Painting a pickguard

TeleGeir · October 25th, 2003, 04:50 PM

I believe I have asked this one before, but being old and everything I cannot remember if I got any response. So excuse this repost: For one of my Esquire projects I want to spray the pickguard dark (sort of navy) blue. The paint is a specific car laquer, I don't know yet exactly what type it is.

Question is, is it likely to look OK? I do want a nice shiny look on this one. Will I need a base coat of something before spraying the actual paint?? Any pickguard material that lends itself better to this than others???

TIA,

Geir :)

Raymond · October 26th, 2003, 06:46 AM

I remember that this fellow TDPRIer Colo Springs E, painted the pickguard of his niece or nephew not long ago. The original was white and it painted in black. He was happy with the results. I don’t remember how he did it but you may PM him and ask. Hope this helps

TeleGeir · October 26th, 2003, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raymond

I remember that this fellow TDPRIer Colo Springs E, painted the pickguard of his niece or nephew not long ago. The original was white and it painted in black. He was happy with the results. I don’t remember how he did it but you may PM him and ask. Hope this helps

Oh, yes, "Uncle Eek" and his punk-goth niece. Wish I had someone who was inspired by me to pick up the guitar. :D Actually, both my sons have, they just put it down again too quickly. My youngest is playing keyboard in a band now, though, and that is fine with me...

Anyway, I remember Eric's post, unfortunately the links to his pictures don't work anymore. Anyway, I believe he ended up with a dull finish, rather than a shiny one, which I need. You out there Eric? Care to comment??

Geir :)

TeleGeir · October 27th, 2003, 03:59 PM

Guess not many paint pickguards around here. Thanks to Eric for his off line reply.

Since this seems to be a rather exotic idea, I asked the experts (pickguard makers) and the reply confirmed one of my ideas: "Get a clear plexiglass guard and spray the underside with the correct colour."

So I may do that. That then leaves the question of binding colour.

Geir :)

jai · October 27th, 2003, 09:06 PM

forgive me if I'm being a dumbass, but I'm trying to anwser this before I fall asleep, what about that krylon paint by du-pont or something? Isn't that supposed to stick to plastics better?

TeleGeir · October 28th, 2003, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jai

forgive me if I'm being a dumbass, but I'm trying to anwser this before I fall asleep, what about that krylon paint by du-pont or something? Isn't that supposed to stick to plastics better?

Good point. Only I am trying to mimic and exact colour, and the only way may be to use the original spray. But I'll see if I can get a colour code for it or something, possibly I could at least get something close.

http://www.krylon.com/

Geir :)

Adam Waldron · October 28th, 2003, 08:07 PM

Hey Geir,

Painting plastics requires the correct etch primer to key to the polymer

Its not a problem. Any place that does plastic car bumper repairs should be able to flick some colour on there.

Any car painter in the trade worth anything can colour match by eye so close you wont be able to tell the difference.

Painting the back of a piece of acrylic seems like the obvious choice to me, as wear from playing will not marr the finish on top of the guard. How well the paint keys to the acrylic is not so important, as it will be sandwiched...

Ideal would be some custom extruded plastic in the right colour. Our minimum order is 1000kg, sorry I can't help! :)

Cheers,

Adam

Caper · October 28th, 2003, 08:35 PM

Geir, I used to paint cars for a living, are you planning on painting it yourself? If so go to an autobody repair shop and offer to buy enough adhesion promoter to do the job. Since you will only require a small amount they'll probably just give it to you.

TeleGeir · October 29th, 2003, 02:08 AM

Your advice is appreciated. I may simply get professional help on this one, as suggested. I already have asked around and have the name of a good painter.

However, I have another problem now. Ideally, if the guard is blue so should the binding. Only I was planning on using an existing body, which has white binding. Painting the thin strip of binding in the body seems to be more difficult than a pickguard of some sort, if only because it requires accurate masking.

I am not sure I want to spring for a new body, and I am not sure I can find dark blue binding anywhere...

Anyway, I have plenty of time. I think I will finish my mahogany Esquire first.

Geir :)

Kevin · October 29th, 2003, 07:23 AM

If you want blue binding -- which I've never seen anywhere for sale -- it seems that the easiest way to do it would be to start with a fresh, unbound body.

Quite frankly, painting a thin strip of already-installed binding would be ridiculous; once painted you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between that and painted, fake "binding." Paint the body white, as normal. Then mask off the entire guitar, except for the parts to be blue. Spray a coat of blue to achieve the "binding".

You could use the same paint for the underside of the clear guard.

Here's a pic, though, that looks quite similar to what you're talking about. It's my bound body with blue masking tape over the binding as I'm preparing to shoot the color coats. Someone else on the board said that they wanted a white body with blue binding when they saw the pic...

TeleGeir · October 29th, 2003, 07:41 AM

Sometimes I wish I wasn't so dedicated to binding. But I am, so I just have to figure out how to do this. Problem is, I cannot really afford to waste a few bodies experimenting, so I need to get it right.

Geir :)

Kevin · October 29th, 2003, 08:50 AM

OK, then.... The good news is that lacquer will stick to the bindings... The bad news is that this will be a pain in the butt.

Prep the body normally. Run a line of tape up against the bottom edge of the binding. The top and back are gonna be difficult cos it's gonna be hard to get an even "lip". I'd run tape over the very edge of the body/binding line and use an exacto knife to carefully trim to the edge; if you leave a little wood showing, you'll be OK, but don't leave any binding taped up. Now mask the rest of the front and back. Only the binding should be exposed.

Spray blue lacquer over the exposed binding -- you may or may not want to spray a coat of clear over the blue (the clear would protect the blue a bit if you have to scrape later). After about an hour, remove the tape while the paint is still a bit pliable -- this will help you avoid tears and hard edges. Let the body dry overnight.

The next day run another line of tape over the binding. Get it right to the edge of the binding on the side, but on the top use a spacer under your blade -- Rob D. recommends 1/8" for the spacer -- and let it overlap the top of the binding. There may still be some exposed blue, but you'll paint over that.

Spray your white lacquer next. You may need a few more coats than usual if you have any blue to cover up. When you've got good coverage, allow the final coat to dry for about an hour, remove the tape, and let the body dry overnight. I wouldn't do any sanding at this point, cos I'd be afraid of sanding through something.

The next day spray three or four coats of clear over the entire body. Let it dry overnight and then sand with 600 and/or 800 grit. At this point, I wouldn't worry about getting a perfectly smooth surface, cos I'd be worried more about sand throughs. Get it close now and you can get it smooth after the next few coats.

After sanding, spray more clear and repeat the sanding process.

TeleGeir · October 30th, 2003, 02:19 AM

Thanks Kevin.

I'll leave it for now, and then we shall see. My Andy Summers is hopefully done today, so I other things on my mind right now. And as I have said, I may end up doing the mahogany Esquire first. That is, if I can only find a set of brass tuners...

Geir :)

esquire_player52 · October 30th, 2003, 09:41 AM

buy a new one or at least an extra one in case it doesn't work

markophonic · November 1st, 2003, 10:23 PM

It had a white plastic guard that i just couldn't stand. The guitar has a cherry red finish.

I took the pickguard off a few years ago and went guardless...one day on a whim i grabbed a can of flat black spray paint that i had in the garage. I scuffed the guard with some steel wool, taped off the edges (it has a 3-ply pickguard w-b-w) sprayed a few coats on it with about an hour between coats. It looks fantastic!!!

I had already replaced the gold top hat knobs with some Gibson black top hats. next i plan to replace the chrome P-90 pickup covers with some black plastic ones. I also replaced the chrome tuners with some vintage Kluson tulip tuners.

Great guitar...and personalized to my taste!!!

October 25th, 2003, 04:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
TeleGeir Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 1,998	Painting a pickguard I believe I have asked this one before, but being old and everything I cannot remember if I got any response. So excuse this repost: For one of my Esquire projects I want to spray the pickguard dark (sort of navy) blue. The paint is a specific car laquer, I don't know yet exactly what type it is. Question is, is it likely to look OK? I do want a nice shiny look on this one. Will I need a base coat of something before spraying the actual paint?? Any pickguard material that lends itself better to this than others??? TIA, Geir :) __________________ "This is a room in Paul's house."

October 26th, 2003, 06:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
Raymond Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Herndon, VA Posts: 2,417 3 Photos	I remember that this fellow TDPRIer Colo Springs E, painted the pickguard of his niece or nephew not long ago. The original was white and it painted in black. He was happy with the results. I don’t remember how he did it but you may PM him and ask. Hope this helps __________________ "That's a hard pill to swallow, buddy; when you find out what the blues is all about"

October 27th, 2003, 03:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
TeleGeir Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 1,998	Hmmm, not many replies Guess not many paint pickguards around here. Thanks to Eric for his off line reply. Since this seems to be a rather exotic idea, I asked the experts (pickguard makers) and the reply confirmed one of my ideas: "Get a clear plexiglass guard and spray the underside with the correct colour." So I may do that. That then leaves the question of binding colour. Geir :) __________________ "This is a room in Paul's house."

October 29th, 2003, 02:08 AM	#9 (permalink)
TeleGeir Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 1,998	Thanks Adam and Caper Your advice is appreciated. I may simply get professional help on this one, as suggested. I already have asked around and have the name of a good painter. However, I have another problem now. Ideally, if the guard is blue so should the binding. Only I was planning on using an existing body, which has white binding. Painting the thin strip of binding in the body seems to be more difficult than a pickguard of some sort, if only because it requires accurate masking. I am not sure I want to spring for a new body, and I am not sure I can find dark blue binding anywhere... Anyway, I have plenty of time. I think I will finish my mahogany Esquire first. Geir :) __________________ "This is a room in Paul's house."

October 29th, 2003, 07:41 AM	#11 (permalink)
TeleGeir Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 1,998	I hear you Kevin. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so dedicated to binding. But I am, so I just have to figure out how to do this. Problem is, I cannot really afford to waste a few bodies experimenting, so I need to get it right. Geir :) __________________ "This is a room in Paul's house."

October 27th, 2003, 09:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
jai NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 9	forgive me if I'm being a dumbass, but I'm trying to anwser this before I fall asleep, what about that krylon paint by du-pont or something? Isn't that supposed to stick to plastics better?

October 28th, 2003, 08:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
Adam Waldron Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Adelaide, Australia Posts: 607	Hey Geir, Painting plastics requires the correct etch primer to key to the polymer Its not a problem. Any place that does plastic car bumper repairs should be able to flick some colour on there. Any car painter in the trade worth anything can colour match by eye so close you wont be able to tell the difference. Painting the back of a piece of acrylic seems like the obvious choice to me, as wear from playing will not marr the finish on top of the guard. How well the paint keys to the acrylic is not so important, as it will be sandwiched... Ideal would be some custom extruded plastic in the right colour. Our minimum order is 1000kg, sorry I can't help! :) Cheers, Adam

October 28th, 2003, 08:35 PM	#8 (permalink)
Caper Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,168 7 Photos	Geir, I used to paint cars for a living, are you planning on painting it yourself? If so go to an autobody repair shop and offer to buy enough adhesion promoter to do the job. Since you will only require a small amount they'll probably just give it to you.

October 29th, 2003, 07:23 AM	#10 (permalink)
Kevin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 2,967	If you want blue binding -- which I've never seen anywhere for sale -- it seems that the easiest way to do it would be to start with a fresh, unbound body. Quite frankly, painting a thin strip of already-installed binding would be ridiculous; once painted you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between that and painted, fake "binding." Paint the body white, as normal. Then mask off the entire guitar, except for the parts to be blue. Spray a coat of blue to achieve the "binding". You could use the same paint for the underside of the clear guard. Here's a pic, though, that looks quite similar to what you're talking about. It's my bound body with blue masking tape over the binding as I'm preparing to shoot the color coats. Someone else on the board said that they wanted a white body with blue binding when they saw the pic...

October 29th, 2003, 08:50 AM	#12 (permalink)
Kevin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 2,967	OK, then.... The good news is that lacquer will stick to the bindings... The bad news is that this will be a pain in the butt. Prep the body normally. Run a line of tape up against the bottom edge of the binding. The top and back are gonna be difficult cos it's gonna be hard to get an even "lip". I'd run tape over the very edge of the body/binding line and use an exacto knife to carefully trim to the edge; if you leave a little wood showing, you'll be OK, but don't leave any binding taped up. Now mask the rest of the front and back. Only the binding should be exposed. Spray blue lacquer over the exposed binding -- you may or may not want to spray a coat of clear over the blue (the clear would protect the blue a bit if you have to scrape later). After about an hour, remove the tape while the paint is still a bit pliable -- this will help you avoid tears and hard edges. Let the body dry overnight. The next day run another line of tape over the binding. Get it right to the edge of the binding on the side, but on the top use a spacer under your blade -- Rob D. recommends 1/8" for the spacer -- and let it overlap the top of the binding. There may still be some exposed blue, but you'll paint over that. Spray your white lacquer next. You may need a few more coats than usual if you have any blue to cover up. When you've got good coverage, allow the final coat to dry for about an hour, remove the tape, and let the body dry overnight. I wouldn't do any sanding at this point, cos I'd be afraid of sanding through something. The next day spray three or four coats of clear over the entire body. Let it dry overnight and then sand with 600 and/or 800 grit. At this point, I wouldn't worry about getting a perfectly smooth surface, cos I'd be worried more about sand throughs. Get it close now and you can get it smooth after the next few coats. After sanding, spray more clear and repeat the sanding process.

October 30th, 2003, 02:19 AM	#13 (permalink)
TeleGeir Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 1,998	Great stuff Thanks Kevin. I'll leave it for now, and then we shall see. My Andy Summers is hopefully done today, so I other things on my mind right now. And as I have said, I may end up doing the mahogany Esquire first. That is, if I can only find a set of brass tuners... Geir :) __________________ "This is a room in Paul's house."

October 30th, 2003, 09:41 AM	#14 (permalink)
esquire_player52 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 482	buy buy a new one or at least an extra one in case it doesn't work __________________ let's let love give what it gives

November 1st, 2003, 10:23 PM	#15 (permalink)
markophonic Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan Age: 47 Posts: 946 1 Photos	I recently painted the pickguard on my Casino... It had a white plastic guard that i just couldn't stand. The guitar has a cherry red finish. I took the pickguard off a few years ago and went guardless...one day on a whim i grabbed a can of flat black spray paint that i had in the garage. I scuffed the guard with some steel wool, taped off the edges (it has a 3-ply pickguard w-b-w) sprayed a few coats on it with about an hour between coats. It looks fantastic!!! I had already replaced the gold top hat knobs with some Gibson black top hats. next i plan to replace the chrome P-90 pickup covers with some black plastic ones. I also replaced the chrome tuners with some vintage Kluson tulip tuners. Great guitar...and personalized to my taste!!! __________________ http://www.brianvanderark.com/