NGD. Need paint/body guys input, this is a project.

RJF

RJF

New member
I just picked up a 1985 San Dimas Jackson soloist, J code serial. It has a Kahler in the bridge and appears to be a Jeff Beck styled setup that he had in the 80's. The pink bridge pickup is a screamon demon and is coming out pronto, I hate SH12's.

I bought it from the original owner and it's had a rough life, he did some body work to it to fill in some dings, but it's completely strait and plays really well. It's ready to be sanded down and shot with some fresh paint. It's not the most beautiful piece at the moment, but for $500 I couldn't complain one bit.

My question for the auto body/paint pros is what is the best process to get it painted right? I am a decent painter, I paint a lot of equipment on a regular basis, but not much "auto" type stuff where there is wet sanding type work involved. Let me know if you see a flaw in my paint plans.

1. Get electronics/metal off of it.
2. Block sand the body and get it all smoothed out.
3. Tape up fretboard and headstock really well.
4. A coat or 2 of primer sealer
5. sand sealer with like 1200 grit
6.repeat 4 and 5 if necessary
7. shoot color coat, apply as many coats as necessary to get good even coverage.
8. Apply clear coat, apply as many coats as necessary to get good even coverage.
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my experience is with furniture and guns so take this with a grain of salt-rub it down with formby's furniture refinisher and fine steel wool(0-0-0-0). if that doesn't remove everything asap, you will probably have to go with stripeaze and a plastic scraper. use a clothes iron and a wet rag to remove what dings you can, then go to work sanding. start with a heavier grit and finish light. million good videos on youtube to check out.
 
That seems about right to me, but I wouldn't shoot color over 1200 grit. I thought you'd want something more coarse, like 300-400?
 
cardinal":7tnb74r9 said:
That seems about right to me, but I wouldn't shoot color over 1200 grit. I thought you'd want something more coarse, like 300-400?
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So I should sand the primer with 400?
 
Sand your primer with 400 and finish it off with 600. The biggest challenge is going to be spraying the clear on the front,back and up the back of the neck in one shot. I would hang it from the headstock while you paint it and come up with some type of handle to hold it steady and turn as needed while you spray,maybe a piece of wood screwed into the pickup cavity or something. Otherwise it will twirl around while your spraying. I have done a few Les Pauls that way by hanging it with wire from my garage door tracks.
 
I pondered doing a self-refin on an old Rhoads a few years ago, but gave it up as a bad idea - the amount of stuff I'd have had to buy for just one project wasn't worth it.

Not what you're asking I know, but depending on your budget, I'd highly recommend you just send it to Lee at GMW and get him to refin it. His work is superb and reasonable and you'd end up with a quality end result and total lack of hassle..
 
BrokenFusion":1mshvmbj said:
Sand your primer with 400 and finish it off with 600. The biggest challenge is going to be spraying the clear on the front,back and up the back of the neck in one shot. I would hang it from the headstock while you paint it and come up with some type of handle to hold it steady and turn as needed while you spray,maybe a piece of wood screwed into the pickup cavity or something. Otherwise it will twirl around while your spraying. I have done a few Les Pauls that way by hanging it with wire from my garage door tracks.
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I've actually painted 1 guitar in the past, and this is the way I did it. I just hung it by a headstock tuner hole from the ceiling of my shop.

Do I need to sand the color coat at all before the clear? Seems like I remember using 1200 grit on SOMETHING last time I did this, but that was 7+ years ago that I painted a guitar for a buddy of mine.
 
neilli":rqvgeix0 said:
I pondered doing a self-refin on an old Rhoads a few years ago, but gave it up as a bad idea - the amount of stuff I'd have had to buy for just one project wasn't worth it.

Not what you're asking I know, but depending on your budget, I'd highly recommend you just send it to Lee at GMW and get him to refin it. His work is superb and reasonable and you'd end up with a quality end result and total lack of hassle..
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WHat do you think it costs from this guy?

I already have all the equipment to do it, even have some extra sealer laying around. All I need to buy is paper, color, and clear. I will probably be able to do it myself for less then $75. The first guitar I did actually came out really well, my buddy was happy as a clam. I also figure, if I biff it and it comes out looking amateurish, then I'd send it to someone to have done and I'll only be out $60-70.
 
No you don't want to sand the color coat. If you have to sand out trash or something you can but spray some more color over it before you clear it. Don't clear over sanded color.
Heres the last LP I did.

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RJF":355r8yug said:
WHat do you think it costs from this guy? I already have all the equipment to do it...
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Oh, I guess if you have the equipment then yeah, it's well worth putting some time in. I think Lee charges around 400 for a solid colour refin on a neck thru, but it might be a bit less. He does stunning work though..
 
BrokenFusion":22qd73np said:
No you don't want to sand the color coat. If you have to sand out trash or something you can but spray some more color over it before you clear it. Don't clear over sanded color.
Heres the last LP I did.

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that is an outstanding colour :rock: ...I painted my LP copper, love it
 
Rezamatix":398nuhqy said:
Steinmetzify":398nuhqy said:
LMFAO...the part where you sell whatever you bought for $500 more because you're a ripoff artist should come into play...

Fucking asshole....
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what?! happened here?
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He's a crazed lunatic on a rampage, that's all. No seriously he has a hard on for me, reason for that no one, including myself has a clue why.

I'm a little late to the party this morning and missed what he obviously must have deleted. Regardless, I'm glad he did. This thread is about restoring a really cool old guitar.
 
BrokenFusion":3e9okcnn said:
sytharnia1560":3e9okcnn said:
that is an outstanding colour :rock: ...I painted my LP copper, love it
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Thanks I wish i still had it. Was a great player,Maybe I'll do another.
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Yeah I 2nd, that Paul looks killer. I'm headed out right now to the paint shop to grab paper/color/clear. Just thought I'd check on the thread real quick. :thumbsup:
 
I also need to decide what to buy for a bridge pickup. The screamon demon is going in the garbage. I love the venerable SD distortion, but I have that pickup in so many guitars I'm kind of bored with it. I'm thinking I'm going to go with another Nazgul, or possibly a Bare Knuckle something. I think I will just put the stock single coils back in since I hardly ever use them.

It's likely a maple neck with alder wings on this one, since the PO can't remember ordering anything special.
 
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