would it be all right to get my guitar refinished in an autobody shop?

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benji657

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Do you think its a good idea for me to go to the the autobody shop where they finish cars to get my guitar refinished?

Im very worried about doing it alone, as i can be quite sloppy sometimes...

thanks
benj

PS: how much do you think they'll charge?
 
oh and do they also sand down the body, or do i have to do that?
 
it would probably be best if you did everything except paint the body. No idea on how much it would cost you though.

BTW - If they're willing to do it, and you've got some money (lots of money) to spend, use House of Color paint - they've got some really unique stuff, and it's soooo cool.
 
A friend of mine's brother in law owns a body shop. He had him paint a guitar one time in purple flake and it was awesome. His brother in law told him he wished he wouldn't have sanded it before he brought it to him.
 
Auto Body shops are fine/ great for solid colors IMO. The details (Who sands what and such) You´ll have to work out with them ;)

FWIW, GMW does great refinishes for a decent prce as well ;)
 
***I AM NOT A PRO & I HAVE ONLY DONE THIS TWICE...BUT...***


I would think that an auto body shop would slap on one heavy a$$ coat of paint & hand it over to you.

To get a "Proper" finish on a guitar, it should be built up in several thin layers or coats, buffed out & clear coated several times with sandings in between.

I would recommend you take your time & do it yourself. You'll probably save yourself some money & aggravation in the long run....PLUS it's kinda' fun to know you did it yourself!!!
 
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I had a Charvel done at a boat shop, they used a gel-coat, white. Its a super hard finish, very nice and only a $ 100.00. But a body shop will do it.
 
proxy said:
*Paiging Dr.ButNut*
hehe...DO NOT sand the body to bare wood!!! I use automotive poly(urethane) on my clears. Most guitars are finished in this type of poly, except those high brow Gibsons. :wink: Use a 320 grit and scuff the surface, just to EVENLY dull it. Let them prime and paint from there. Should be cheaper if they have your color in stock...ie: left over paint, won't take much at all with poly. Gel coat is durable as hell, almost too hard, as it will crack/shatter if banged...tone purists don't like thick finishes, but I'll bet it's real shiney! :14: Ask if they wil add some pearl to the clear, just a tiny bit will add some nice color flash and won't cost but a few cents. Good luck.
 
Does anyone know how much places like GMW and others charge to refinish a body? How much more would they charge on a neck through, cause I'd never take one of those to a body shop!
 
Re: would it be all right to get my guitar refinished in an autobody shop?

I have a friend who paints cars ( graphics and Fire Engines and stuff like that) he did a sunburst Bass Guitar that looks sweet. The Fender colors from the 50's were all from Dupont and taken directly from the automotive industry. There is a definite link between sexy cars and sexy guitars!
 
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