I figured my MIM Fender 60's classic players sunburst strat was a good first subject.
I certainly don't want to experiment on a USA Fender or anything to pricey, but at the same time, given how much work it takes and the cost of supplies, I'm not going to do it on a $100 squier or something, because if it turns out well, then it will still be a crap $100 ebay guitar, make sense ?
Figured as well if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it "right" That means stripping it down to the wood and nitro all the way.
I've heard you can spray nitro over poly well enough, but again, given the cost of reranch spray cans, why spend good money to respray a poly finish.
So the poly had to go. Tried sanding to start with and that was so bad it was almost funny. You sand and sand and sand and get nowehre, get covered in dust etc. Not fun.
Next tried stripper. Didn't do anything really. Fender poly is near indestructable, plus that stripper was a total mess. No go again
So over to Lowes for a heat gun and did that ever do the trick. It was actually pretty fun sitting out on the patio with the heat gun, relaxing and watching the poly all peel up and crack off. Took about 2 hours maybe and was a breeze. I've heard people say its hard work but I've got to say in my case it was pretty easy.
Then a bit of touch up sanding etc to get a nice clean and fresh body. (maybe should of just bought one from USAGC huh lol)
I'm skipping the grain seller as I don't think the alder needs it that badly, and did the sand n seal coats and finished those with the 600 grit.
Very nice and smooth and I dare say I'd be happy with it like that, but alas, way too much paint on hand so I press on
I used the reranch primer today and need to do another coat tommorow, should be a very nice white matte finish. Again, looks pretty cool just like that
I'm going for the color on color concept, with a sonic blue coat overcoated with shell pink. Crazy colors I know, but hey, again, if I'm doing the work, why do a oly white or something I could easily buy.
Only shell pink strats I've seen are Custom Shop and $4199 so not really an option.
I'm not normally a fan of the color on color but I think that the sonic blue looks awesome coming through in the worn area's like the forearm cut for some reason. Fiesta red under white wouldn't be bad either though for what its worth (maybe next project lol)
End goal is going to be a very heavy relic look, dirty, greasy, grimey, smokey, beat to hell, hard living, hard drinking, hard woman loving, pink guitar around.
Really darn tinted neck, worn on the back, very dark rosewood board, mint green pickguard, CS69 pups and a nice old vintage leather strap thats seen better days that used to belong to a relative.
Its really all about the contrast between such a pretty and "girlie" color like pink, but having it so rough looking.
Instead of spending its time at tea parties I want it to have spent 40 years in a dive bar getting drunk at 11am LOL
So thats the inspiration, keep your fingers crossed
I certainly don't want to experiment on a USA Fender or anything to pricey, but at the same time, given how much work it takes and the cost of supplies, I'm not going to do it on a $100 squier or something, because if it turns out well, then it will still be a crap $100 ebay guitar, make sense ?
Figured as well if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it "right" That means stripping it down to the wood and nitro all the way.
I've heard you can spray nitro over poly well enough, but again, given the cost of reranch spray cans, why spend good money to respray a poly finish.
So the poly had to go. Tried sanding to start with and that was so bad it was almost funny. You sand and sand and sand and get nowehre, get covered in dust etc. Not fun.
Next tried stripper. Didn't do anything really. Fender poly is near indestructable, plus that stripper was a total mess. No go again
So over to Lowes for a heat gun and did that ever do the trick. It was actually pretty fun sitting out on the patio with the heat gun, relaxing and watching the poly all peel up and crack off. Took about 2 hours maybe and was a breeze. I've heard people say its hard work but I've got to say in my case it was pretty easy.
Then a bit of touch up sanding etc to get a nice clean and fresh body. (maybe should of just bought one from USAGC huh lol)
I'm skipping the grain seller as I don't think the alder needs it that badly, and did the sand n seal coats and finished those with the 600 grit.
Very nice and smooth and I dare say I'd be happy with it like that, but alas, way too much paint on hand so I press on
I used the reranch primer today and need to do another coat tommorow, should be a very nice white matte finish. Again, looks pretty cool just like that
I'm going for the color on color concept, with a sonic blue coat overcoated with shell pink. Crazy colors I know, but hey, again, if I'm doing the work, why do a oly white or something I could easily buy.
Only shell pink strats I've seen are Custom Shop and $4199 so not really an option.
I'm not normally a fan of the color on color but I think that the sonic blue looks awesome coming through in the worn area's like the forearm cut for some reason. Fiesta red under white wouldn't be bad either though for what its worth (maybe next project lol)
End goal is going to be a very heavy relic look, dirty, greasy, grimey, smokey, beat to hell, hard living, hard drinking, hard woman loving, pink guitar around.
Really darn tinted neck, worn on the back, very dark rosewood board, mint green pickguard, CS69 pups and a nice old vintage leather strap thats seen better days that used to belong to a relative.
Its really all about the contrast between such a pretty and "girlie" color like pink, but having it so rough looking.
Instead of spending its time at tea parties I want it to have spent 40 years in a dive bar getting drunk at 11am LOL
So thats the inspiration, keep your fingers crossed
