Custom Paint a Epiphone SG..
Steven
I am looking at custom painting an Epiphone G400 that I own. It
currently has a black, glossy finish. I was wondering If anyone had any
tips from painting something similar. My main questions involve:
1) What is the current finish on these guitars? Poly, Lacquer etc?
2) I want to paint some actual graphics on, as opposed to just another
straight color...should I strip the paint back to the wood, or just
start painting over the current finish?
3) If i want to strip back to the wood, what type of remover should I
use, chemical or sand paper....I guess this will depend on the original
finish?
4) What type of paint, finisher and clearcoat should I use. If I want
to paint graphics I will need to use either a paint brush or airgun...I
would prefer an airgun so what would be the best paint.
5) Any other tips you may have....For instance I have often seen people
recommend removing the neck before painting which is not an option with
the SG...how would you go about protecting this...
Any tips would be much appreciated.
Dr. Zontar
> I am looking at custom painting an Epiphone G400 that I own. It
> currently has a black, glossy finish. I was wondering If anyone had any
> tips from painting something similar.
I painted an Epi G-310 (very similar, except it has a bolt-on neck and
bigger pickgaurd).
http://www.freewebs.com/hypnotoad/SG.jpg
> 1) What is the current finish on these guitars? Poly, Lacquer etc?
I think it's poly. But I'm not positive. I don't think Epiphone would
use laquer because it's more expensive.
> 2) I want to paint some actual graphics on, as opposed to just another
> straight color...should I strip the paint back to the wood, or just
> start painting over the current finish?
I stripped mine to the wood, and applied 3 or 4 coats of gesso (canvas
primer) before painting it, because I was using artist's acrylics. If
you plan on using enamel or laquer, you wouldn't need to do that. Just
rough up the finish with steel wool and apply a white base coat or 2.
> 3) If i want to strip back to the wood, what type of remover should I
> use, chemical or sand paper....I guess this will depend on the original
> finish?
I used a chemical stripper. But even with that, I had to do a LOT of
sanding.
> 4) What type of paint, finisher and clearcoat should I use. If I want
> to paint graphics I will need to use either a paint brush or airgun...I
> would prefer an airgun so what would be the best paint.
By "graphics" do you mean an image or an abstract design (like Eddie
Van Halen)? If you're doing something geometeric, you could get by with
spray cans. An airbrush would give you more control. Use masking tape
if you want hard straight lines.
I've spent most of my life using brushes, so that's what works for me.
Some people hate seeing brush strokes in the finish. I like the
texture.
I used a spray-on poly clearcoat. I've used acrylic varnish in the
past, but the poly seems more durable (the varnish is made for
paintings that hang on walls and don't get touched - I sweat when I
play, so I wanted something tougher).
> 5) Any other tips you may have....For instance I have often seen people
> recommend removing the neck before painting which is not an option with
> the SG...how would you go about protecting this...
This is just one of the many reasons I don't like set necks. You
*COULD* remove the neck and reglue it, but that's a lot of exacting
work. I'd carefully mask it off with tape before doing any work.
Solvents can seep under the tape and sandpaper can eat through it - so
check often to make sure you're not damaging anything.
- Rich
Patrick Keenan
news:1158821493....@d34g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
If you can at all, keep the existing finish and put your graphics on over
it. This will save you a large amount of messy, hard work. If it only
has a few dings and scratches, after you've done the prep sanding you may
find there are a lot fewer. You may also be able to fill smaller holes
with something like nail polish (available in many colours).
The existing finish is probably a polyurethane and should be non-reactive
with just about anything you want to use. Use a block and fine-grit
sandpapers, 280 and up, to prepare the surface. Don't remove more than you
have to. Use masking tape and other materials to protect areas you don't
want to finish, like the neck.
The best finish depends on what you want to do, the finishes available to
you, and the application methods available to you. "Application methods"
includes not just the spray gun, but also the space and ventilation.
HTH
-pk