Pre-painted Guitar Bodies

[4ener]

Looking for opinions on pre-painted guitar bodies as far finishing quality goes...... I've come across a 3rd party tele body which looked great upon unboxing, but when placing the neck into the slot which fit a bit tight, but I've seen tighter, the sunburst finish around the slot flew away on the bench. Not happy!!!!

I don't have a full painting booth setup yet hence the purchase of pre-painted models, but would two or three applications of clear lacquer diminish the possibility of this happening? Should I wait until I have a full setup before bothering with pre-painted bodies?

 

[Mr_Q]

I bought one pre-painted LP body from Guitar Fetish and I'm happy with the result. It was not expensive and looks fine. YMMV- They are not known for consistency.

As far as spraying lacquer over a purchased pre-finished body, be sure you know how it was finished and use a compatible finish. Nitrocellulose lacquers and polyurethane, poly-acrylic, and polyester finishes won't necessarily layer properly. You might consult the wizards over in the Finely Finished forum.

We need a verification from one of the more experienced guys, but if you're seeing the finish delaminate around the pocket, it may be a case of poor surface prep or process. (Sealer, prier, etc.)

 

[mkdaws32]

We need a verification from one of the more experienced guys, but if you're seeing the finish delaminate around the pocket, it may be a case of poor surface prep or process. (Sealer, prier, etc.)

I second this. Those guys know their stuff. FWIW, it seems this can happen even on the brand name stuff. I just stripped a Fender MIM Standard PBass body down to the wood. It was a poly finish. It was badly abused by a horrific and unnatural looking "user" relic job. I could have peeled the finish off with my fingernails, the adhesion was so bad. I swear you could probably have heard the body shaking around in the poly "shell" if you shook it before it was stripped Others that have tried to strip MIM poly finishes have had less luck - some report that even heat and sharp scrapers cant even move the stuff.

 

[Freeman Keller]

4, finishing a home made guitar is one of the most difficult phases of building - most of the time we simply cannot duplicate what a professional finisher can do. That is why there are so many DIY finishing options - all the hand applied oils and wipe on floor finishes and rattle cans of automotive paint. In my humble opinion most of then look home done.

Professional finishes can range from a few hundred dollars to many. A couple of the quality body suppliers offer finishing as part of the package (or as an option) - Warmoth is one of the best. They can do almost anything you want and it will be done right. Here are some tele bodies, both finished and unfinished, in stock right now

https://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?Body=2&Spotlight=1&Path=Spotlight

If you don't like what you see, run their body building wizard and design your own.