How do i paint a acoustic guitar without it damaging the guitar and how do i do it with it costing me a lot?

Question

I just got a acoustic guitar from my friend but its bad shape and needs a new paint job.

Answer 1

I have refinished a couple of guitars and what I did was to sand off the old finish and leave the natural wood grain sealing it up with poly-urethane sealer available at you local hardware store. If you choose to sand the old finish down  move progressively to a higher grit sand paper finishing with 180 or steel wool to remove the scratches  before applying the finish coat.And he is right dont mess with the fret board.

Answer 2

probably acrylic paint the stone roses did it in jackon pollock style

Answer 3

well you cant "paint it" i would suggest stickering it up to make it look nice but if you dont want to than find what the finish is and just paint it on it wont ruin the guitar as long as the inside isnt harmed. oh and dont s***w with the fret board either

Answer 4

I'm sorry, these other two suggestions are not very good recommendations. I worked for an instrument builder for several years and as a result of that experience I have to say that the best finish for your acoustic guitar is still nitrocellulose lacquer which has been in use as a guitar finish for around eighty years and is still in use today.

Remove the old finish. Remove all the hardware (tuners, strap buttons, bridge pins) and finish sand the instrument to at least 220 grit sandpaper. 400 would be better. Then apply masking tape to the surface of the fretboard and tape off or somehow block the soundhole from having finish go in there. Find a clean place to spray, hang the guitar up and start spraying thin coats of lacquer. Many thin coats are better than fewer heavy coats. Allow to dry and sand between coats to build up a smooth, level finish. Finally polish. You can do this with spray cans, but the best is to have a spray gun where you can control the mix of thinner to lacquer, be able to include additives if needed (anti-blush, fish-eye remover, etc.) and also control the spray pattern. Spray cans give you only one way of doing things, but you can still get the job done.

Don't buy polyurethane or any other weird clear coatings - make sure that you're getting nitrocellulose lacquer. Your local stores will probably not have it. Order it online through Stewart MacDonald or similar places:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_su...