should sand or re-silver and try the other direction? Maybe follow all body contours and get some silver back in the horns? I do like the idea of following the body contours, which is probably what I would do.
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Posted: 11/9/2014 12:40:48 PM EDT
[#44]
I'll probably knock the black off and follow the contours next time.
The combination of suboptimal work-light illumination and a small airbrush made it hard to judge paint quality & contours on the body. I'm not satisfied with the results. ETA: project suspended indefinitely due to miserable weather. 7-8" wet snow at the end of last week, single digit and subzero temps, and my garage door keeps freezing to the ground. I had hoped to finish this before the winter, but no joy. |
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Posted: 11/27/2014 2:14:20 AM EDT
[#45]
There are spots where it could be better, but I'm much more satisfied with what is best called a "dirty silver burst."
Straw poll for those still awake enough to read the thread: A: Paint the EMGs silver B: Leave the EMGs black FWIW, the hardware is all black, and the pickup rings are currently black. I'm leaning towards "B." My other guitars have nice passives from DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan, Gibson, and TV Jones. Let's save the active vs passive debate for another time.
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 11/27/2014 3:31:34 AM EDT
[#46]
Your second spray looks much better to me... Following shape and contour work better IMHO.
And to your second question... I'd go with black pickups. Looking forward to seeing the finished product. |
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Posted: 11/27/2014 6:52:07 AM EDT
[#47]
Looks much improved.
I think the black EMG's will be a great addition and provide some necessary contrast. As for active vs passive....My guitars are like my guns, sometimes I just want something different whether it makes sense or not. If its fun that's all that matters. I have an old Epi LP that I use for a beater with EMG's. It gets flamed on ALL the time, but I like playing it and it serves its purpose well. |
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Posted: 11/27/2014 9:45:16 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Looks much improved. I think the black EMG's will be a great addition and provide some necessary contrast. As for active vs passive....My guitars are like my guns, sometimes I just want something different whether it makes sense or not. If its fun that's all that matters. I have an old Epi LP that I use for a beater with EMG's. It gets flamed on ALL the time, but I like playing it and it serves its purpose well. I really don't get all the EMG hate. I have them on both of my guitars and I love them, you just gotta be careful to not kill your tone by using ALL THE GAIN all the time. |
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Posted: 11/27/2014 10:41:50 AM EDT
[#49]
Looks much better, and I'd leave the pickups black.
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Posted: 11/27/2014 10:44:55 AM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I really don't get all the EMG hate. I have them on both of my guitars and I love them, you just gotta be careful to not kill your tone by using ALL THE GAIN all the time. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Looks much improved. I think the black EMG's will be a great addition and provide some necessary contrast. As for active vs passive....My guitars are like my guns, sometimes I just want something different whether it makes sense or not. If its fun that's all that matters. I have an old Epi LP that I use for a beater with EMG's. It gets flamed on ALL the time, but I like playing it and it serves its purpose well. I really don't get all the EMG hate. I have them on both of my guitars and I love them, you just gotta be careful to not kill your tone by using ALL THE GAIN all the time. |
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