How to paint a guitar with your own hands at home and what varnishes to choose
Musicians accustomed to instruments, having tuned guitars or violins themselves, it is difficult to accept that objects wear out. Some musical instruments are repaired on their own without loss of sound quality. Painting a guitar solves some of the problems caused by body wear and also creates your own instrument design.
Surface preparation for work
The guitar is a musical instrument that, with good care, will serve its owner for years. The body of a guitar is most often coated with a varnish which has high strength characteristics. Even the most durable paint material wears out.
To restore the guitar to its attractive appearance, the musicians paint their houses themselves. Owners of musical instruments worry that applying layers of paint to the surface will affect the sound quality. This can be avoided if the work is carried out according to special rules.
Before starting work, prepare the surface, clean thoroughly and remove the upper parts. The guitar is completely disassembled.With the help of screwdrivers, wrenches and auxiliary tools, the parts are detached, leaving the body free from overlaps. It is recommended to leave the parts in one place, so that after the end of the work you can easily assemble the tool.
The body is cleaned from the previous paint and varnish base using sandpaper. First, the body is cleaned with coarse sandpaper, then the correction is carried out with fine sandpaper. To guarantee the result, completely remove the traces of the previous varnish layer.
Advantages and disadvantages of oil and wax coating
Musical instruments have long been painted in oil and wax. These compounds protect the natural wood from which the guitars are made.
Oil application and waxing procedures are almost the same. Both coatings have their own advantages and disadvantages.
| benefits | Disadvantages |
| Ease of application | The oil can be absorbed by the wood, partially affect the sound of the instrument |
| The finish is smooth and durable | Wax is inferior to varnish in terms of resistance |
| Easily restored or removed when worn | Low hydrophobicity |
Oil and wax coating is an alternative to body paint. The coat should be renewed every 5-6 years. Additionally, the materials will not protect the guitar from wear and tear or provide durability. One of the most popular products is a mixture of linseed oil and rosin. This impregnation is a traditional technique used for many centuries. The composition of the oil after application completely hardens under the influence of naturally formed air masses.
Varnishes suitable for acoustic guitars
An acoustic guitar is distinguished from a classical guitar by its size. The acoustic is much wider, which gives a deep sound. The acoustic guitar is distinguished by the location of the neck and the headstock. Repainting the body of the acoustic will require more material than painting a classical guitar.
Alcohol varnish
Alcohol-based varnishes provide beautiful glossy finishes. These types of varnishes include rosin, shellac, putty. Shellac is considered a widespread and frequently used coating. It dries quickly, can be applied in different ways (by brush or spray), polymerized in 2 to 5 hours. If necessary, the shellac coating can be easily removed with alcohol.
Reference! All types of alcohol varnish provide a permanent finish. Experienced players prefer to coat acoustic guitars only with alcohol varnish.
Nitrocellulose varnishes
Nitro lacquers are popular in the automotive industry, but are sometimes used to coat musical instruments. Nitrolacs are particularly in demand when it is necessary to artificially “age” the instrument, to make it look like a rare object.
Polyurethane varnish
Polyurethanes are synthetic elastomers. The technical parameters of polyurethanes are much higher than those of nitro varnishes. Polyurethane varnishes are applied exclusively by spraying to avoid the appearance of bubbles on the treated surface. Polyurethane varnishes are the most common material used to paint guitars.
Polyester varnish
Varnishes are characterized by high strength, adhesion and preservation of the result, but due to the complexity of the tinting process, they are almost never used at home. To obtain a coating, it is necessary to use catalysts, thinners and fixers.
Acrylic varnishes
Acrylic-based varnishes are available as one or two components. They give a durable glossy film that does not crack over time.
Attention! Acrylic and alkyd paints are not compatible. They cannot be mixed.
Water-based varnish
Water-based varnishes are rarely used to paint guitars. They do not have sufficient characteristics to carry out this procedure.
How to choose the right composition
The choice of coating material depends on the desire of the owner of the musical instrument, the result he seeks to achieve:
- If it is necessary to maintain the texture of the wood, then an oil coating and a traditional finishing wax should be chosen.
- Shellac assumes ease of application and subsequent removal and repair.
- Vintage yellowing can be achieved with a quick application of nitro polish.
- You can get a topcoat with a specific color using acrylic. The color palette allows you to choose a wide variety of colors.
- Polyurethane varnishes will give a good finish. But this requires the use of compositions to dilute and shrink the material.
Step-by-step instructions for working from home
Painting your guitar at home requires preparing your work surface, materials, and tools. For work you will need:
- Sandpaper;
- roller, brush or spray;
- face mask, gloves, apron;
- screwdriver;
- paint, varnish, base.
The working surface is covered with special materials. The prepared body is placed on the surface. The painting process consists of several steps:
- The first coat is applied by spray gun or brush. Using a spray will prevent drips and create a flat surface.
- After 10 hours, the layer is smoothed with sandpaper to eliminate irregularities and prepare the tool for applying the main layers.
- The paint is applied sequentially in two or three layers.
- After complete drying, apply a thin layer of varnish.
- To fix the result, the varnish layer is repeated twice.
- After complete hardening of the body, the instrument is completely assembled.
It is recommended to let the guitar dry in rooms where the movement of dust is excluded.
Attention! The drying time of the paint layer depends entirely on the characteristics of the material.
Features of working with an electric guitar
Not everyone decides to repaint an electric guitar at home. This process is complicated by the peculiarities of the instrument. In addition, it is customary to give electric guitars a particular look that indicates a musical direction. Electric guitars are usually painted using the swirl technique. Dynamic lines are achieved on the body, creating a swirling effect.
The body of the electric guitar should be separated from the soundboard and completely cleaned. The most important stage of whirling is the preparation of a special solution. It is prepared from water and sodium tetraborate. 1 teaspoon of sodium tetraborate is dissolved in 1 liter of water. 2-3 shades of paint are alternately dipped into the solution. The peculiarity of the process is that the paint remains on the surface of the solution, creating bizarre patterns.
The body is slowly immersed in the solution, then slowly removed. The body is covered with a layer of paint in the most unexpected combinations. The process is designed for immersion, after which the paint is shaken from the body and allowed to dry completely.
Attention! The drying time depends on the characteristics of the painting material. Most often it ranges from 12 to 24 hours at an air temperature of +20 degrees.
Once the paint has hardened, a topcoat is applied. For this, a waterproof polyurethane varnish is used. It will provide a secure adhesion to structures.
Useful tips
When planning to paint musical instruments at home, there are many nuances that should be taken into account. To try out new dyeing techniques (like swirling), musicians are advised to practice on unused pieces of plywood or wood. Only with certain skills it is possible to create something truly unique.
DIY Guitar Painting Tips:
- To mix different colors, the recipe must be taken into account. It is indicated on the product instructions. The result depends on the proportional ratio of hardener and base. An independent increase in the proportions of the components is possible only if there is firm confidence in obtaining a dense film or a glossy surface. These cases suggest a slight increase in the elements.
- It is necessary to take into account the number of layers and calculate them in advance. When planning to get a porous surface, it is enough to apply 2-3 layers. If you want to achieve a shiny, glossy finish, the layers are repeated up to 6 or 8 times, taking into account subsequent grinding and polishing.
- To avoid drops of varnish on the horizontal surfaces of the guitar, the finish is applied 2 times: the first time they use a spray gun, applying it on the horizontal axes, the second time they apply the diluted varnish with a brush on the remaining surfaces.
- It is recommended to finally grind and polish the guitar 2-4 weeks after applying the topcoat. During this time, the varnish gains strength, gives a tight grip, and irregularities appear in full force.
- Different compositions should be checked beforehand for compatibility with wooden boards or plywood boards.The incompatibility of the compositions leads to the bursting of the applied layer, to the appearance of bubbles some time after drying.
The technology of applying paints and varnishes does not always follow the rules. Mistakes lead to sound changes.
Why the guitar changes its sound after painting:
- application of thick layers, strokes, of different density;
- incompatibility between the base and the finish;
- elastic substrates with a large amount of thinner penetrate fibers differently and may affect sonic characteristics.
Competent selection of materials will save you from mistakes and allow you to create a tool with a unique appearance.