IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Lacquer And The Curing Process
2. Today's Q & A: Your Questions Answered
3. Become A PYOG Affiliate

.................................................................................................................................................................................

 

1. Lacquer And The Curing Process

I've had A LOT of people email me lately to tell me that they've run into problems with their finish after resting it on a guitar stand. Rubber guitar stands and lacquer (that has not FULLY cured) is a "no-no." Lacquer takes approximately 1 year to fully cure. There is nothing that you can really do to speed up this process. This is one of the disadvantages of lacquer. It has many benefits, but this is clearly the biggest drawback.

If you've recently painted your own guitar, or will be finishing it soon, I urge you to have a look at my e-book - The Finish Protector™. This is a 5-Minute Guitar Stand modification that will save your guitar's finish from the disasterous effects of rubber - and anything else that can affect its finish.

Now, you may be thinking, "I'll just rest my guitar on the carpet or lay it in its case - problem solved." Guess what? Your finish will take on the texture of the carpet and/or the fabric in the guitar case very soon. WHY? Because although your finish has hardened, it hasn't FULLY hardened. So, it's vulnerable to what it rests on and against.

For those of you who are doubters, I had someone come over to my house and play my TIGER and they didn't rest it back on my Finish Protector. They just put it back on a regular guitar stand. Guess what? - The finish is wrecked, See FIG 1 & FIG 2. (Of course, that was my fault for not telling the person where to put the guitar after they were done.)

Now for me, I really don't care. I've painted so many guitars and all they are is wood and strings to me. I can make another one and paint it anytime I want. Basically, it's replacable.

But, for you guys and gals painting your guitars for the first time, this sort of thing could be devastating considering how much work you have to put into it. So, I urge you to consider the Finish Protector. It will SAVE your finish until it has fully cured.

 

.................................................................................................................................................................................

2. TODAY'S Q & A: Your Questions Answered

Q: I'm doing some clear-coating and I got a smudge on the paint and then -- unknowingly -- clear-coated over it. Should I wet-sand it out and then re-spray, or can I shoot a little more color (the body is all one color) over the clear to cover up the smudge, then clear-coat over that? That's kinda cheating, but does it have any downside?

A: I would wetsand it down rather than spray over the clear. OR, wetsand the clear down as much as possible without going through to the paint, then apply the fix and proceed.

Many times, after doing a fix like that - spraying over top of clear - it's visible that there's paint on different layers... weird, but it does show up that way.

 

Q: I am thinking of painting my guitar black with the white circles (Randy Rhoads style). Do you know what is the diameter of those circles? Also, does 3M or any other companies sell those circle stickers as is? Any idea on how I can reproduce the model?
 
Do you advise me to first paint the guitar in white, then place the circles, and then paint it black?

A: Visit your local office supply store and pick up some stickers to use for your circles. The size you use will depend on what's available. You may find the exact size or something very close (it looks as though the circles are about 1.25".)

Spray your guitar white, then add your circles/masks, then hit it with black. Of course, you'll have to wait a few days before masking it up.

 

Q: I want to paint a Kamikazee. What colors did you use for yours?

A: Depends what brand of paint you want to use. It'll all depend on the brand. I think that you'd probably be best to use Duplicolor Auto Spray as this line of paint has literally hundreds of colors.

 

Q: Would it be possible to put a floyd rose on a B.C RICH KKV signature or a B.C. RICH VIRGO?

A: Those guitars are not made for tremolos.

 

Q: I've got my base coat laid down and parts of it are shinier than others. Do I need to sand it so it looks even before I do the clear coats?

A: Not to worry. Inconsistencies such as this - slight overspray - may seem like it's going to wreck your finish, but it won't. Just proceed with what you're doing. The only time you really need to sand a color coat is when you've got a drip or run.

 

.................................................................................................................................................................................

3. Become A PYOG Affiliate

If you have a guitar-related website, I'd like you to partner with me to help promote my PYOG books through my affiliate program. I pay 35% on every sale and some of my affiliates are doing VERY well. If you're interested, please sign up here.