Automotive paint on a guitar?

[JackofAllTrades53]

My old man is the manager at an auto body repair shop in town, so I pretty much have unlimited access to the paint booth in said shop. I've been thinking about building a Bulldog kit, and doing a Silverburst finish on it (with a real metallic flake ), instead of a cherry/honey/tobacco burst. My question is, will automotive paint ruin or make my guitar 'less resonant', or will it not have that much of an effect on the overall tone?

Also, how much experience would I need to add a single layer of cream binding on the headstock? Doesn't sound too hard, I think. I have access to the wood working shop at the college I'm going to, so tool and supplies for any woodworking won't be a big deal.

Thanks for your input!

[rudarb]

Ha, ha funny you mention that. I turned an old strat copy of mine into a Ritchie Blackmore Strat, it was originally red and I painted it white with a friend of my dads, hes a car nut. We used all automotive paints, from primer to the final clear coat, in my opinion it looks damn good. I dont think theres not that big of a difference, but thats just me. Check out the link, the pictures arent that clear, but trust me there are no blemishes, if you got someone who knows what theyre doing than you should be fine. Best of luck, sounds like a cool project.

Stratocaster Project

[SiriusAbbott]

while others may wax enthusiasm at "nitro finishes" the sad truth is most cant tell
in truth,2 things are most important,quality tonewood,and a THIN quality finish.....the Bulldog isnt a bad start(think Epiphone level of quality)but spraying a thick finish on it(catalyzed eurathane included) will kill what natural tone the wood may have..best to shoot a very thin catalyzed eurathane,or better yet an acrylic lacquer finish...nitro is cool,but NOT neccessary for a good sounding guitar.
As for the headstock binding...think Dremel

[dennistruckdriver]

Fender's 'custom' colors of the 50s were automotive paints, as were Gibson's and Gretsch's.
I think Fender even used the automotive color names.

[JackofAllTrades53]

Awesome! Sounds easier than I thought - thanks for the input guys. This project won't take place until I get my amp paid off, so probably about a month's time. I will be sure to keep you guys posted on the progress

[tubeman426]

Prs usses dupont automotive finishes, the key is to not spray it on too heavy.

[PINKBITS]

My brother in law re-sprayed this for me with auto paint. He was a panel beater by trade.

I think it turned out really nice. As for tonal differences

[EtriX]

That guitar is painted with car paint. Still sounds awesome.

[JackofAllTrades53]

Just some more info on my build - I'll be doing an "Axcess-like" neck heel on it, which means I'll shave some of the extra wood off, but not a whole lot. As much as I can safely remove! It is a long-tenon kit, but the tenon isn't THAT long. Also, It will have a tummy cut and cut-out on the back side of the horn, so it will be much more comforable and playable than a normal LP. Any other ideas?

[monsterwalley]

Originally Posted by dennistruckdriver

Fender's 'custom' colors of the 50s were automotive paints, as were Gibson's and Gretsch's.
I think Fender even used the automotive color names.

Wasn't Nitrocellulos laquer the primary auto paint of the 50's anyway?

[darkr_reaver]

Originally Posted by JackofAllTrades53

Just some more info on my build - I'll be doing an "Axcess-like" neck heel on it, which means I'll shave some of the extra wood off, but not a whole lot. As much as I can safely remove! It is a long-tenon kit, but the tenon isn't THAT long. Also, It will have a tummy cut and cut-out on the back side of the horn, so it will be much more comforable and playable than a normal LP. Any other ideas?

... Make it the body thinner? I dunno.. I've always wondered if that would be okay to do on an LP. They're so big and I get envious of my dad's Fender Tele custom which is thin as hell but still solid. I often wish I could have a thin LP so my neck wouldn't be bothered much by the weight...

[dennistruckdriver]

Originally Posted by monsterwalley

Wasn't Nitrocellulos laquer the primary auto paint of the 50's anyway?

The History of Auto Paints | eHow.com

"Lacquers
# World War II interrupted car production for a time, but afterward auto manufacturers began using acrylic lacquers. Lacquers were a huge advancement because of immensely shorter drying times, and that resulted in faster assembly-line production. The number of available colors also increased dramatically. Lacquers, however, had to be buffed after drying to bring out the "

[dspelman]

Originally Posted by darkr_reaver

... Make it the body thinner? I dunno.. I've always wondered if that would be okay to do on an LP. They're so big and I get envious of my dad's Fender Tele custom which is thin as hell but still solid. I often wish I could have a thin LP so my neck wouldn't be bothered much by the weight...

Could be done with a solid-body version -- the Axcess IS thinner than a standard Les Paul. You'd have to re-route the area in the control cavity (and the switch cavity) where the plates attach. But it's probably better to start with a chambered body in the first place if you're going to do that.

[dspelman]

Automotive paint and guitar paint are the same things -- pretty much always have been except where wiping varnish (like "tung oil finish"), oll finish (Tru-Oil, aka linseed oil) or french polish type finishes are concerned. Those are furniture finishes.

That's why it tickles me so much when I hear cork sniffers talking about thin finishes (doesn't happen with a glossy Gibby) and nitro letting the wood "breathe." Doesn't happen.

[monsterwalley]

Originally Posted by dennistruckdriver

The History of Auto Paints | eHow.com

"Lacquers
# World War II interrupted car production for a time, but afterward auto manufacturers began using acrylic lacquers. Lacquers were a huge advancement because of immensely shorter drying times, and that resulted in faster assembly-line production. The number of available colors also increased dramatically. Lacquers, however, had to be buffed after drying to bring out the "

Cool info! Thanks,
The only reason I assumed that was from restoring a 1957 corvette. They were painted with nitro originally for some reason.