Can you paint a guitar body with automotive paint?

2

2000strat

Guest
  I have gathered up all the parts to put together a Partsocater. It has an Alder wood body. I would love to paint it to match my bike. Can you paint the body with automotive paint products??  I have some left over after painting my bike. It's all acrylic urethane products. All advice is very welcome.    Thank you very much
 
Grateful_Ed

Grateful_Ed

Student Of The Blues
The short answer 2000strat is, absolutely yes. It is especially useful if you are not trying for a transparent finish as the best way to utilize this type of paint would be over a primed body.
It will be rather a thicker finish than a nitro-lacquer finish but the look can be just as beautiful as any car or motorcycle finish.
I am a car painter by trade and have been so for nearly 40 years. I have used urethane base and clear coats on rifle stocks, wood interior trim (clear only) as well as guitars. It won't hurt the value of a parts caster and you probably won't be able to tell the difference in tone.
I actually prefer it to the spray can lacquers available from stewmac and such.  -ed
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
Are you gonna paint "Harvey Diddleson" on the headstock?  Just joking.  So ... how is your bike painted?  We could enjoy seeing pics of that as well.
 
2

2000strat

Guest
Well Rancid hoping that this spring, early summer I will have the new engine back in it. Then I will buy a computer camera, have someone show me how to use it and then have someone show me how to put pictures on the site. Putting the new engine back in will be easier.
  The paint I used is from Summit Racing. If you get on their site get into the paint section. The paint is Acid Rain Yellow. Wicked awesome color. While everyone else is trying to stick as much chrome on their bikes, I am trying to get most of it off. I have a friend that would chrome plate his tires if he could. Just my opinion. Your nickel your bike. A little tasteful amount is fine, the rest I like to black out. I will see what I can do.     Thank you so much
 
giayank

giayank

Just another day in paradise
2000strat can't help you with the painting . The picture to the computer is easier than you may think . If you have a smart phone or somebody you know has one .Take the picture . Email it to yourself and download it onto your computer . Than post onto forum . [smiley=beer.gif]
 
F

falconer

Blues Newbie
To answer the OP, yes you can.

I used to have a custom Tele built by Ron Kirn, painted to match my BMW's factory color.

He sent me the info on the brand of paint he prefers, and I  emailed him the code from a factory color chart I obtained at a local collision shop.  He went down to a shop in Jacksonville to get the paint, which was a perfect match.
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
Well, I went to the Summit Racing site and found the Acid Rain yellow paint, but couldn't find a color swatch (example) of it.  But from the description of it, it ought to make a fantastic color for a Strat!
The closest thing I could find is the pic of the bike below.
 
gpower

gpower

Blues Junior
You'll actually find some Fender stock colors from the late 50's referred to as CAR. They were painted with Dupont Automotive paint.
 
2

2000strat

Guest
Rancid that is a very close match, but when you have it out on a sunny day the color is just incredible. I have heard that the auto finish will effect the guitar tone. I have no doubt that it will, but will it be so noticeable that it turns out to be a mistake using it. Thanks for all your support.
 
B

blueshawk

Blues Newbie
I've heard that stuff about the finish effecting sound. Perhaps to some people's super tuned ears, they can hear it, but I'm guessing it is superstitious nonsense.

I've got guitars with nice, unblemished finishes. I've also got some old beaters that look like someone painted them with nail polish, much of which has peeled off. Put some decent pups in them (either one) and they sound great. If finish were an issue, Willy Nelson's old acoustic should sound like crap.....it doesn't.

In my opinion, paint it how you want it to look. The electronics will take care of how it sounds.

hm.....it just struck me. lots of people put stickers and decals on their guitars..........are they destroying the tone?  ;D ;D ;D
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
My MIM Strat has paint on it every bit as thick as what would be on a good bike paint job.  It sounds incredible.  My advice is to not be concerned about it.  If I were you, I would even put a couple extra coats of clear coat on it ... to guard against wearing through it.

I'm fond of saying that 95% of the tone of a guitar is the pickups.  The wood is maybe 2% ... hell, lots of Teles are made of pine ... like the 2X4s in your house ... and they sound just as good as alder or ash bodies.  I can tell the difference in tone between mahogany and other woods though ... mahogany is definitely warmer.   The finish isn't going to have NEARLY as much impact on the tone as the body wood. 
 
F

falconer

Blues Newbie
I've heard that stuff about the finish effecting sound. Perhaps to some people's super tuned ears, they can hear it, but I'm guessing it is superstitious nonsense.
Click to expand...

And you'd be right.  :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFyQXy74xz4
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
Makes you wonder ... maybe the best guitar body is some kind of material that doesn't resonate AT ALL.  Maybe the resonance in different woods DETRACTS from the natural resonance of the strings.
 
B

blueshawk

Blues Newbie
You know, Rancid, now that you say that, you might be exactly right.  With acoustics, you are dealing with an echo chamber to enhance sound. maybe the wood matters there. Once you go electric, seems it is all in getting waves from the strings to the amp. Maybe you are on to something here.
 
kestrou

kestrou

Blooze Noobie
hm.....it just struck me. lots of people put stickers and decals on their guitars..........are they destroying the tone?  ;D ;D ;D
Click to expand...

Good point - one of my acoustics has a COUPLE stickers on it, and still sounds great to me! ;)

kw_guitar4.jpg


kw_guitar5.jpg


Kevin
 
F

falconer

Blues Newbie
Makes you wonder ... maybe the best guitar body is some kind of material that doesn't resonate AT ALL.  Maybe the resonance in different woods DETRACTS from the natural resonance of the strings.
Click to expand...

It seems logical.  With acoustics you want the wood to resonate.  With electrics you want the string energy transmitted to the pickups, not absorbed by the body.  Along those lines, I've discussed neck thickness or rigidity with custom builders who believe that also to be a contributing factor.
 
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