Paint Your Own Guitar - paintyourownguitar.com FAQs

PAINT YOUR OWN GUITAR

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I've been told by the guitar tech down at my local guitar shop that you CAN'T get a factory finish with spray cans. Is he right?

A: Your guitar tech has no idea what he's talking about. In fact, he's flat-out wrong. Has he ever painted a guitar, or does he just string them up? My guess is he's just a "stringer-upper" and "polisher." If he had any knowledge whatsoever, he'd know that it IS possible to create a factory finish with spray cans. I've been painting guitars with spray cans for over 20 years. I'm living proof as are the countless people who've bought one of my books and painted their own guitar - IT IS POSSIBLE. All of my books teach you how to create a factory finish with nothing more than ordinary store-bought spray cans. Just follow the steps in the book, pay attention to details, and you can expect amazing results.

Q: This looks and sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?

A: There is no catch. I've laid out the exact steps I use when I paint a guitar and backed that up with good, thorough explanations, and quality photos. If you're willing to put the work into it, you can expect amazing results - better than you ever imagined. However, do a half-assed job on the things that really matter and expect a half-assed paint job.

Q: Are finishes that are done with spray cans as durable as those done with industrial/automotive paint?

A: Yes. However, there is a curing process that needs to happen for ALL guitars painted with lacquer. Although lacquer dries very quickly, it cures slowly - meaning, it takes a while for it to harden completely. That's why MANY guitar manufacturers have gone to painting their guitars with polyurethane rather than lacquer. The additon of a catalyst added to the clear coats allow polyurethane finishes to dry in a matter of days, not months.

Once your finish has completely cured, it is extremely durable.

Q: I don't really want to paint any of these designs that you feature on my guitar. Will your book still help me?

A: Absolutely. The book deals with ever aspect of painting your own guitar; the design steps are just a couple in a series of 20 steps. Whether you want to do a 1-color paint job, or you want to learn how to do your own designs, my book will help you.

Q: You have several books available. Which one should I start with?

A: Good question. They all teach you how to create a factory finish. However, I'd recommend that you get the main book, "HOW TO Create A Factory Finish With Just A Couple Of Spray Cans!," first. It contains 4 project guitars, so it covers a lot of stuff. If, after doing a few guitars, you think you'd like to attempt one of the other projects featured in one of the other books, then by all means, go ahead.

Q: Do all of the books contain the same info?

A: All of my books teach you how to do a factory finish with spray cans. But, as for the designs, the main book doesn't teach you how to do a camouflage finish or how to paint the M-1 Tiger - those require slightly different techniques.

Q: Do any of your books teach you how to do a sunburst finish?

A: M-1 Tiger contains a variation of a sunburt. However, doing a traditional sunburst, which is transparent, is very tough to do with spray cans. My goal is to have a video/DVD available on sunburst and translucent finishes in 2007.

Q: I don't live in the U.S., so I'm wondering whether I'll be able to buy the products you recommend in the book?

A: Most, if not, all of products I use in the book can be bought in any hardware store. As for paint, if the paint that I use and recommend is not available where you live, then simply buy a suitable alternative. Just make sure it's the same TYPE of paint... the brand can be different.

Q: How do I know that my guitar will look like yours?

A: Once again, it comes down to you putting what I say in the book to work FOR YOU. If I say, "Wait three days before doing X," you wait three days before doing X. The things I write about in the book are things that I have learned over the 20+ years I've been painting guitars. If you decide NOT to follow what I write in the book, I can't predict what's going to happen.

Follow what I say in the book, and you SHOULD EXPECT amazing results. As you continue to paint guitars, you'll no doubt develop little tricks of your own - but that only comes with experience.

Q: How did you come up with all of this info? Did you read it somewhere on the net?

A: HA! - That's funny! I was painting guitars long before there was a WORLD WIDE WEB (I began in 1983). Everything I teach in my books are things I learned the hard way - through trial and error while painting my own guitars. Eventually, I started painting guitars for other people. By the end of the 80's and into the early 90's, I probably painted over 500 guitars.

Q: Can I find the info from your books for free on the web?

A: It took me 6 months to write my first book - why? - because I wanted it to be THOROUGH and ACCURATE. You may find some people on the web posting info, but I highly doubt they've devoted countless hours making sure that everything's explained extremely well and left nothing to interpretation.

If there was a book available like mine when I started painting guitars, I gladly would've bought it. It would've saved me HUNDREDS of dollars on wood (I made my own bodies) and supplies that were ruined and wasted because I didn't know what I was doing.

Although they're NOT free, I consider my books to be the best $30 investment you could ever make. If you're the investor type, you'll know that this is a worthy investment. ;)