Last month was full of preparation for the refinishing of an official Fender guitar, for the Amplified Creations exhibition which ran from July 11th through the 25th at the Hive Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles. Read on, for a behind-the-scenes look at the refinishing process of my first guitar, Dahlia.
Participants were given an opportunity to select a guitar body on which to work, from a number of bodies provided for the exhibition. After locating a Telecaster guitar body for a fellow artist, I happened to pick up a body for my own design that felt amazingly playable. The shape, look, and feel made me want to pick up and play a guitar— a powerful quality for any instrument. The substantial surface area on the backside of the body for my design was simply a bonus.
The Scoop
After researching information printed on labels affixed to the pickup cavity, I discovered that I had unknowingly selected a Limited Edition Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar. As a longtime fan of Marr’s work in the Smiths, it made this project extra special. Fully built, the 2026 Signature Special Jaguar features triple Kent Armstrong wound single-coil lipstick pickups, a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard (with custom neck profile), custom wiring, gorgeous vintage-look hardware, and a slew of other snazzy features specific to Marr’s versatile playing style. To learn more about the Limited Edition Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar from the man himself, check out the rundown here.
Research
I allocated a significant portion of time to researching the process of refinishing a guitar, before beginning preliminary work on the body. After confirming that some materials could affect the sound and ultimately the longevity of the instrument, I determined that the best way to preserve the instrument’s natural quality was to honor Fender’s specifications for that model and use materials specifically formulated for finishing guitars.
Further research into the chemistry of how the various materials interact led me to a helpful video by Devil & Sons Guitars, demonstrating the use of Montana Gold spray paint for repainting a guitar.
In the Devil & Sons video, Montana Gold NC-Acrylic was used to apply color over Nitorlack primer, with a word of caution about the challenges one may face when using Montana Gold as a body paint of choice. Given my deadline and local availability of Montana-Cans paint products, this seemed to be the most expedient (and workable) solution for my project. After confirming that my choice of body paint would adhere to my selected primer, I purchased all materials and began prepping my surface for refinishing.
Materials
The majority of materials for this project were purchased through StewMac. Dedicated to the joy of building instruments and the spirit of playing them, StewMac provides a number of free resources for guitar building as well as instructional videos and tutorials, accompanied by thorough explanation of how to use the products they carry. Their amazing network of resources provided the introductory education I needed to familiarize myself with refinishing materials and ultimately tackle a new medium. Cannot recommend them enough.
ColorTone Aerosol Guitar Primer (White) By Nitorlack
Formulated specifically for guitars, this primer purchased through StewMac provided an excellent opaque undercoat upon which to apply color. Planning for a solid-color finish on this guitar, I opted for white primer to better spot uncoated areas of the alder body. Doing so allowed me to address over-sanded areas and recoat where needed, before moving on to finish paint.
Montana Gold- NC Acrylic Professional Spray Paint
While chemically compatible with the rest of the finishing products used on this instrument, I must reiterate a word of caution expressed by Devil & Sons— while the wide range of colors make Montana Gold an attractive choice for painting a guitar, it is not the most user-friendly paint for this purpose and requires a significant amount of sanding. Speaking from my own experience, the amount of sanding required to level the spatter from this paint was intense. I battled paint spatter even after vigorously shaking the can for several minutes prior application, holding the can level throughout the painting process, and clearing the nozzle after every use. At one point, I switched to a wide nozzle by Montana-Cans, which only increased the severity of the spatter. For relatively smooth application, I advise using the can as-is, with the standard nozzle. For those who want to forgo the struggle of sanding this product, I recommend using a different product entirely.
ColorTone Aerosol Lacquer (Modern Clear Gloss) By Nitorlack
Modern Clear provided a tint-free non-yellowing gloss finish, for the final instrument body. Application was smooth and user-friendly, when following product directions and recommendations. A helpful tip from StewMac was to place the can in warm water (approximately 100-130°F) for fifteen to twenty minutes prior to use, for spatter-free application of lacquer. Doing so allowed me to achieve a nearly flawless finish, so I highly recommend preparing the can in this manner, before every application.
Sandpaper (Wet/Dry) Grit 400, 600, 800,1000,1200, 2000
It was helpful to have designated sheets of sandpaper for wet sanding and dry sanding, for different stages of the project. My initial removal of dents and existing coatings from the alder body was accomplished with dry sanding papers (to avoid swelling the wood), followed by wet sanding of the primed body with wet sanding papers. Level sanding of the gloss finish was accomplished with high grit (extra fine) wet sanding papers.
Sanding Block
While smoothing curved areas required hand sanding with individual pieces of sandpaper, a sanding block proved invaluable for smoothing large flat areas of the instrument body. The foam block (as opposed to a wooden one) allowed for sanding without weight, allowing me to maintain a light touch while moving from one area to another, reducing the likelihood of over-sanding and the need for touchup work.
Tack Cloth
A fantastic tool for removing lint, dust, and micro debris from a surface prior to painting, this cotton cloth has earned itself a permanent place in my supply arsenal. It is important to note that tack cloth varies from maker to maker and that the substance used to create tackiness within the fibers may not be suitable for contact with every surface. For this project, I opted for a tack cloth with a resin-based coating free from wax and oils, so as not to contaminate my degreased painting surface.
3M Half Facepiece Respirator
Even with adequate ventilation, I advise against attempting a project like this without a respirator. At one point after painting, I removed the respirator to adjust the fit and caught a whiff of the airborne chemicals that had been filtered away from my lungs by the respirator. The few minutes without a respirator were enough to cause throat irritation and a minor headache, exemplifying the necessity for a respirator during the refinishing process.
Process
Before detailing my process, it is important to note first and foremost that I am not a luthier and had never refinished an instrument, prior to this project. I had only designed and created graphics for application to instruments, for luthiers. The majority of educational resources for this project were discovered through StewMac, with additional resources available through YouTube and independent research.
Throughout the duration of this project, I created a log of my process, to better track the times required for off-gassing and curing, honoring the time required for each step of the finishing process leading up to the deadline for completion. I highly recommend doing the same, for anyone diving into the process of refinishing their own instrument.
Preparation
I began the process of sanding away the existing clear coat, followed by careful removal of deep dents and gouges from the alder body. I was thankfully able to remove a significant amount of the existing coating and surface damage, without having to strip the entire clear coat from the instrument. Final rounds of sanding were completed with 400 and 600 grit sandpaper, followed by body cleanup. Extra care was taken when cleaning the pickup cavity, pre-drilled holes, and routed areas with a Shop-Vac. A final sweep for dust was performed with a tack cloth, just before painting.
Setup
Having limited space in which to work, I constructed a makeshift spray cubicle for this project using recycled cardboard, painter’s plastic, and tape built around a free-standing bike rack. With plans to suspend the guitar body right-side up for painting, I created a long hook on which to hang the instrument, using a wire coat hanger from the dry cleaners. After securing the hook to the bike rack, I formed a rigid metal loop with two forked ends, from iron wire scrap. By passing the straight iron wire ends through the pre-drilled neck holes, I was able to securely hang and manipulate the body from an upright position, without affecting the hanging apparatus. The painter’s plastic was removed and replaced between every painting session, to ensure that dried paint particles did not find their way onto the painting surface or into fresh layers of paint.
Primer
Before painting, I carefully masked off the neck pocket using painter’s tape, to protect the serial number and ensure proper fit of a neck, in the event that the guitar was ever completed as a playable build. I then began preparation of the ColorTone nitrocellulose primer by following the StewMac recommendation of placing the can in warm water (approximately 100-130°F) for fifteen to twenty minutes prior to use.
After suspending the instrument body in the painting cubicle, I did a once-over with tack cloth, to remove any dust, dander, and in my case cat hair that could have found its way onto the painting surface. I donned my respirator and carefully began priming the body, following the printed directions on the can, while adhering to the specified finishing schedule of one coat every two hours, exceeding no more than three coats per day, in conditions of less than fifty percent humidity. For reference, each stage of the process was completed in warm weather conditions, with low humidity (84°F at 38% humidity). After the first day of priming was completed, I allowed the instrument to off-gas on the hanger for a total of three days, before wet sanding with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper.
After wet sanding the instrument to a smooth finish, it was hung in the painting cubicle to thoroughly dry for twenty four hours, before repeating the process for a second round of primer, followed by another three days of off-gassing, wet sanding, and twenty four hours of dry time before recoating over-sanded areas.
Color
After vigorously shaking the can of Montana Gold for several minutes, I gently wiped the instrument with a tack cloth to collect any residual sanding debris, put on my respirator, and began the process of applying color to the primed guitar body.
I applied one coat of paint every ten minutes with no more than three coats per day, followed by a two day period of off-gassing, before wet sanding. After wet sanding, the instrument was hung in the painting cubicle for twenty four hours to thoroughly dry, before repeating the paint, off-gassing, and sanding process. This process was repeated a total of four times, for a perfectly smooth surface on which to apply my graphic.
As mentioned in the materials section, Montana Gold spattered even when holding the can upright, applying even pressure to the nozzle, and following all product directions to the letter. Sanding with this product was simply inevitable. That being said, with a significant amount of sanding and four cans of paint, I was able to eventually achieve a smooth finish on this instrument.
Graphic Design
Rough sketched and vectorized over the course of multiple streams, my graphic was sketched in Photoshop, completed in Adobe Illustrator and then handed off to Platon Graphics, a commercial printing company in Los Angeles who specializes in the creation of rub-on transfers and large format printing. When weighing my options for graphic application, I determined that commissioning a rub-on (dry) transfer of my graphic was the best course of action, to minimize the possibility of swelling the wood during graphic application and final stages of the finishing process.
In-depth look at the design and creation of my guitar graphic, discussed in The White Dahlia Part II.
Graphic Application
After receiving the rub-on transfer of my artwork from Platon Graphics, I prepared the instrument for graphic application. I lightly sanded the body with 1200 grit sandpaper, to remove any oil that could have transferred from my hands to the body, having transported the body without gloves. After determining that the light sanding was enough to degrease the surface for graphic application, I wiped the body with tack cloth, to collect and remove any sanding dust, debris, and cat hair from the surface before preparing to align my artwork on the body.
I carefully trimmed the transfer sheet and backing paper, leaving a slight border around the edges for marking and taping. I centered my graphic between the neck holes and affixed it to the body using painter’s tape, checking placement by hanging the guitar upright, as it would appear when completed.
After confirming correct placement of the artwork, I slipped the backing paper away from the transfer sheet and carefully burnished the graphic onto the instrument, alternating between a metal spoon and a burnishing tool, applying light pressure to release the artwork from the transfer sheet. This part of the process took approximately forty-five minutes to complete.
Clear Coat
Following the StewMac recommendation of placing the can in warm water (approximately 100-130°F) for fifteen to twenty minutes prior to use, I prepared the instrument for clear coating, in the spray cubicle. I carefully wiped down the instrument with a fresh tack cloth, being very mindful of my movements within the spray area before beginning the clear coating process.
Clear coating a white instrument is not for the faint of heart. On a pure white instrument, any flaw in the finish (dust, debris, unevenness, etc.) is incredibly visible. Noting this, I took great care in preventing dust contamination of the spray cubicle and surrounding area. I applied fresh painter’s plastic to the spray cubicle right before clear coating, lint rolled my clothing before handling the guitar for transport to the spray area, wore a lint-free apron, prepared the aerosol can for clear coating away from the spray area so as not to stir up dust, and used a fresh tack cloth to wipe down the guitar body before every coat of gloss. Even with such preparation, there were areas that required removal of lint by way of light sanding with extra fine sanding papers in-between coats, followed by touchup gloss on sanded areas.
Following the StewMac recommendation of placing the can in warm water (approximately 100-130°F) for fifteen to twenty minutes prior to use, provided ease of application, allowing me maintain a smooth finish on the instrument body. I began with a single light coat, followed by the specified finishing schedule of one coat every two hours, exceeding no more than three coats per day, in conditions of less than fifty percent humidity. The process took place over the span of several days, followed by time for off-gassing of the final finish.
Overall, the clear coating process was the easiest part of the project, when compared to the work leading up to the guitar body’s completion. That being said, I am definitely looking forward to working on my next instrument.