1 Topic by HannahBeth (edited by last_rebel 2007-12-16 00:49:03)

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Topic: Fixin' up the junkert.... some advice maybe??

The first guitar I ever owned was a junky little Korean acoustic that I bought from my cousin Bubba for five bucks, hard on the fingers and ugly too, but the sound wasn't all that terrible.
SO, here I am four years later and me and my dad want to fix it up (a daughter/father project of sorts??). He loves building and fixin' and stuff, and I like guitars so its gonna be fun. I've bought a new bridge, we're gettin' keys, nut, strings....
  AS FOR THE PAINT JOB: we're scraping (well actually sanding) off the ugly yellowy finish and want to refinish it. My question is, how should I go about doing this? Is there a particular stain, finish, paint, etc. that would work well on an instrument? Maybe somebody else has done a similar project and could give me a few tips? I'm kind of wanting to make it black....
  Thanks in advance,
                  LR

All You Need is Love smile

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2 Reply by Guitarpix (edited by Guitarpix 2007-12-16 01:31:50)

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,912

Re: Fixin' up the junkert.... some advice maybe??

Hey Rebel, Check out this link http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_s … rnish.html  You'll find stain and various other do-dads you may need here also.  This finish will probably be the best for a first time project. Try to avoid your standard (hardware store) finishes they lay on thick and restrict top movement compromising tone...At least without the proper equipment for application they do. Acoustic guitar magazine had an article on building your own acoustic a few months back that covered applying finishes...I'll see if I can find my issue tonight and scan it into my pc and email ya a copy for reference. Peace!


Also just a tip...Be very carefull once you have it ready for finishing! Make sure your hands are very clean or wear gloves. All it takes for wood not to accept stain is a little suger (or other substance) from a drink or any thing on your fingers. It won't show untll you start to stain and then it will be fingerprints that just will not stain. The suger will seal the wood. It would also be a good idea to treat the wood with a pre stain conditioner prior to staining to insure even coloring as spruce (or cedar) are very porous woods and will stain unevenly without this step.

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

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  • etc_04
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: OHIO
  • Registered: 2007-07-25
  • Posts: 204

Re: Fixin' up the junkert.... some advice maybe??

Last Rebel,
There's also a site that sell guitar paint and maybe some templates so you can paint your own guitar. I don't have a link, but am sure google does

You have to forget about what other people say; when you're supposed to die, when you're supposed to be lovin'. You have to forget about all these things. You have to go on and be crazy. Craziness is like heaven.
                                                        -James Marshall Hendrix
  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: Fixin' up the junkert.... some advice maybe??

last_rebel wrote:

The first guitar I ever owned was a junky little Korean acoustic that I bought from my cousin Bubba for five bucks, hard on the fingers and ugly too, but the sound wasn't all that terrible.
SO, here I am four years later and me and my dad want to fix it up (a daughter/father project of sorts??). He loves building and fixin' and stuff, and I like guitars so its gonna be fun. I've bought a new bridge, we're gettin' keys, nut, strings....
  AS FOR THE PAINT JOB: we're scraping (well actually sanding) off the ugly yellowy finish and want to refinish it. My question is, how should I go about doing this? Is there a particular stain, finish, paint, etc. that would work well on an instrument? Maybe somebody else has done a similar project and could give me a few tips? I'm kind of wanting to make it black....
  Thanks in advance,
                  LR

Hey Reb,

Have you any experience with refinishing wood? If not the easy way to learn is what your doing now.  After you finish sanding you have to decide if you are going to use stain or paint. If you are going to use paint buy a can of wood sealer and seal the wood and sand it back, then primer, paint and gloss it.  If your going to stain it do the same steps but when your going to gloss it do a hand rub finish. Stain is forgiving if you use to much you can sand it back, not enough you add more. Go to walmart and buy some Birchwood-Casey tru-oil it is used for finishing gunstocks. It will harden in about an hour, steel wool in between coats, do not do more than three coats a day so it will set up (harden). You can do thirty to forty coats and get a nice finish.  You or your Father can email me if you have any questions or run into a problem.

Good luck
Bootlegger.

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: Fixin' up the junkert.... some advice maybe??

Thanks so much yall it really helps alot, I'll let you know bootlegger if we run into any problems but I think its gonna  turn out all right,
           LR

All You Need is Love smile

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