Paint alternatives

[knight_yyz]

Hey guys, I recently bought a MIJ Strat, and I am not thrilled about the color. But the guitar is definitely my favorite of the few guitars I have. If I had my way I would send it out to be redone in seafoam green or surf green. But I live in Canada, so the price to send it out for refinish is between 600 and 1000 dollars. This might make sense if your guitar is worth a fortune, but spending 1k for painting a 200 dollar guitar doesn't make sense.

So I've been researching nitrocellulose paint, and it is almost impossible to get the paint in Canada. clear coats are available, but try to find some of the rare 60's colors and you are basically SOL.

Now if there are any Canadians that can point my in the right direction, that would be great, But barring that, what is the next best paint to use if nitro is not available? I have lots of experience spraying metal, I have all the equipment so rattle cans are not an option.

Any help or incite is appreciated guys.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Paint alternatives

Acrylic lacquer does a way better job than any nitro will..

 

[knight_yyz]

Re: Paint alternatives

which of course is almost as impossible to find as the NC lacquer. LOL. I'll call a few bosy shops but I don;t think I'll have much luck.

really don't want to try krylon seafoam

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Paint alternatives

which of course is almost as impossible to find as the NC lacquer. LOL. I'll call a few bosy shops but I don;t think I'll have much luck.

really don't want to try krylon seafoam

Whats the NC?

Use the same paint they use to spray cars, I am sure they have that..

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Paint alternatives

Minwax

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Paint alternatives

Minwax

= nightmare

Nar its ok but it takes a long time to get a good flat glossy finish. I did the map guitar in that

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Paint alternatives

= nightmare

Nar its ok but it takes a long time to get a good flat glossy finish. I did the map guitar in that

yeah it is a nightmare. I did my main guitar in my avatar in it. Yours turned out a lot better than mine did but I went with satin and do not have your skills or a buffer.

 

[dominus]

Re: Paint alternatives

which of course is almost as impossible to find as the NC lacquer. LOL. I'll call a few bosy shops but I don;t think I'll have much luck.

really don't want to try krylon seafoam

Krylon will be an enamel. Stay away.

I've had plenty of luck with Duplicolor lacquers. You may need to get a can of white lacquer and then tint it yourself.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Paint alternatives

Sand and use a hand rub oil finish–looks awesome and won't cost you a fortune.

View attachment 60507
View attachment 60509

 

[Oinkus]

Re: Paint alternatives

Yeah Tung oil is about the easiest finish there is to apply , sand it well and you just add it until you are happy rub it in and let it set. The more you add the more shine you will get. It is absorbed into the wood so you might want to add a coat every few years or so.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Paint alternatives

I don't know where you're getting $600 to $1,000. AFAIK, nobody, not even the best and most respected custom guitar finishers out there, charges that much, even for giant metal flake paint jobs. Contact Brian Monty. He's in Canada, and he finishes in old-school non-catalyzed nitro lacquer for no more than $300 IME. He might even charge less for you, since he can just go right over your existing poly without extensive prep work like he'd have to do on raw wood.

Alternately, just take your guitar's body to a respected auto paint and body shop, preferably one that specializes in antique and hot-rod cars. If they know what they are doing with antique restorations, they can spray nitro or acrylic lacquers in any color you want.

Also, will ReRanch not ship to you? I just did a set neck in their surf green. It's a PITA, but if you are skilled, you can get good results.

Here is crummy pic of their surf green (which I applied over the existing poly):

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Paint alternatives

I did this guitar without any paint just clear.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Paint alternatives

I don't know where you're getting $600 to $1,000. AFAIK, nobody, not even the best and most respected custom guitar finishers out there, charges that much. Contact Brian Monty. He's in Canada, and he finishes in old-school non-catalyzed nitro lacquer for no more than $300 IME. He might even charge less for you, since he can just go right over your existing poly without extensive prep work like he'd have to do on raw wood.

Alternately, just take your guitar's body to a respected auto paint and body shop, preferably one that specializes in antique and hot-rod cars. If they know what they are doing with antique restorations, they can spray nitro or acrylic lacquers in any color you want.

Also, will ReRanch not ship to you? I just did a set neck in their surf green. It's a PITA, but if you are skilled, you can get good results.

Perhaps its because he is in Canada?...still sounds crazy high but perhaps there isn't someone nearby who does it and/or the shipping and handling plus insurance on the s/h is what is driving the price up for him?...just a thought

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Paint alternatives

Perhaps its because he is in Canada?...still sounds crazy high but perhaps there isn't someone nearby who does it and/or the shipping and handling plus insurance on the s/h is what is driving the price up for him?...just a thought

He wants to do the work himself so all he needs is the materials. I am sure he could get those shipped to him.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Paint alternatives

But I live in Canada, so the price to send it out for refinish is between 600 and 1000 dollars. This might make sense if your guitar is worth a fortune, but spending 1k for painting a 200 dollar guitar doesn't make sense.

But barring that, what is the next best paint to use if nitro is not available? I have lots of experience spraying metal, I have all the equipment so rattle cans are not an option.

He wants to do the work himself so all he needs is the materials. I am sure he could get those shipped to him.

I skipped over that part lol :chairfall

 

[uOpt]

Re: Paint alternatives

re-ranch will ship to Canadia. No more problem.

 

[knight_yyz]

Re: Paint alternatives

I don't know where you're getting $600 to $1,000. AFAIK, nobody, not even the best and most respected custom guitar finishers out there, charges that much, even for giant metal flake paint jobs. Contact Brian Monty. He's in Canada, and he finishes in old-school non-catalyzed nitro lacquer for no more than $300 IME. He might even charge less for you, since he can just go right over your existing poly without extensive prep work like he'd have to do on raw wood.

Alternately, just take your guitar's body to a respected auto paint and body shop, preferably one that specializes in antique and hot-rod cars. If they know what they are doing with antique restorations, they can spray nitro or acrylic lacquers in any color you want.

Also, will ReRanch not ship to you? I just did a set neck in their surf green. It's a PITA, but if you are skilled, you can get good results.

Here is crummy pic of their surf green (which I applied over the existing poly):

View attachment 60523

I am in Canada. 12th fret quoted me 1k, to tear down strip and refinish in surf green then rebuild.
Mike Spicer quoted me 600 but he isn't taking any new jobs until the end of April

I have called a few auto shops. I even called Napa and car quest because they do spray can matches, but when i gave them the Dupont color codes they said I had the wrong color. So the codes for the colors are different in Canada and USA. So I have to tell the guy to make cans in 56 Buick Seafoam and maybe he could do it. But it would be acrylic enamel.

I think i solved my problem. I picked up an MIJ 57 RI body in surf green. LOL cheaper than all the alternatives so far. But i will see if i can find info for Brian Monty for future reference.

BTY NC Lacquer is NitroCellulose lacquer.

 

[knight_yyz]

Re: Paint alternatives

re-ranch will ship to Canadia. No more problem.

No they don't It's clearly stated on every website whether in USA or UK, that it is illegal to ship this across borders. Highly explosive. If you have the correct permits like a Luthier might have assuming he does use it alot, then it would be no problem.

 

[knight_yyz]

Re: Paint alternatives

Message sent to Brian Monty, just to see what he says about it.

 

[ItsaBass]

Paint alternatives

A standard or fine metallic paint job should be $250 to $350. Metal flake $50 or $100 more. Stripping poly adds to the cost significantly, usually adding $150 to $200. It's usually not worth doing, even on valuable guitars. I would really just go over what you have. I've done it several times, with great results. It makes everything so much easier.

Do you have Sherwin-Williams in Canada? They have IMO the best nitro lacquer left. It's non-catalyzed, and you can just walk in to any S-W store and order it in pretty much any color they offer.