I watched all three of these videos and I have never seen a more in depth guide on guitar finishing. Believe me, I have looked. Not only do Chris and Matt show you how to finish a guitar, but they explain how to do it with tools and techniques you would have as a hobbyist. Then they intentionally make many of the mistakes you might make as a first timer so they can demonstrate how to fix them. This series is an absolute gold mine of information.
I’ve watched all three of the videos in this series, and it’s really confidence inspiring. I love how detailed and thorough these videos are. I feel like I could do this if I could set up a spray booth in my basement or garage.
This showed me the 'errors' I made doing my Jazzmaster.......did not spend enough time after final clear coat for 'drying'.....a lesson learned for sure. Many thanks SM for having these two up @ your shop doing the videos.👍👍👍
@@tomk1tl39 made the exact same mistake on my first attempt on a guitar. Got impatient and didn't apply enough clear coat not did I leave it long enough to fully cure. Looking forward to redoing that guitar after watching this series
@@davidwicksmusic The paint job came out fine....just the clear coat......I may just do another 'wet sand' and put a few more clear coats making sure I leave enough time for them to dry.......was impatient as I wanted to play the axe too quick ! The horn areas did go thru to the first layer but only lightly. The first coat was 'vintage amber. I don't care as I am not going to sell it. I put too much effort and $$$ into the Jazzmaster. All were top notch parts !
@@tomk1tl39 I just purchased the ugliest jazzmaster for the price and am already getting ideas to refinish but the contours on them intimidate me I’m glad to hear it can be successful 🤙
That was perhaps THE BEST instructional series I’ve ever seen. Clear, concise, thorough, educational, easy to follow and great camera work to see exactly what you’re looking for throughout the project. Very well done and thank you!
I’ve watched this series all the way through no less than 3 times - then I watched it again, and took notes. I literally took a class on painting guitars that wasn’t as detailed as this! I am now painting my own guitars using Chris and Matt’s tips and tricks, and am having some exciting results - even as a relative beginner. Kudos to Driftwood and Stewmac for putting all this together - they seriously could’ve charged money for this with how good it is, but they didn’t, and it’s incredibly helpful!
Yes. I am watching it more for entertainment now and to see what to buy but in a couple of months when I'll get the kit I will watch this again and take notes. I know some woodworking but nitro finishing? No idea
I have been waiting for this series since you put out the StewMac tour vid. Best finishing series I have ever seen. Wonderful job gents!! Keep up the great work!! Now when will that amp kit be done?
Watched this series of videos quite a lot recently as I was applying aerosol finish for the first time. Finished the buff and waxed it yesterday and I have to say the advice and guidance outlined in these videos was invaluable! I'm pretty happy about how it turned out. Many many wet sands!
I've no intention whatsoever of trying this myself but I watched all three parts just because it was a nice relaxing thing to watch while I'm feeling ill
Something tells me that they are way overdoing this process. I am going to watch all three videos again and calculate how much this actually would cost the beginner guitar maker. Will this cost more than actually purchasing a similar fully finished guitar? Also I will show you how to get the same final product at a fraction of the time and cost shown here. Shame on you StewMac. This is a total infomercial. On a side note, these two guys are a cute couple. You can see how well Chrishas groomed Matt.
I was so pleased you didn't undo all that fabulous work with faux relicing. I find the whole relic thing really weird. Imagine a classic car collector restoring a car and then crashing it into a wall on purpose.
Loved this series. I've painted motorcycles with lacquer before, similar process. Didn't get boring, kept me watching the whole series, all good info, even a few tips on dealing with foulups. 10/10.
Awesome series guys! I got so much out of the information. But what was really awesome was how you delivered it. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you. Thank you.
That turned out great. Dan giving his approval says a lot. I'm really glad you chose that color. I was looking to find a blue like that. I appreciate how thorough this video series is. It is definitely going to help me on my projects. I will soon see if I'm sandbidextrous like Matt. Thanks
I’ve used oil finishes for guitars so far, as spraying is whole new skill set to learn. These videos have been awesome and I’ll definitely be trying this in the future. Thanks! 👍
The best finishing tutorials on finishing a guitar that I have seen. There are many steps I have done as well as missed. Take your time is one of the best. Thanks for producing this video
Absolutly loved this series! A lot of tips to learn about the finishing process in general, not only with spray cans. But... Am I going crazy or is that a big scratch next to the neck and pickward on arround the 31:40 ?🤯 Anyway, thank you for making this series and for giving us (first timers) confidece to try! Best quality content of all TH-cam!
Very impressed with the color, the finish, and the shine! And the advice! Still would like to have a similar video that deals with an electric wood body guitar with a natural wood finish. Thanks for all the sanding!
Fantastic video series. It's great seeing the entire process, step by step, without overly expensive power tools (for those of us who don't have any). Can you tell us how many spray cans of each product were required to complete this project?
Thanks so much. We tried to keep this accessible to folks doing this project at home. We used roughly 1 can of vinyl sealer, 2 cans of color and 4 cans of clear.
Awesome and super informative series. Would you follow the same finish sanding and buffing if you went with a satin finish? Let me know how that would change the last few steps.
Really incredible series. You guys did a wonderful job articulating ALL of the intricate details necessary to make finishing a positive experience! Thank you to Stew Mac for their organization of this resource and for the awesome work that they do in supporting us luthiers to help us succeed at our craft, their incredible selection of tools and products and second to none customer service.
I've just finished watching all the 3 tutorials. Absolutely fantastic, and let's us see that when you buy a custom made guitar, how much goes into the build. The paint must be the most time consuming part, and goes to show, with patience comes excellent results. I have a question though, when it comes to the paint, what's the difference between the paint used in the videos compared to car spray paint in a can? Would the results be vastly different? OK 2 questions 😂
Well done to StewMac, Chris and Matt! The time invested in your project will show in the final product. That is probably the most important lesson to be learned from this series and one that will provide benefits for a lifetime. Anyone ready to build their next StewMac kit?
That tip for sanding the edges of the tape before removing it from the fretboard is SO good. I'm always paranoid at that point in the process and will definitely be doing that in the future. Thanks!
Thanks for helping me refinish my 72 Fender Musicmaster Bass . I followed you along through the first two videos and just put on the last coat of clear. It’s now hanging in the closet for two weeks curing . Excellent introduction and instructions Thanks Chris and Matt
Great series, lots of fantastic and insider/trick information. I've watched perhaps all of your (driftwood) vids and super enjoyed the series on Brett's guitar. I'd love to see you guys do another like this but then see if you can relic it similar to those "other guys". It would be interesting to see you two in the details of the relic process.
Kudos to everyone! What a wonderful series of videos. I actually have some confidence now on doing a more involved finish when I put my first kit together. I am scared sh*tless when it comes to finishing wood, this helps immensely.
This is the seond time I have watched these 3 videos. But I have a Les Paul style kit coming. And I need to order my finishing kit from Stew Mac.any advice, it has the mahogony back and neck, maple cap with a flamed maple venier, any advice ???
Wow !! this series is crazy amazing!! 💕😸 May I ask: Let say I have a maple neck . No tape on fret-board, right ? So should I apply all those coats ( primer and clean ) and final polish *OVER metal-frets* or should I remove them one-by-one before painting ? tnx
I’ve painted three guitars so far from this tutorial, I can tell you one thing the most important thing is the patience in caring and also making sure you don’t get any water intrusions as I did on one of my jobs and had to start all over from scratch. Boo-hoo. 😢
Excellent video series! It was entertaining and very very informative. This is probably one of the best instructional videos I have ever watched. Thank you guys so much for your work. Excellent!
Thanks for the video... You have convinced me to NOT try to finish my DIY projects... If you add everything up, yes I am in Canada, you have over $500 invested in refinishing a $250 guitar... make no sense at all!!
I'm not sure how good of job you did selling your products. 20 some coats?!?!?! WTF. Makes sense if you're finishing multiple guitars. Otherwise, for the average one off build, no thanks. 😉🤗😘
So incredibly inspiring.. I have two guitars that are in need of a finish, and I’m seriously so very pumped after watching, and learning, from this series of videos that I believe that is something I could do myself, and I’m going to be placing an order and doing just that. Thank you VERY much!!!
33:52 Come on, Matt... 😂 But jokes aside, what an excellent video series, truly. As someone who is currently struggling with his first "serious" refinish of an old guitar, I appreciate the thoroughness and skill presented here all the more.
The best tutorial on guitar finishing. I do have a question I'm doing a 68 Telly so have multiple obviously holes from the pick guard to the pickup mounting holes Etc. How do I can fill those or protect those holes from moisture getting in there. Maybe it was in the video I don't remember hearing about it can you get some advice please
I bought a Fender Tele Bass neck. It was already reflected, finished and has tongue oil rubbed in. The back of the neck is sooo smooth. It needs no further sanding. My question is, can you spray anything on top of the oil or just let it be ? It already has a Telecaster waterslide affixed. Hope to hear from you.
Episode 2 : congrats completing an amazing looking finish after all your hardwork, see episode 3 for final steps! Episode 3: Ready for more sanding that could potentionally screw everything up!! Just kidding, great video series! I’m about to do my first finishing job and I never would of known to take all these steps and pre-cautions! Thank you!
Great work. I’ve done a bunch of guitars this way. I had ran into all the problems you spoke about. The recovery methods you guys did answered everything. Great presentation as well good team . Thank you . Method notes. I’m using this on my next guitar . Thanks again. Recommend this video!!
ok, if you touched a car with a lacquer clear coat on it with 600 you'd be fired immediately. If you're building a masterpiece, the raw wood I do at 800-1000, seal, sand at 800. 3 clear coats (wait 2 days at least), wet sand 1500-2000, repeat until done (then wait 14 days). You should only need to buff with fine and hand buff with circle remover, then wax your car. Glass!
Awesome awesome video. Thank you guys. My wife purchased a guitar strat kit for my Birthday Day last Dec. Very exited about starting it but didn’t know how to really approach it until now. Looks like a lot of work but I’m ready. Thank You. 😊
As much as I respect what they did here, I’d be happy with it not being quite so perfect. I’d hate to spend all that time and money and accidentally knock the guitar on the floor or against a cymbal.😅 I personally think you could just fill the pores and paint a few coats of color and clear alternating a wet sand between clear coats. No buffing would also be fine with me. I’m also a fan of relics so that way when I scratch it, it just adds more character to an already imperfect job. Either way, this thing is close to perfection and I respect the time these guys put in. 💯
Nearly perfect. Only things I would've done differently would be to keep the headstock all maple colored and, while that color of blue undoubtedly looks amazing in person, I think a darker color might've been easier to see on the videos. You guys are awesome! Thanks!
It is gorgeous. And the quality of the job looks impeccable. I did watch all three videos, and the detail on grain filling, prep and final finishing was well worth the time to watch. This particular process is probably beyond my skill set and patience level. I have only finished three guitars so far, as I am a player and not a builder. My methods have been Danish oil, shellac and clear wipe on poly, natural finish. That has served its purpose. However I want to try an ash Tele, in antique white. Do you know if white pigment can be added to Danish oil? And what kind of result could I expect from that?
nice shop nice tools and quality products lots of time... how can you not make it perfect. nice job boys I have learned some stuff utmost of all for me is... PATIENCE!!! thanx agin stew Mac
Thanks, SM, and to the 2 guys from Florida. I did my first Lacquer guitar but buffed it out with SM big 14" pedestal and now I need to wear sunglasses when I play it.
Another. I see in the Stumac kits there is powder to mix up grain filler. I have a jar of a different brand that works great. I would like to use it on the bass body I'm building. Do you feel there will be any problems shooting nitro finishes over the water based filler ?
With all that labor you would have to sell that guitar for a few thousand dollars to break even. How do these guitar companies make them so cheap? Do they really put 14 coats of finish and hand sand along the way?
How do you get a thick glass finish? This beautiful blue guitar looks glossy wet but I have a Signature Stephen Carpenter, black tele and I swear there's 1/4" of glass over it, it looks phenomenal. Is it just 50 layers of that clear coat?
I've got a question that hopefully someone can help me with. Looking to do Daphne Blue, ReRanch has is but not StewMac. What would be the equivalent vinyl sealer from them? The sand and sealer would be the vinyl sealer? The clear coat and color, I've got, but wasn't sure the equivalent of the sealer. Very excited to get mine going with these videos as my textbook.
Great video series guys! I have a quick question- I’m doing a David Gilmour black Strat build, using a gloss black over an existing sunburst finished body. I’m not planning to remove the sunburst, rather to coat it with black and then relic in areas so the underlying burst shows up in the “scratches”. How do I spray the black- should I sand the sunburst so it gets some “tooth” and then spray over it with the gloss black so the black “grips” the sanded sunburst underneath? Thanks
Great Vid! Enjoyed every second and was completely inspired to finish my own partscaster...... But, know for some folks the DIY satisfaction is the main point, but after putting the "minimum" (not counting the sander or the cool foam attachments for the finish work) materials in my Stew Mac cart IMO anyone mainly trying to save money over a (locally done) pro finish would have to take guitar finishing up as a sideline or buy three or four unfinished the bodies/necks and sell the "extra" ones off to pay for the initial investment.
just watched all three videos .. just bought my first Stew Mac Guitar kit Off set trem iv painted all kinds of stuf from trucks cabinets amp's but this is my first guitar kinda scary looking a head but im down for this Great Team work guys thank you so much ill probably go back and watch it again
What a hustle!!!! You'll spend the price of a guitar on pore filler, vinyl whatever spray, lacquer, cloth, sandpaper and so on, plus some expensive buffing tools that you'll not be able to use at once, and so probably ruin days of efforts... In most cases you'll end up with a guitar that will llook sort of okayish with the pride of having done it yourself.... Is this worth the strain and fatigue of this intensive spray paint bootcamp? For me it's a big No No!
I'm new to guitar building and followed your guides to build a tele from a kit. I love how it came out - EXCEPT. I almost immediately but a ding in the finish. I know basswood is pretty soft but I used a spray on poly cover and was hoping that would help. What can I do to protect by sprayed finish ??
Luv the show, don't stop. Gotta check your show too. Stew Mac customer way back and didn't know they had a channel. Finally got to see Dan. Thanks guys 😊.
Thanks so much for this video series! Just finished putting the lacquer on my guitar, gonna start the clear coat next week, and these videos have been so helpful! Must exercise my patience with the drying process…😉
I used to paint show cars and Harley’s with Nitro Laquer. I know to well how much work goes into it! I’m thinking about doing my Strat in Sonic Blue! Maybe I can do it!
Best video I've have ever seen on finishing a guitar body. Been building them for 2 decades and these videos gave me some really good tips and techniques. I do have a question though, for those of us that spray outside (though I'm really looking for an inflatable booth now) what's the highest humidity you can spray in to not get blushing? Live in Florida and though I have sprayed all my guitars outside without issue, wonder if there is a threshold. Thanks!
I watched all three of these videos and I have never seen a more in depth guide on guitar finishing. Believe me, I have looked. Not only do Chris and Matt show you how to finish a guitar, but they explain how to do it with tools and techniques you would have as a hobbyist. Then they intentionally make many of the mistakes you might make as a first timer so they can demonstrate how to fix them. This series is an absolute gold mine of information.
I agree! Which is why I won’t paint my own guitar now! Lol. Soooo long of a process for my impatient self
If I had any anxiety towards starting this process on my own, this series 100% made me excited and confident I can pull it off.
I couldn’t agree more
I absolutely love all this StewMac/Driftwood content and hope it continues for a long time. Wonderful job by all involved. What a fantastic series!
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
I’ve watched all three of the videos in this series, and it’s really confidence inspiring. I love how detailed and thorough these videos are. I feel like I could do this if I could set up a spray booth in my basement or garage.
You can totally do this! 🙂
This showed me the 'errors' I made doing my Jazzmaster.......did not spend enough time after final clear coat for 'drying'.....a lesson learned for sure. Many thanks SM for having these two up @ your shop doing the videos.👍👍👍
@@tomk1tl39 made the exact same mistake on my first attempt on a guitar. Got impatient and didn't apply enough clear coat not did I leave it long enough to fully cure. Looking forward to redoing that guitar after watching this series
@@davidwicksmusic The paint job came out fine....just the clear coat......I may just do another 'wet sand' and put a few more clear coats making sure I leave enough time for them to dry.......was impatient as I wanted to play the axe too quick ! The horn areas did go thru to the first layer but only lightly. The first coat was 'vintage amber. I don't care as I am not going to sell it. I put too much effort and $$$ into the Jazzmaster. All were top notch parts !
@@tomk1tl39 I just purchased the ugliest jazzmaster for the price and am already getting ideas to refinish but the contours on them intimidate me I’m glad to hear it can be successful 🤙
Excellent series! I watched every gratifying minute. Would love to see the same process with stain!
Great suggestion!
That was perhaps THE BEST instructional series I’ve ever seen. Clear, concise, thorough, educational, easy to follow and great camera work to see exactly what you’re looking for throughout the project. Very well done and thank you!
I’ve watched this series all the way through no less than 3 times - then I watched it again, and took notes. I literally took a class on painting guitars that wasn’t as detailed as this! I am now painting my own guitars using Chris and Matt’s tips and tricks, and am having some exciting results - even as a relative beginner. Kudos to Driftwood and Stewmac for putting all this together - they seriously could’ve charged money for this with how good it is, but they didn’t, and it’s incredibly helpful!
Yes. I am watching it more for entertainment now and to see what to buy but in a couple of months when I'll get the kit I will watch this again and take notes. I know some woodworking but nitro finishing? No idea
I have been waiting for this series since you put out the StewMac tour vid. Best finishing series I have ever seen. Wonderful job gents!! Keep up the great work!! Now when will that amp kit be done?
Thanks! We really appreciate that!
This is your best video - Thank you
So nice of you. Thanks!
Tremendous job guys! Thank you so much for bringing Chris and Matt up to do this series. Really inspiring!
Watched this series of videos quite a lot recently as I was applying aerosol finish for the first time. Finished the buff and waxed it yesterday and I have to say the advice and guidance outlined in these videos was invaluable! I'm pretty happy about how it turned out. Many many wet sands!
I've no intention whatsoever of trying this myself but I watched all three parts just because it was a nice relaxing thing to watch while I'm feeling ill
I hope you’re feeling better. If you do a project like this, make sure you have a good place to do all this spray. It is highly toxic.
Something tells me that they are way overdoing this process. I am going to watch all three videos again and calculate how much this actually would cost the beginner guitar maker. Will this cost more than actually purchasing a similar fully finished guitar? Also I will show you how to get the same final product at a fraction of the time and cost shown here. Shame on you StewMac. This is a total infomercial. On a side note, these two guys are a cute couple. You can see how well Chrishas groomed Matt.
Now I really see no way of making a living as a guitar Luthier. Good guitars are getting cheaper everyday, and you don't have to pay labor.
I was so pleased you didn't undo all that fabulous work with faux relicing. I find the whole relic thing really weird. Imagine a classic car collector restoring a car and then crashing it into a wall on purpose.
Loved this series. I've painted motorcycles with lacquer before, similar process. Didn't get boring, kept me watching the whole series, all good info, even a few tips on dealing with foulups. 10/10.
Great, Great, Great StewMac videos. Thanks to Driftwood Guitars ....... so cool
Awesome series guys! I got so much out of the information. But what was really awesome was how you delivered it. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you.
Thank you.
Great video series. One of the best ones. Thorough. What is you view on using mineral spirits to wet sand? Thanks.
I found polishing paper works for tight or small places! Thanks!
This was incredible info! Driftwood really came correct with all of their knowledge. I got so many tips and techniques to help my finishes. Wow!!!!!
That turned out great. Dan giving his approval says a lot. I'm really glad you chose that color. I was looking to find a blue like that. I appreciate how thorough this video series is. It is definitely going to help me on my projects. I will soon see if I'm sandbidextrous like Matt. Thanks
I’ve used oil finishes for guitars so far, as spraying is whole new skill set to learn. These videos have been awesome and I’ll definitely be trying this in the future. Thanks! 👍
The best finishing tutorials on finishing a guitar that I have seen. There are many steps I have done as well as missed. Take your time is one of the best. Thanks for producing this video
Matt I love ya man but the hair hanging in your face was a little distracting. 😏
Absolutly loved this series! A lot of tips to learn about the finishing process in general, not only with spray cans.
But... Am I going crazy or is that a big scratch next to the neck and pickward on arround the 31:40 ?🤯
Anyway, thank you for making this series and for giving us (first timers) confidece to try! Best quality content of all TH-cam!
Very impressed with the color, the finish, and the shine! And the advice! Still would like to have a similar video that deals with an electric wood body guitar with a natural wood finish. Thanks for all the sanding!
Nothing beats the natural beauty of wood. Fortunately, some luthiers share that view.
Wow. I'm saving these videos, I would love to try this method.
Incredible Job this 3 part series was AWESOME !! gonna start My Jazz Bass refurbish project this summer
Best of luck!
Fantastic series! So much good info, professionally done, and beautiful final result! Thank you for doing this!
after watching these videos, my thoughts are.. lets just pay for those labors.. lol get the finished body. :p
Fantastic video series. It's great seeing the entire process, step by step, without overly expensive power tools (for those of us who don't have any). Can you tell us how many spray cans of each product were required to complete this project?
Thanks so much. We tried to keep this accessible to folks doing this project at home. We used roughly 1 can of vinyl sealer, 2 cans of color and 4 cans of clear.
WOW!!! Beautiful! Awesome video! Thank you
Awesome and super informative series. Would you follow the same finish sanding and buffing if you went with a satin finish? Let me know how that would change the last few steps.
As always, good information from StewMac
Really incredible series. You guys did a wonderful job articulating ALL of the intricate details necessary to make finishing a positive experience! Thank you to Stew Mac for their organization of this resource and for the awesome work that they do in supporting us luthiers to help us succeed at our craft, their incredible selection of tools and products and second to none customer service.
I've just finished watching all the 3 tutorials. Absolutely fantastic, and let's us see that when you buy a custom made guitar, how much goes into the build. The paint must be the most time consuming part, and goes to show, with patience comes excellent results.
I have a question though, when it comes to the paint, what's the difference between the paint used in the videos compared to car spray paint in a can?
Would the results be vastly different?
OK 2 questions 😂
Well done to StewMac, Chris and Matt! The time invested in your project will show in the final product. That is probably the most important lesson to be learned from this series and one that will provide benefits for a lifetime. Anyone ready to build their next StewMac kit?
Amazing videos! Thank you for doing this series!
Thanks!
This series is so much better than trying to go through any book on finishing in my opinion.
That tip for sanding the edges of the tape before removing it from the fretboard is SO good. I'm always paranoid at that point in the process and will definitely be doing that in the future. Thanks!
Perfect timing for me as I have several projects at the finishing stage now and I recently got a box of supplies from stewmac too!
Good... glad our timing worked out! 🙂
Thanks for helping me refinish my 72 Fender Musicmaster Bass . I followed you along through the first two videos and just put on the last coat of clear. It’s now hanging in the closet for two weeks curing . Excellent introduction and instructions Thanks Chris and Matt
Great great great content! Thanks so much
Thank you guys. I have three instruments lined up waiting for final assembly and finish. Now I know it’ll take months ´til I’m done but it’s worth it.
StewMac and Driftwood Guitars, awesome collaboration. Thank you for the in depth tutorial.
Great series, lots of fantastic and insider/trick information. I've watched perhaps all of your (driftwood) vids and super enjoyed the series on Brett's guitar. I'd love to see you guys do another like this but then see if you can relic it similar to those "other guys". It would be interesting to see you two in the details of the relic process.
9:26 thanks for giving me a heart attack
Brilliant video, so full of knowledge thanks, hard work pays off 👍👍👍
Kudos to everyone! What a wonderful series of videos. I actually have some confidence now on doing a more involved finish when I put my first kit together. I am scared sh*tless when it comes to finishing wood, this helps immensely.
Best video ever. Thanks guys. Watched it three times. Working on a speaker build and want that piano finish.
This is the seond time I have watched these 3 videos. But I have a Les Paul style kit coming. And I need to order my finishing kit from Stew Mac.any advice, it has the mahogony back and neck, maple cap with a flamed maple venier, any advice ???
Wow !! this series is crazy amazing!! 💕😸
May I ask: Let say I have a maple neck . No tape on fret-board, right ? So should I apply all those coats ( primer and clean ) and final polish *OVER metal-frets* or should I remove them one-by-one before painting ?
tnx
I’ve painted three guitars so far from this tutorial, I can tell you one thing the most important thing is the patience in caring and also making sure you don’t get any water intrusions as I did on one of my jobs and had to start all over from scratch. Boo-hoo. 😢
Excellent video series! It was entertaining and very very informative. This is probably one of the best instructional videos I have ever watched. Thank you guys so much for your work. Excellent!
Thanks for the video... You have convinced me to NOT try to finish my DIY projects... If you add everything up, yes I am in Canada, you have over $500 invested in refinishing a $250 guitar... make no sense at all!!
I'm not sure how good of job you did selling your products. 20 some coats?!?!?! WTF. Makes sense if you're finishing multiple guitars. Otherwise, for the average one off build, no thanks. 😉🤗😘
So incredibly inspiring.. I have two guitars that are in need of a finish, and I’m seriously so very pumped after watching, and learning, from this series of videos that I believe that is something I could do myself, and I’m going to be placing an order and doing just that. Thank you VERY much!!!
Nice video series. Thanks!
33:52 Come on, Matt... 😂 But jokes aside, what an excellent video series, truly. As someone who is currently struggling with his first "serious" refinish of an old guitar, I appreciate the thoroughness and skill presented here all the more.
At last!!....a consise informative step by step method for applying a finish...thankyou so much...😎
you know, you use that word, "SUPER", a LOT. After 3 videos it's super, super, annoying!
The best tutorial on guitar finishing. I do have a question I'm doing a 68 Telly so have multiple obviously holes from the pick guard to the pickup mounting holes Etc. How do I can fill those or protect those holes from moisture getting in there. Maybe it was in the video I don't remember hearing about it can you get some advice please
I hope I can find all of Dans old videos too, like way back to VHS TAPES, this series is awesome , thank you all !!!!!!!!!!!
I bought a Fender Tele Bass neck. It was already reflected, finished and has tongue oil rubbed in. The back of the neck is sooo smooth. It needs no further sanding. My question is, can you spray anything on top of the oil or just let it be ? It already has a Telecaster waterslide affixed. Hope to hear from you.
Episode 2 : congrats completing an amazing looking finish after all your hardwork, see episode 3 for final steps!
Episode 3: Ready for more sanding that could potentionally screw everything up!!
Just kidding, great video series! I’m about to do my first finishing job and I never would of known to take all these steps and pre-cautions! Thank you!
Great work. I’ve done a bunch of guitars this way. I had ran into all the problems you spoke about. The recovery methods you guys did answered everything. Great presentation as well good team . Thank you . Method notes. I’m using this on my next guitar . Thanks again. Recommend this video!!
ok, if you touched a car with a lacquer clear coat on it with 600 you'd be fired immediately. If you're building a masterpiece, the raw wood I do at 800-1000, seal, sand at 800. 3 clear coats (wait 2 days at least), wet sand 1500-2000, repeat until done (then wait 14 days). You should only need to buff with fine and hand buff with circle remover, then wax your car. Glass!
Awesome awesome video. Thank you guys. My wife purchased a guitar strat kit for my Birthday Day last Dec. Very exited about starting it but didn’t know how to really approach it until now. Looks like a lot of work but I’m ready. Thank You. 😊
As much as I respect what they did here, I’d be happy with it not being quite so perfect. I’d hate to spend all that time and money and accidentally knock the guitar on the floor or against a cymbal.😅
I personally think you could just fill the pores and paint a few coats of color and clear alternating a wet sand between clear coats. No buffing would also be fine with me. I’m also a fan of relics so that way when I scratch it, it just adds more character to an already imperfect job.
Either way, this thing is close to perfection and I respect the time these guys put in. 💯
Nearly perfect. Only things I would've done differently would be to keep the headstock all maple colored and, while that color of blue undoubtedly looks amazing in person, I think a darker color might've been easier to see on the videos.
You guys are awesome! Thanks!
Un grand merci à vous.It's just amazing lesson...Thank you very much.🥰🥰
It is gorgeous. And the quality of the job looks impeccable. I did watch all three videos, and the detail on grain filling, prep and final finishing was well worth the time to watch. This particular process is probably beyond my skill set and patience level. I have only finished three guitars so far, as I am a player and not a builder. My methods have been Danish oil, shellac and clear wipe on poly, natural finish. That has served its purpose. However I want to try an ash Tele, in antique white. Do you know if white pigment can be added to Danish oil? And what kind of result could I expect from that?
nice shop nice tools and quality products lots of time... how can you not make it perfect. nice job boys I have learned some stuff utmost of all for me is... PATIENCE!!! thanx agin stew Mac
I just talked with my wife about buffing out headlights on our own...... Boys!! We got ourselves a new toy!!!
Thanks, SM, and to the 2 guys from Florida. I did my first Lacquer guitar but buffed it out with SM big 14" pedestal and now I need to wear sunglasses when I play it.
Another. I see in the Stumac kits there is powder to mix up grain filler. I have a jar of a different brand that works great. I would like to use it on the bass body I'm building. Do you feel there will be any problems shooting nitro finishes over the water based filler ?
With all that labor you would have to sell that guitar for a few thousand dollars to break even. How do these guitar companies make them so cheap? Do they really put 14 coats of finish and hand sand along the way?
Perfect, saw all three videos on finishing. I'm just finishing one of Stewmacs' Gibson les Paul kits.
How do you get a thick glass finish? This beautiful blue guitar looks glossy wet but I have a Signature Stephen Carpenter, black tele and I swear there's 1/4" of glass over it, it looks phenomenal. Is it just 50 layers of that clear coat?
I like to level sand with 1000, 1500, 3000, 8000 3M Trizact before buffing..... These videos have been awesome!
Bravo! Lots of fun, guys, thanks! Hey, I'd like to see a similar demonstration of finishing with stain on woodgrain and how to deal with bindings.
"Oh, so that's what I was doing wrong..." I said to myself over a dozen times. Great work guys, keep it up.
I've got a question that hopefully someone can help me with. Looking to do Daphne Blue, ReRanch has is but not StewMac. What would be the equivalent vinyl sealer from them? The sand and sealer would be the vinyl sealer? The clear coat and color, I've got, but wasn't sure the equivalent of the sealer. Very excited to get mine going with these videos as my textbook.
Great video series guys! I have a quick question- I’m doing a David Gilmour black Strat build, using a gloss black over an existing sunburst finished body. I’m not planning to remove the sunburst, rather to coat it with black and then relic in areas so the underlying burst shows up in the “scratches”. How do I spray the black- should I sand the sunburst so it gets some “tooth” and then spray over it with the gloss black so the black “grips” the sanded sunburst underneath? Thanks
Great Vid! Enjoyed every second and was completely inspired to finish my own partscaster...... But, know for some folks the DIY satisfaction is the main point, but after putting the "minimum" (not counting the sander or the cool foam attachments for the finish work) materials in my Stew Mac cart IMO anyone mainly trying to save money over a (locally done) pro finish would have to take guitar finishing up as a sideline or buy three or four unfinished the bodies/necks and sell the "extra" ones off to pay for the initial investment.
just watched all three videos .. just bought my first Stew Mac Guitar kit Off set trem iv painted all kinds of stuf from trucks cabinets amp's but this is my first guitar kinda scary looking a head but im down for this Great Team work guys thank you so much ill probably go back and watch it again
This is all wonderful...but for an working guitar that is played every day, kinda overkill...to late for Willie's "Trigger"
What a hustle!!!! You'll spend the price of a guitar on pore filler, vinyl whatever spray, lacquer, cloth, sandpaper and so on, plus some expensive buffing tools that you'll not be able to use at once, and so probably ruin days of efforts... In most cases you'll end up with a guitar that will llook sort of okayish with the pride of having done it yourself.... Is this worth the strain and fatigue of this intensive spray paint bootcamp? For me it's a big No No!
I'm new to guitar building and followed your guides to build a tele from a kit.
I love how it came out - EXCEPT. I almost immediately but a ding in the finish. I know basswood is pretty soft but I used a spray on poly cover and was hoping that would help.
What can I do to protect by sprayed finish ??
Luv the show, don't stop. Gotta check your show too. Stew Mac customer way back and didn't know they had a channel. Finally got to see Dan. Thanks guys 😊.
What happens if I want a less glossy finish that is more vintage looking? REALLY GREAT tutorial btw!
Thanks so much for this video series! Just finished putting the lacquer on my guitar, gonna start the clear coat next week, and these videos have been so helpful! Must exercise my patience with the drying process…😉
I used to paint show cars and Harley’s with Nitro Laquer. I know to well how much work goes into it! I’m thinking about doing my Strat in Sonic Blue! Maybe I can do it!
I learn every time from your videos; thank you so much from sharing these with us.
Best video I've have ever seen on finishing a guitar body. Been building them for 2 decades and these videos gave me some really good tips and techniques. I do have a question though, for those of us that spray outside (though I'm really looking for an inflatable booth now) what's the highest humidity you can spray in to not get blushing? Live in Florida and though I have sprayed all my guitars outside without issue, wonder if there is a threshold. Thanks!
Again very educational, thorough and i loved it. So informative.
Shame the contest is not open to your neighbours to to the North???
'C'est La Vie"😎
Great tutorial, I learned a lot.. Primarily learned why refinishers charge so much! Some serious technique is needed! Great Video!
Great painting sessions. Surprised to see Dan Erwine! It would be WELL worth it purchasing an electric buffer.
About to start watching part 3! This has been a great series. Thanks guys! Driftwood & Stew Mac are a great fit.
Thanks so much! We think so too.
Wow that was super detailed and informative! Thanks Driftwood Guitar guys!