What is the best way to "color" the body?

The Achilles' Heel of Luthiery
Post Reply
TEK 7289
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 2:44 pm

What is the best way to "color" the body?

Post by TEK 7289 »

I am building a acoustic for a friend and for some reason he wants a black guitar. What is the best route to do it? I just started building this year and on the guitars I have built so far I have finished with French Polish.
Travis
tippie53
Posts: 7011
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Hegins, Pa
Contact:

Re: What is the best way to "color" the body?

Post by tippie53 »

a few choices,
If you don't have a spray booth you may want to opt for acrylic auto paint
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
 

Re: What is the best way to "color" the body?

Post by   »

Does acrylic auto paint come in rattle cans?
Just spray on bare wood?
How many coats?
Is a certain finishing product necessary?
tippie53
Posts: 7011
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Hegins, Pa
Contact:

Re: What is the best way to "color" the body?

Post by tippie53 »

I have used it on electric solid bodies
I use a seal coat , then a base primer , depending on what effect you are going for you want to use under color , say white and put blue on top if it , or I like putting black under red .
There are many effects you can get. Experiment and you may be surprised . Then you want to clear coat . One nice thing about the auto finish is that you can be sanding it in a few hrs and it buff and polishes nicely. It dries hard and you don't need to use as much as if you used nitro.
It wet sands much the same , use 800 -1000 - 1500 2000 then buff and polish compounds. I really like playing with the meta flakes and translucent colors. That is where the under colors have the greatest visual effect.
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
B. Howard
Posts: 709
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:42 pm
Location: Hummelstown, PA
Contact:

Re: What is the best way to "color" the body?

Post by B. Howard »

You can also color shellac with pigments. I use Mixol pigments, they can be mixed with virtually any finish material. Though I have never done FP in a solid color I have done it in shaders.
You never know what you are capable of until you actually try....

Brian Howard
www.brianhowardguitars.com
Taylor authorized service
Custom finishing services

Brian howard's guitar building & repair blog
http://www.brianhowardguitars.com
Post Reply