WITH THE WARMER WEATHER HERE, NOW'S THE PERFECT TIME TO START YOUR PROJECT
GUITAR!
"Whether You Have A Lot, Just A Little, Or No Painting Experience At All, I Can
Teach You How To Create A Professional, Factory Guitar Finish Using Just A
Couple Of Ordinary Spray Cans..."
... Plus, Learn Where To Get The Best Deals On All Of Your Parts, Paints, And
Everything Else You Need, So You Can Build And Paint Your Very Own Guitars For
Dirt Cheap!
When a fellow guitarist sees my guitar collection for the first time, the first
thing usually out of their mouth is, "These were all painted with spray cans?!"
To which, I reply, "YES!"
The next thing usually out of their mouth is, "Can you paint a guitar for me?"
To which, I reply, "It's easy enough that YOU could do it yourself! Look, I'll
show you how..."
Dear fellow guitarist,
When I first started painting guitars over 20 years ago, I thought that creating
that factory-like finish you see on the guitars hanging in your local music
store would NEVER be possible for someone like me to do. I figured that you'd
either need some expensive equipment to do it, or the whole process would take
years to learn... or both.
Well, I'm here to tell you that it is NOT difficult at all, NOR do you need any
expensive equipment to do it. In fact, I show how to create these great finishes
using simple items you'd find in any hardware store!
READ ON...
The truth is, painting guitars is very much like a great magic trick; it's not
nearly as complicated as it seems. When a magician slows down his hand movements
and actually shows you what he's doing, the normal reaction is - "That's all it
is? I can do THAT!"
The same holds true for creating factory-like finishes. Once you know the steps
necessary to produce a factory finish, it's a piece of cake.
To see just how good a finish you can get using spray cans and what I'll teach
you, watch this movie clip! (you need Apple's Quicktime to view this movie clip)
"Hey John - Here's that PRS kit guitar that I got for my birthday a while back.
Turned out pretty good, huh? Used one of your template designs (as you can
see)...What do ya think of the red & black zebra with the skull knobs? Thanks
again for all the info and help!" -- Tod Fox
"John, Your book is awesome!!!! It is exactly what I was looking for. A set of
step by step instructions on how to paint your own guitars and create a
professional looking finish. I know this may be far fetched, but I don't have
$1,600 for a ESP M1 Tiger guitar, so I'm going to try and re-create it. I was
happy to see the template you created. Once again, thank you very much for the
book. I feel more confident about finishing my guitar." -- Craig
"John - Thanks again for such a great book and all of your help. I would have
NEVER attempted to paint a guitar on my own without your inspiration. Take Care,
Dino"
"Hi John, hope your doing well. I purchased your book a few months ago and I am
really glad I did. I also wrote to you back then about an idea that I had for a
white sunburst guitar remember me? Well I took your advice and I went for just a
single color which was white and it turned out absolutely beautiful!! thanks to
your book... my buddy's couldn't believe it! lol" -- Edgar
'HOW TO Create A Factory Guitar Finish With Just A Couple Of Spray Cans!'
contains four project guitars: Zakk Wylde's Bullseye Design, Zakk Wylde's Rebel
Flag Design, Eddie Van Halen's original black and white Strat, and EVH's
infamous "Frankenstrat." I show you all of the necessary steps and exactly what
it takes to paint these very guitar designs yourself!
However, more importantly than teaching you how to paint these designs, my book
teaches you exactly how to paint a guitar and complete the paint job with a
factory finish, regardless of whether it's a one-color paint job, a two-color
design, or a multi-colored design.
In other words, even if you don't want to paint any of these designs on your
guitar, but still want to learn the secrets to creating a factory finish with
spray cans, THIS BOOK WILL TEACH YOU EXACTLY HOW TO DO IT!
Now, you might be saying to yourself, "I have no painting experience, so there's
no way I could do a great job." Well, here's the part you're going to like the
best: YOU DON'T NEED ANY PRIOR PAINTING EXPERIENCE TO CREATE STUNNING FINISHES,
PERIOD! ALL YOU NEED IS THE DESIRE - THE BOOK TEACHES YOU THE REST!
Remember - I'm using my 20+ years experience to show you exactly what to do and
what NOT to do. In effect, you'll be skipping right over the learning curve and
going straight into creating a factory finish that even YOU won't believe you
did yourself!
Need more proof? - Just check out the paint jobs these first-timers have done to
see for yourself - it's not so hard afterall.
"John, I Purchased your book and re-did a Chandler 2-piece alder body 5150
style. Attached is the 'before' pic and here's a link to my website with it
finished. Couldn't have done it without your book!" -- Chris
"Hey John - Here's the Charvel we discussed in December (if you remember). One
pic shows the shine and the other a better look at the colors. The red looks
orange here for some reason... actually more of a blood red. Turned out so
sweet...I'm still in shock!!! GREAT BOOKS!! Thanks for giving me the balls to do
something I never would have before! SERIOUSLY!" -- Tod Fox
"You have really inspired me and gave my a new hobby that I really love. With
two kids, school, theirs and mine, the band, and work, I really loose myself and
forget all of the stress when I am painting. Thanks for the help, John". -- Jody
I take ALL of the mystery and guesswork out of creating professional finishes
like the one's pictured above. All you have to do is follow along with the steps
as I've outlined in the book, and you'll be creating professional-looking
finishes IMMEDIATELY.
WHAT YOU'LL GET IN THIS BOOK:
Where To Get Good Bodies & Necks - There are PLENTY of places where you can find
awesome bodies and necks - you just need to know where to look. In "Create A
Factory Guitar Finish," I'll show you our favorite places to find great new and
used parts. Using anyone of our recommended places will get you exactly what you
want. (See WHERE TO BUY GOOD USED PARTS)
Which Types Of Spray Cans Are The BEST - There are some paints that are great
for guitars, and then there are some that are horrible. We'll show you what
brands we use, why we use them, which ones to stay away from, as well as some
very handy accessories that'll make the job easier than you could imagine. (See
SUPPLIES: WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO NEED)
Prepping The Body - This step will make or break your job every time. The better
you prep your body for painting, the better the finished product will look.
We'll show you exactly how to accomplish a professional job with just a few
store-bought items. (See Section 1: Step 6)
Masking Products - We'll show you the BEST products available for masking your
body, as well as what NOT to use. Using the products we recommend will guarantee
clean, crisp lines EVERYTIME... and NO tape residue! (See Section 1: Step 7)
Proper Painting Technique - Using our painting method, you're likely NEVER to
get another paint run again! (See Section 1: Step 8. You'll also get access to
video clips of me using my painting technique. If a picture is worth a thousand
words, I guess video is that much better!)
How To Get That Tricky Design On The Body - Tips, Tricks, and Cool Techniques -
In the book, we recreate Zakk Wylde's Bullseye design on a Les Paul, his Rebel
Flag design, Eddie Van Halen's black-and-white strat, as well as his "Frankenstrat,"
all with stunning results. You'll see everything there is to accomplishing these
very designs, as well as creating and painting your own designs. (See Secton 1:
Step 11-13 and MASKING AND TRANSFERRING OTHER DESIGNS - These sections ALONE are
worth the price of this book TEN TIMES OVER!)
How To Create Headstock Decals And Overlays - In the Zakk Wylde Bullseye Les
Paul (pictured at the top of page), you'll see what looks to be a Gibson neck.
It is not. It is a headstock overlay. I show you how I was able to make this
overlay so that you could produce one yourself. (See HOW I CREATED THE HEADSTOCK
ART)
How To Get That Thick, Glossy Finish - Although it may seem impossible if you've
had no prior painting experience, it's not. We take ALL of the guesswork out of
it and show you just how easy it is to obtain a smooth, mirror-like finish. (See
Section 1: Step 19-20)
And Much, Much More!
THIS BOOK ALSO CONTAINS:
• Over 70 full-color photos detailing the designing and painting of Zakk Wylde's
Bullseye Les Paul, over 80 full-color photos and illustrations detailing the
designing and painting of Zakk's Rebel Flag Les Paul, and over 70 full-color
photos detailing the designing and painting of Eddie Van Halen's black-and-white
strat design, and the red, white, and black "Frankenstrat."
• Simple, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for what to do and what NOT
to do when painting a design on a guitar.
• Over 140 POWER-PACKED pages of rock-solid, completely original content… and
not a paragraph of filler or fluff. This book gives you "a complete
understanding and education" from the first paragraph to the point where we say,
"Thanks, and happy painting!"
Who Was This Amazing E-Book Designed For?
'HOW TO Create A Factory Guitar Finish With Just A Couple Of Spray Cans!' was
created for anyone interested in saving a ton of money by learning how to finish
a guitar by themself, regardless of past painting experience.
Please "check" all that apply to YOU:
I have ALWAYS wanted to learn how to paint and finish a guitar.
I tried painting my guitar a while ago, but it turned out horrible.
I have a design that I really want on my guitar, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't
be able to afford having it done professionally.
I don't own a compressor and a spray gun so I can't paint guitars and do a
professional job.
This e-book was created to take the mystery out of professional-looking guitar
finishes and to teach you how to do it as inexpensively as possible. If you
checked just one of the boxes above, then our e-book IS PERFECT FOR YOU!
With our step-by-step, easy-to-learn method, we'll show you exactly how to
create that factory finish with just a couple of ordinary store-bought spray
cans. It really IS that simple and easy to learn.
"Just wanted to say I've had the chance to read through the e-book now, and it
is truly an excellent read. Simple to understand instructions that have now
given me the confidence to attack a project guitar. Thanks, John!" -- Martin
So, whether you've always wanted to learn how to paint guitars yourself, or
you're in the market for a Zakk Wylde or an Eddie Van Halen guitar, in a very
short time, you could be holding your "DREAM GUITAR" that YOU painted at a
FRACTION OF THE COST! Just think how great it'll feel knowing you did it
yourself and that you saved HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS!
WHEN YOU BUY TODAY, YOU'LL RECEIVE THESE AMAZING BONUS ITEMS FREE WITH YOUR
PURCHASE!
BONUS #1: "Full-Sized Templates" (Value: $100)
"You'll get IMMEDIATE access to several full-sized templates that can be used
for any future guitar project(s)!"
BONUS #2: "Video Footage" (Value: $45)
"You also get IMMEDIATE access to video footage of me performing many of the
techniques I describe in the book. So, if you're one of those people who is
hesitant about ordering because you learn better by watching, THIS FOOTAGE WILL
SHOW YOU MANY OF MY PAINTING AND FINISHING TECHNIQUES. This is like buying a
book AND video for the price of a book! Don't let this deal pass you by."
BONUS #3: "E-Mail Support" (Value: $100-300+)
"When you buy my e-book or hard copy of my book, you may have some additional
questions that you want answered. YOU CAN EMAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE
AT ANY TIME AND I WILL ANSWER THEM ALL! NO CHARGE! My goal is to do everything I
can to help you to immediately begin creating killer finishes from your very
first project! Remember - you won't find ANY OTHER book author willing to give
you the time of day once you've bought their book. I, on the other hand, have
included this with your purchase."
(Some people have taken FULL advantage of this Bonus Item and email me
CONSTANTLY! Still, I answer every question they have. They same would go for
you, too.)
BONUS #4: "Bi-Monthly Newsletter" (Value: $125)
"Although this is optional, I HIGHLY recommend that you sign up to receive my
bi-monthly newsletter. The newsletters contain loads of information not covered
in the book. This newsletter is valued at over $125, but this info is yours FREE
when you sign up!"
BONUS #5:
TODAY ONLY! "Project 5150" (Value: $15)
ORDER TODAY, and I will include my e-book, Project 5150, FREE! THIS IS THE LAST
DAY FOR THIS SPECIAL! (this offer is only valid on e-book purchases.)
IF YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT PAINTING A 5150 REPLICA FOR YOURSELF, THIS E-BOOK
WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH ALL OF THE STEPS, SO THAT YOURS WILL LOOK AS GOOD AS THE
ORIGINAL!"
PLUS: We'll Show You Where You Can Buy A Special Guitar Neck That Can Easily Be
Customized To Resemble A Kramer-Style Neck With Banana Headstock For A FRACTION
OF THE COST!
******************************************************************************
AT SOME POINT, THESE BONUS ITEMS WILL BE REMOVED AND NOT OFFERED WITH THIS
PACKAGE, SO I URGE YOU TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THEM WHILE THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
CLICK HERE To Get BOTH E-Books NOW! - JUST $24.95!
(This special is only valid on e-books. CA residents are subject to applicable
taxes)
And get $585 worth of FREE bonus items!
ACT NOW! THIS OFFER MAY BE GONE TOMORROW!
Once you make your PayPal payment, you will be IMMEDIATELY sent to the download
page, so DON'T CLOSE YOUR BROWSER WINDOW AFTER PAYING!
Don't wait any longer! This really is THE E-BOOK THAT WILL TEACH YOU EVERYTHING
YOU NEED TO KNOW... From one-color finishes, to multi-color finishes, and
explains it in a simple, step-by-step, easy-to-learn method!
It's taken me over 20 years to learn all of these tips, tricks, and little
insider secrets - AND I REVEAL THEM ALL TO YOU!
With everything you'll receive with this book - well-written, step-by-step
instructions with hundreds of great reference photos, access to video footage,
as well as email support, and a bi-monthly newsletter, it's virtually GUARANTEED
that you'll do a KILLER paint job and finish ON YOUR VERY FIRST PROJECT GUITAR!
- BETTER THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED!
YOUR SUCCESS IS MY PERSONAL GOAL!
What are you waiting for?... ORDER SECURELY NOW and get started right away!
Sincerely,
--
John Gleneicki
Author - How To Create A Factory Guitar Finish...
P.S. - Don't pay someone else upwards of $500 for a custom paint job or a
refinishing, when for $24.95, you can learn how to do it yourself and achieve
the same results! Need Proof? CHECK OUT THESE FIRST-TIME GUITAR PAINTERS WHO
BOUGHT THIS BOOK!
Quick Fix: Re-Spraying Your Guitar
How to paint a guitar in the colour of your choice.
There are several different ways to paint a guitar. For this website I'm going
to be concentrating on the easiest way, and if anyone out there wants to have a
go at painting their own guitar you'd be better following this easy way rather
than a complicated one.
DISCLAIMER: This guide is not exhaustive in the slightest. I have provided this
as a quick reference as to how to paint a guitar. For fuller, more in-depth
guidance, try ordering the e-books from paintyourownguitar.com, they're
fantastic. Also, my links page shows websites which have more comprehensive
guidance. I will not be held responsible for anyone who does not achieve their
desired finish.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
1) Ensure you are wearing old clothes, and have adequately masked areas you do
not want covered in paint with old newspaper, dust sheets etc..
2) Always work in a well ventilated area. Ensure a good supply of clean fresh
air, especially if you suffer from asthma (as I do) or other breathing problems.
If possible do your painting outside, or with an air conditioner or similar
switched on.
3) You may wish to work with an air mask on.
4) Do not work near a naked flame in any instance.
5) Take a regular break.
6) Be patient - this is not a ten minute job!
EQUIPMENT
Paint
Wet And Dry paper (1000-grit preferable)
Lacquer
Old newspaper and a clear, dry space to work in.
Fine sandpaper (400-grit preferable)
Primer
Step 1
First of all, you take the standard body of the guitar you have. For this
tutorial, it doesn't matter if the guitar is already finished / painted, or is
just the natural wood. We'll assume that this guitar has already been finished
in another colour, and you want it changed to a different one.
Now you have this body, you have to sand it - it doesn't matter if you sand the
paint off, all you want to do is to take the gloss lacquered finish off of the
guitar. As you can see in this picture, the sheen has been removed.
Sanded down.
Step 2
My guitar is going to be a replica of Eddie Van Halen's black and white striped
guitar he used, before it became the red frankenstrat (as seen in the 'Jump'
video). For this we're going to use aerosols. First of all you need a base coat
- this is called primer, and is usually grey or white (the colour you will need
depends on the final colour for the guitar - check the can of paint to find what
colour of primer you will need).
You need to sand the body down so that the primer will stick evenly to the body
(and not run off the sheen), and then the paint sticks to the primer. The
advantage with using aerosols is that they're cheaper than a professional spray
gun and readily available - you can get them from most shops that sell bits for
cars, as car spray paint is the same stuff!
Take your can of primer, shake it up until the agitator ball stops rattling so
much - this way you know it's mixed well. Hold the can about 10-14cm from the
area you're spraying and lightly spray on the first coat of primer. It doesn't
have to cover all the previous colour, just enough of a mist so that you can
tell it's there. Tip: To avoid doing what I had to do (I had to paint in my
garage due to the 'great' British weather...) suspend the guitar body from a
washing line or similar, using a bit of wire through the neck holes. This way
you can walk around the guitar and get both sides of the guitar done at once.
Leave this to dry (most primers are dry enough to work with within 20-30
minutes, but check the instructions on the can), and then build up another
couple of coats, until you have a grey, matt-finish guitar.
What it should look like with the primer.
Step 3
Next, take a bit Wet And Dry paper, about 1000-grit if you can find one.
Apologies, I only know that this is what it's called in Britain, I don't know
what it's called elsewhere. Dip this in water and lightly rub the body down to
take off any minor imperfections. Once you have done this, and the primer is
fully dry, take your can of spray paint and begin, as you did with the primer,
by holding it 12-14cm from the body and spraying a light coat on top of the
primer. Tip: Do not worry if your first couple of coats do not seem to be
matching to the colour you bought. They will react with the primer (and also the
colour underneath) and probably give you a lighter coat. This will disappear
with every coat you apply. Remember you will probably need five or six coats to
achieve a full, gloss finish.
Repeat this process, allowing time to dry in between (again, most spray paints
will be dry enough to apply your next coat within 30 minutes - but check your
can again) and building up to achieving a shiny gloss finish after five coats or
so. Between coats, you may have to give a light rub down with the 1000-grit Wet
And Dry paper (dipped in water) to remove any imperfections that may build up
when you're painting coats.
The following pictures show the colour differences between coats - the first
picture is after only two coats, the second is after five. (This is the guitar
from project-strat.com)
Painted. Notice the difference in colour between coats (the more coats the
deeper the colour).
Step 4
Once you have applied the final coat, and the finish is to your liking, leave to
dry overnight. Tip: If you are planning on applying any custom decals to the
guitar, you may wish to apply them now, so that they will be under the lacquer.
Take your can of lacquer, and shake it up. Lacquer is a clear substance used to
protect the paintwork and give it an extra-shiny, gloss finish. Now, apply the
lacquer the same as you did with the paint, starting off with a light coat,
building up to your desired number of coats (I would recommend at least five),
rubbing down between coats with the 1000-grit Wet And Dry paper.
When this is finished, and you have applied the final coat of lacquer, leave
this to dry for a day or two. Once this has dried, pick it up and admire your
work. Congratulations! You have painted your guitar body.
Van Halen build notes
As my guitar was going to be a replica of Eddie Van Halen's guitar, there are
details to note. The nature of the design means that I had to use 2 different
colours, black and white. In order to paint this successfully I had to buy black
and white spray paint cans, and different types of masking tape. The tape widths
were 3/4 inch for the wider stripes and 1/8 inch for the thinner black stripes.
I managed to buy a roll of 3/4 inch tape, but for the 1/8 inch tape i had to go
to my local model shop and purchased yellow 'Tamiya' masking tape which I used
to make model kits with when I was younger (this still had to be cut down to
size however).
Before painting white
After sanding down the body of my guitar, I applied the primer and around 5-7
coats of black paint. Make sure it covers fully and you get one uniform colour
and sheen. The next day I applied the masking tape, pressing down firmly to
secure it in place and prevent paint running under it. After that I applied
around 7 coats of white paint. I was actually surprised by how well the white
paint covered, in my experience with enamel paint, white was always a real pain
in the ass to use.
I left the guitar with no gloss finish like the original, but now I regret doing
so. It is important to protect the finish in addition to making it look glossy.
Logos from T-shirts I've worn while playing have rubbed against the finish of
the guitar and left some sort of green residue, and is incredibly hard to get
out. The guitar also gets dented easier. If you feel you can live with that
however and want to go for originality, by all means do so.
Now all that remains is to put in a maple neck, a black scratch-plate (pick
guard) and a Seymour Duncan custom E.V.H pickup for that authentic Van Halen
look and sound.
(Thanks to project-strat for information for the article)
Here's some more information for building a Van Halen 1 Frankenstrat:
websites:
http://www.eddievanhalen.com/
Van Halen 1 Frankenstrat
Body: Stratocaster
Body Wood: Swamp Ash
Body Finish: Unfinished
Body Routing: Top Routed
Pickup Routing: Single, Single, Humbucker
Bridge Routing: Fender vintage tremelo
Neck: Standard
Headstock: CBS
Neck Wood: Birdseye Maple
Finger Board Wood: Birdseye Maple
Neck Finish: Satin
Fret Size: Gibson Jumbo Frets 6150
Key Holes: Schaller
Inlay: Black Dots
String Nut: Fender vintage tremelo
Bridge Type: Fender vintage tremelo
Pickguard: Stratocaster
Pickguard Configuration: x , x, Humbucker
Pickgurad Bridge Routing: Fender vintage tremelo
Pickguard Color: Black Solid Matte (.060)
Pickgurad Control Setup: x,Volume,Volume No Pickup selector
Tuners: Schaller Mini Locking Tuners (Left,Chrome)
PickUps: Seymour Duncan EVH Humbucker
Copper Shielding: 2 feet
Output Jack: Switchcraft Brand Mono Jack
Jack Plate: Stratocaster (Chrome)
Knobs: 1 Vintage Stratocaster Tone Knob (White)
Neck Plate: Chrome
Potentiometers: 1 CTS Brand 500K pot
String Retainer: Brass nut
Tape Type: 3/4 Inch (Big Black Stripes) 1/8 Inch (Smaller Stripes)