How to paint your guitar by hand: Polishing the Finish

[@trustyseacreaturesmusic7873]

I recently completed my first refinish after watching these videos. Thank you for putting these videos out, and letting people like me (who want to try their hand at stuff like this) know that anyone can do it, and that you don’t need $1000 worth of tools to refinish a guitar. Mine came out great, and I love it!

[@BradAngove]

Glad to hear yours turned out wel.

[@DavidDyball]

Hey Brad, just wanted to say I found your tutorial series really helpful and I appreciate the effort you put into making it.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks David, and thank you for watching.

[@clee1985]

Brad, I hope your Mum is proud of you! This was a brilliant tutorial and it has given me great confidence. I am going to do this exact same thing, minus the burst and satin. First go at finishing a guitar but if it goes well I might find an excuse to do more. Thanks mate!

[@ALWTunes]

It's 2019 and this series is still helping people. I think I'm going to attempt this in the near future and your technique seems the easiest for me to handle.

[@BradAngove]

Glad to hear it. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

[@theepimountainbiker6551]

After working in a autobody shop I just went with the same process for car paint on my DIY guitars. Paint/stain (currently doing 1 with RIT dye) clear coat, sand down with 600 between coats, then 1500 automotive sandpaper which is easy to find at Canadian Tire, then Turtle Wax rubbing compound then on to polishing compound. Fixed a lot of deep scratches on cars this way, works great for glossing a guitar as well. Only downside to turtle wax is it's a paste, very hard to use by hand unlike Mcguires theirs is more liquid. Great tutorial, always looking to learn something new

[@BradAngove]

Yeah the automotive painting process works fine on guitars as long as there isn’t a bunch of open grain.

[@p.s8950]

Excellent videos and I love that "dead pan" humour.

[@zerofret4207]

That satin side looks sweet! I'm doing that with my bass for sure!

[@BradAngove]

Excellent. I hope it goes well for you.

[@kennethzasada8605]

Very informative. I have found that patience is the hardest tool to use. Cheers!

[@miguelanghell999]

Satin finish looks awesome!

[@BradAngove]

+miguelanghell999 Thanks. Glad you like it.

[@scootersage]

I just finished a ES-175D kit guitar. I used dupli-color pre-mix clear gloss acrylic lacquer. I polished it out with 3M lens polish and proctor, after contacting the factory to make sure it was safe to use. Came out nice.

[@BradAngove]

+scootersage Glad to hear it.

[@666brad666]

Thanks Brad I've been watching your channel for awhile I've learned alot from you and your videos. I'm finishing a guitar soon,and Ive been learning everything from scratch and finding ways to do things differently because of lack of money ,and I love that you have these types of videos where your not using the best equipment that you have but how you can still accomplish a good finished product. I think imo you should show a bit more on how to sand better or maybe have a video dedicated to how much sanding it really takes to take out orange peel , or fish eyes , or what you could do if you accidentally have a run in your paint or what if your sanding and have everything perfect but you sand threw your paint to the primer on a spot smaller then a dime. I would love to chat more. Long time fan Brad Baggs.

[@cliffnelms8163]

Lots of great information and a good sense of humor! Thanks!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Cliff

[@jamesbruinsma2742]

Going to stain a custom P-Bass body I made, a nice purple burst. Thanks for the vids!

[@BradAngove]

James Bruinsma You're welcome. Let me know how it goes.

[@cameronsmith1529]

Awesome series. You take all fear and intimidation out of the process.

[@BradAngove]

Glad to hear it. It's not that complicated when the information is laid out for you, but getting that information can be daunting. Most people don't seem to know where to start.

[@lancecluster]

Just bought a really inexpensive Strat Body and neck, going back through many of your videos to figure out what my next steps should be. You have certainly provided plenty of options - probably heading toward the 'Home Depot" type route - thanks for making these. Especially like the options that do not require spray equipment.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Lance. That’s why I include those videos. Most people don’t have that type of gear.

[@evang4041]

watching him drink from his coffee cup and screaming "NOOOOOOO" in my head

[@BradAngove]

+Evan Gilbert Mistakes were made...

[@elvinlategan9857]

I love the way you speak English . It makes it more bearable than the USA language . Great vidoes . Pity I'm such a perfectionist . I'm not happy with how your gloss came out but it doesnt detract from the instruction you're giving . Keep it up .

[@BradAngove]

+Elvin Lategan Haha thanks. I'm glad you like my speaking style. I hope your gloss comes out to your satisfaction!

[@garthpriebe4803]

I enjoy Brad's sense of humor and his (sometimes) loose approach. I think we too often attempt to achieve perfection, and we must be willing to make a mistake and move on; This is Brad's approach. If Gibson can charge thousands of dollars for an artificially aged guitar, or if John Lennon can brush paint his Rickenbacker black, what are we so afraid of? I am moving on with my build, mistakes or no, because I want to play my instrument. All the best, Mr. Brad!

[@BradAngove]

Cheers Garth

[@robertmitchell2178]

Great video series, aye Brad!

[@BradAngove]

Thank you

[@RolandZertuche]

Brad, you're awesome.

[@BradAngove]

Thank you Roland

[@GuitarLava]

Working on a EVH Wolfgang kit right now. Found this vid at the perfect time. Thanks Brad!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for watching. I hope you find it helpful.

[@johnbanks2275]

thanks brad rewatch got the brand names so u can use pretty any compund wax or polish

[@BradAngove]

Yes pretty much

[@zx12rash]

I'm watching this informative video for my lil' guitar project. The wife is watching as well. She seemed really interested in my hobby/project. Turns out she just fancies you. Kudos!

[@BradAngove]

I appreciate the compliment sir. Also, I hope the project goes well for you. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@zx12rash]

Actually.. I've stained an ash body guitar. I want to fill the grain with stained filler so the grain is black. 1: should I seal the guitar before filling so the stained body does get bled into by the filler? 2 should I fill straight over it (unsealed)and then sand until I hit the stain and maybe try and stain over again (touch up) ? The filler is water based (timbermate) as is the stain.

[@BradAngove]

You should fill before you seal. Option 2 would be fine. If you make your filler a bit thinner and use a putty knife to press it into the grain like in my video about grain filling with paste wood filler you shouldn't have to sand much.

[@chunkwobbler2544]

Thank you so much for putting up this series. I have a Tele that will now undergo this very process in a couple of months. It will be my Christmas break project.

[@BradAngove]

I hope it goes well.

[@JROC2112]

Great video. I'm thinking of buying a guitar kit but don't want to spray paint as previous experience with spray paints have not been good. If I get one I'll maybe post a couple of videos and will almost certainly use this technique.

[@BradAngove]

+John Clarke Sounds like a fun project. I hope it goes well for you.

[@chrisdowey1360]

Hi Brad, just about to start on my first guitar project. I have found all your vids very educational and easy to watch and understand. Love the humour too. I'm starting on a cheap no-name sunburst strat copy to gain confidence etc. I intend to take it back to the wood and add poly and polish - just like one of your instructional vids. Hope the revealed wood is going to be decent enough to work with! If not, I'll paint it!. Keep up the good work. Cheers from the UK. Chris.

[@BradAngove]

cheers Chris. I hope your build goes well.

[@louh9211]

I almost lost it when your advice was rub it as aggressive as I can! I'm gonna take some guitar lessons with bubbles now.

[@ecaff9515]

Thank you so much Great process and keep up the excellent work

[@danegreenwell2589]

I have been following this step by step to re finish a guitar of mine that always played well but I quit playing as often because of the shape and electronic issues. Tonight is the compound and polish steps. I have Mothers vehicle paint detailing products already so I will be using those but I was hoping you could "teleport" closer to the camera with the Meguiars the same way you did with Minwax in this video so I can confirm exactly what you are using and make sure it is comparable to what I hope to use. Thanks so much for doing these videos! They have been a huge help :D

[@BradAngove]

Dane Greenwell The mequiars products I was using were the ultimate compound and ultimate polish. What Mothers product are you planning on using? You will want to start with compound. I know mothers has a good one. They likely also have a polish that you could use afterward, but I'm not sure that you will need it. The compound may be sufficient. Keep in mind though that wax and polish are different things. Don't try to use car wax in place of polish.

[@davidriley4895]

extremely informative, helpful, as well as entertaining. really appreciate the information and how you deliver it

[@BradAngove]

Thank you sir.

[@cactusbedGC8]

This (and your other videos) is probably one of the best "how to" videos I have seen in my life.. Thank you very much. Subscribed..

[@BradAngove]

Thank you. I'm glad you like them.

[@pbray1]

Love your videos on painting your guitar. Would have liked to have seen more of the fender Strat sun burst type with black sides. I'm going to apply this technique to a table construction made of red oak...yes Home Depot...lol

[@BradAngove]

It should work well for that.

[@johnnybsteelriff]

Thanks, Brad.....very succinct and informative....

[@BradAngove]

Thank you.

[@Twy7chTec_Vayper]

This was extremely helpful! Thanks, much appreciated! Will definitely be using these tips on the 7-string kit guitar I'm ordering at the beginning of the month \../

[@BradAngove]

Glad you liked it

[@RickyRymes1]

Guitar turned out great ! Going to attempt the same general look on my KKW . Should've shown the assembled guitar at the end though! If you lived near me I'd totally add it to my collection! Rick Phillips alliston ontario

[@BradAngove]

Cool, Let me know how the KKW turns out. I actually haven't assembled it. It's just the body at this point. I'm either going to put some cool custom wiring into it, or strip it down and use it for another tutorial or a custom job. Not sure yet. Might even try to sell it as just a body.

[@RickyRymes1]

I'll post a picture of the KKW to your Facebook page once it's completed , even in bare wood it looks better then the tacky red flames ! And it know for a fact that even as a body that tele would sell very fast . The burst effect is gorgeous on that guitar buddy! And all I know is that you're in the same country as me , but if you are close to me I'd definitely take it off your hands , assembled or not ! Great work man can't wait to see more guitar videos . I've done mild custom guitars before (rebuilt my 68 silvertone hollow body , new neck some new hardware etc ) but nothing like I'm attempting with the warlock after watching these videos . You're a great help to me , especially if you consider that I'm trying to go into business with a local shop providing custom guitars

[@BradAngove]

That sounds cool. I'm looking forward to seeing it. I'm glad you like the tele. I live out in Alberta. Not particularly close to you, but no significant borders to get past haha. It's awesome that you're looking to go into business for that. I'm actually considering trying to become a supplier of custom guitar parts (namely pickguards and cavity plates) for a guitar shop out here as well. Might to a partnership with a friend in Miami for prewired custom setups. Maybe I'll load one into that tele body and see how it looks.

[@satanshollowd]

This was great, loving the more playful sense of humor :+)

[@BradAngove]

Thanks. I figured it was time to add a little personality to these things.

[@gr637]

Hi, great video as usual, thank you. Please can you tell me if, for he final polish on the gloss poly type, I can use carnauba was rather than maguire polish? Thanks again

[@BradAngove]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKKTemh8q7V0mLM

[@scotttracey3748]

Canadain tire also carrys a turtle wax polishing compound that's what l used.

[@jayspicer2259]

This is fantastic. I'm just finishing a Tele, done with wipe-on poly satin. So glad I found this video, as I was about to use the meguires two step method to finish it. Now I know I should use that MinWax product and the 0000 st.wool. Thanks! Do you have the exact name of that MinWax product. I think you called it 'Base Sealer,' but I'm wondering if I need a more specific name when shopping for it.

[@BradAngove]

It's the paste finishing wax I believe.

[@liamg88]

Hey Brad - I have stained and put a reasonably thick clear coat on my guitar. I watched this video because I was wondering whether I could use 0000 wool to get the imperfections out of the clear coat before polishing; you say that you shouldn’t do that if the finish is “bumpy”, but what if the finish just shows lines from where it was wiped on? I can hardly feel them under my hands but they are visible to the eye. 0000 good for that? Maybe I can put polish on the 0000 and do it in one go? Thanks!

[@BradAngove]

Sandpaper is still a better option, but you can buff out some imperfections with 0000. If you put polish on it you will get a more satin-y look.

[@lucasdmtube]

It would work with color stain too, right? Live the satin finish.

[@BradAngove]

+Deborah Aquino Yes, it should work over various colours of stains and dyes.

[@jerrywestwood1320]

Thanks for doing this

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Jerry

[@jrnjd3]

Hi Brad, I find your videos to be very informative. Thank you for taking the time to do them and do them well. I would like to know more about how all of the different variables of a finish can effect the tone of the wood. I know that it's mainly subjective and a matter of personal preference but I would still like to know what you have to say about the matter. Thanks man.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for the acknowledgement. I guess it's time for me to bite the bullet so to speak and address that topic properly (or as well as I can). I will do a video about it in the near future. Stay tuned!

[@jrnjd3]

Right on, I'll be watching for it.

[@hofnerstrat]

very interesting, learnt from this, thanks

[@BradAngove]

+hofnerstrat I'm glad you found it interesting. Thanks for watching.

[@johnbanks2275]

eh brad i use water base products only would have less scratch less backing if i did not use steel wool.i know now how to use heavy coat of paint 5 coats of laquer then when dry wet sand until smooth then polish normally 3 coats and it will shine like mirror this was learning curve for me i will never use steel wool l fine on wood again just sandpaper 320 grid to smooth it out fill cracks where needed then start the finishing process thanks again for al your advice john

[@missmy60]

Great videos. I have one question..... I waited 24hours between each of my coats of poly. Do I need to wait longer to start the polishing process?

[@BradAngove]

scott housey It wouldn't hurt to let the last coat sit a couple days before the polishing. 24 hours is enough for the catalyzed stuff, but it's better to let the un-catalyzed product sit a bit longer.

[@johnbanks2275]

thanks brad

[@JohnSmith-le3ii]

Hi Brad - loving the videos! My first project is a natural tele - i've followed your steps and finished with wax. Do I (can I) put a nitro finish on trop of the wax?

[@BradAngove]

No, nitro won’t stick to wax. In fact, pretty much no paint will stick to wax properly.

[@JohnSmith-le3ii]

@@BradAngove cool - thanks. i follow your tutelage :)

[@johnbanks2275]

thanks brad a couple more questions ha seems my medium compound not taking scratches or do i have sand between each coat i really dont know and polish can i still use mesgular from home depot nad should i get the medium for scratches thanks for the help too need more advice

[@BradAngove]

You don’t sand between compound. Just before it. How fine did you sand?

[@johnbanks2275]

eh brad this my first time doing this i use steel wool fine to rough the body i will have 4 coats of water base lacquer on the body but can not use steel wool again because it water base just like my stain which is vintage black what type of sand paper can i use 320 to smooth it or finer as i mention earlier i rub to hard and everything came off but this time water base lacquer instead of clear coat using high gloss i will use my 800 and fine grid before the polish can i use normal poiish or do i need a water base polish what do u suggest? thanks ps first time doing sorry for asking too many questions. stay safe take care john

[@BradAngove]

Yes you can use sandpaper. I’d go with 400 or 600.

[@jennastinnett1662]

BradAngove Howdy from Texas. I've built up about 6 thinly layered coats of the satin finish and am now ready to rub on the finishing paste with 0000 steel wool. Will the pressure from rubbing on the paste ultimately eat through the satin finish down to the bare wood or is that the point? If So, could I have avoided the satin in the first place? Thanks so much for the great videos.

[@BradAngove]

If you were to continue rubbing at it for long enough, you could probably rub your way through the finish. In a practical sense though, that's not going to happen. If you're rubbing it out to a satin sheen, it's really not going to take very long. If you were doing a wax finish right on the wood, then there would have been no point in putting the satin finish on first. A wax finish is a different thing though. I have a video that I posted recently where I applied (or updated) a wax finish if you're interested.

[@jennastinnett1662]

Brad Angove Ah, so I see. That's basically what I did except in my laundry room (dryer puts off alot of heat turning it into a furnace). Turned the dryer on for 30 minutes which warmed up the wax and the guitar itself and buffed out a nice satin finish with the 0000 steel wool. The heat is the key, I feel. Thanks so much for your help.

[@BradAngove]

Yes, heat is helpful for the wax for sure.

[@vaskoprochkov9443]

how about doing one or two satin finish coats, and do 2 lite gloss finish coats on top of it. end it with polish.wouldn't it be easier to achieve high gloss?

[@BradAngove]

It wouldn't be easier per se, but it should work.

[@GabrielFFontes]

Hey Brad. Thanks for making those videos. I have a random orbit sander. Should i do the initial sanding with it?

[@BradAngove]

+Gabriel F Yes, that's a good way to start out as long as you're careful with it.

[@mricutuber]

Great videos on guitar finishing, what about finishing an unfinished neck and fret board? Anyway again great video's

[@BradAngove]

Essentially the same concept can be applied to the neck and fretboard, you just need to make sure that you don't leave finish on your frets. Most people that I've spoken to don't like a gloss neck because your hand sticks to it and it slows you down. Keep that in mind when choosing your neck finish. As for the fret board, I prefer to oil mine, but if you want a finish on there it's really no different than finishing any other wood.

[@cast390]

You should do a video on guitar finish removal...BTW Great series!!

[@BradAngove]

+cast390 If you look at my video on repairing dents and paint damage from the memorial guitar series, that covers paint removal to some degree. You're right though, I should do a dedicated video on that topic.

[@maxmoves64]

very useful videos with some good tips but dont you rub down between coats and build them up again?

[@BradAngove]

+mark robins The coats had already been applied previous to this video. In this one I was simply polishing. The previous video in the series was when I applied the coats of poly.

[@Tanstaaflable]

Hey Brad, I have a solid paint with a design drawn into it. After a first light coat of poly, will sanding mess up the design underneath, or should I try to get a second coat on before actually do the 800 grit sanding?

[@BradAngove]

Have you already done the first coat?

[@alaneverett8876]

Thanks Brad for another great tip! Another question I forgot to ask you on my FB msg yesterday...I was able to find the Behlen Buffers Polish you used in another video. Is it a one-step compound/polish or do I need to use a compound product in addition to Behlen's?

[@BradAngove]

If you sand fine enough it works as a one step polish.

[@jaeminchoi]

Brad, Excellent video. How many days should I wait to polish after final (second or third applying) application?

[@BradAngove]

+Jaemin Choi I like to wait at least a couple of days so that I don't have to worry about the paint being soft. A week is probably a safe bet. It depends a bit on the temperature and humidity of your work space though.

[@jaeminchoi]

Thanks! Brad, appreciate it.

[@BradAngove]

You're welcome.

[@jqueeze7240]

Doesn't poly with steel wool make the fibers stick to the guitar?

[@BradAngove]

If you’re not careful it can.

[@blackfender100]

Thanks Brad.How long do you let the Poly dry before sanding and buffing

[@BradAngove]

Joe Dov A day or two.

[@chitaristu88]

Thank you for these amazing tips. I'm going to experiment on a strat alder body i have and see how it goes. Basically, it can't go wrong from I've seen here, but i'm no expert. Quick question: if i remove the gloss finish from a neck, will i expose it to moisture or anything? It kinda gets in the way of playing. Cheers mate.

[@BradAngove]

Alex Seicean Hi Alex. I'm glad you've found the videos useful. You can rub down the gloss finish from the neck to a smooth matte. If you don't take the finish completely off, it shouldn't be an issue. If you do take it completely off, you may want to consider sealing it another way.

[@louh9211]

now that I think about it "Patrick Swayze".......sorry. Great video series. This helps. I was considering doing an aerosol lacquer but I think I'm less likely to fuck this technique up.

[@crmusicproduction]

In the UK I think we can use T-Cut in place of the compound (?)

[@BradAngove]

The name sounds logical since I've hear it referred to as cutting compound, but the guys in the UK that I've spoken to use 3M buffing compound.

[@BradAngove]

Excellent.

[@cauldronmusic1252]

Do those polishes dry hard? I'm trying to finish a black walnut electric cello and can't seem to get rid of dust speckling even in a "dust-free" area. Used a fast drying Rust-Oleum Ultra hard specialty lacquer spray. Is polishing the key to fixing dust issues?

[@BradAngove]

Sanding and polishing is how you would deal with that. Or keeping the dust out using my tips from my recent video on that topic. The polish isn’t meant to dry per se. It’s to buff the finish to gloss.

[@cauldronmusic1252]

@@BradAngove I followed your steps and got some great results. I still ended up with some very fine circular lines that I'd like to get rid of. Maybe just go through those steps again without circular motion with the steel wool? I saw some Automotive waxing products that look like they may be specifically intended for eliminating those type of Fine Lines. Thanks again, your videos are incredibly useful and I appreciate your response. I just finished a series of black walnut "Boomsticks". Upright electric basses that look like firearms. I'm thinking of taking the hardware off the finished instruments and following your polishing steps on those as well. My channel is called "Cauldron Music". The first hit will be an old metal band, but if you include the word "Boomstick" in your search you should find it on top. You might find my work interesting. Thanks again!

[@BradAngove]

Switch to using a buffing pad or soft cloth and go again. If there are still swirl marks you may need to get some swirl remover, which is basically just very fine polish.

[@1777DK]

If you were doing this with gloss polyurethane, how many coats would you apply, before rubbing it out?

[@BradAngove]

This was with polyurethane. It depends which one. With a wipe on, probably 5.

[@1777DK]

@@BradAngove It would be a brush on, we don't get wipe on in "my part of the woods". ;-) So 4-5 coats should be good for brush on as well right? Thanks for always taking time to reply. Your videos have helped me out a bunch. I am a pretty good woodworker, but my finishing skillz need perfecting.

[@BradAngove]

Brush on is thicker. 2-3 coats should be adequate. Or you can thin it and use it as a wipe on if that’s your preference.

[@tophtodaro4927]

do you ever have any problems with witness lines? i have an instrument coated in minwax oil based brush on and was wondering if you've ever encountered something like that with polyurethane. thanks!

[@BradAngove]

I have had issues with witness lines in the past. I haven’t noticed it on the wipe on poly, but that could be because I haven’t sanded through a layer like that on it.

[@tophtodaro4927]

@@BradAngove thanks for the response! im trying to figure out how to best counter them to avoid refinishing and waiting another month for it to cure. are they something you can buff out if they do occur? thanks again for all your helpful videos

[@BradAngove]

You can’t really buff them out unfortunately. For poly touch ups, professional auto repair guys use a blending agent that causes the poly to melt into itself a bit to avoid those lines.

[@tophtodaro4927]

@@BradAngove Brad thanks for all the help! im gonna lay down the smoothest final coat i can, wait a month and go straight to the 0000 steel wool and rubbing compound. wish me luck!

[@BradAngove]

I hope it goes well.

[@TheClayyo]

I have been trying to paint an SG for about 10 years now. After many failed attempts, sanding it back down, it has done nothing but sit naked in my closet. I decided about a month ago I was going to stain it and I found this video. By far the best "How to stain/seal/polish your guitar" series I have seen! Thank you! I have one question. I am going to stain my guitar, then paint thin stripes where there wood joints are (not a solid piece of wood). Do I paint and then put the gloss down? Or paint, then polish? It seems like I would paint first. Also, what type of paint would you suggest?

[@BradAngove]

Thank you. I'm glad you found the series helpful. The process for putting down the strips depends a bit on your wood. If it's very smooth and tight grained, then you would mask it and paint the strips, then put your gloss down, then polish. If the wood is a bit more open, you should stain, then use transparent sanding sealer on the whole thing. Let that dry and sand it lightly. Then apply your painted strips. Then clear coat and polish. If that's not clear enough, let me know. As for the paint that I would suggest, I guess I should first ask what kind of resources you have for applying it, or what method you prefer. I have an old video here: How to paint your guitar: Choosing your paint part 1 which I think would be helpful to you in choosing a paint type. Bear in mind that the paint you choose has to be compatible with your clear coat. It's not difficult to find a clear that works with your paint, so don't worry too much. Just decide what type of paint you like.

[@TheClayyo]

Brad Angove Thanks for the reply! How would I determine open or tight wood grain? Right now it has wood grain filler in it. The paint stripes would be very thin...1/4 of an inch or less, an off white paint (to look a little aged). I live very close to a Home Depot and Lowes, I would rather brush it on.

[@BradAngove]

If it has filler in it then it shouldn't be a problem. You've already done the grain filling that I would recommend for an open grained wood, so you're covered. If you want to brush it on, I would look for a brushing lacquer. Again though, it depends somewhat on what you want to use as your final top-coat. How do you want to finish the guitar when all is said and done?

[@TheClayyo]

Brad Angove Satin poly.

[@BradAngove]

Ok, then you will want to look for a urethane for the white. You should be able to use lacquer for it if you want, but do a test with the two first if you want to go that route.

[@johnbanks2275]

i stop following bad only listen i built up 5 coats lacquer started to put the medium compoud and just started rubbing very hard heated it up and no paint came off might need few coats to get it smooth and then polish i love doing this kind of work ordering the off tremolo guitar from stew mac moderate style of the jaguar awesome looking kit hopefully when jazz master is ready to set up my shimming of hopefully be a issue i thinking a 10 degree shim ought to do it thank you for all your advice i have learn how to do the body of the guitar take care and thank you again

[@josedomingosteixeira1379]

One thing I never understood is How do you polish the side of the guitar? Would a buffing pad work?

[@BradAngove]

Yes. It works the same.

[@cameronsmith1529]

Well no one want to clank a nice new tele body. BTW if you are looking for suggestions for tutorials how about replicating a TV yellow finish in a similar manner?

[@BradAngove]

Very true. Thank you for the suggestion; I've got a bit of a back log of project and tutorials to do at the moment, but I'll make not of that for sure.

[@guitarboomer88]

Hello brad. I'm in the midst of finishing a guitar body with some gloss poly. I have done this before but never bugged it out afterwards. I would like to try this time. I have some turtle wax rubbing compound for the first step but only have chrome polish compound for the final. Would the chrome polish work ok or should I get some regular finish polish? By the way, love your vids. Been re -watching religiously while prepping for this finish haha

[@guitarboomer88]

Never buffed it out...typo

[@BradAngove]

I honestly have no idea if the chrome polish would work. It should, but it might be a bit more aggressive and thus difficult to get a perfect shine from.

[@guitarboomer88]

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'll try it out and if I don't get what I'm hoping for I'll go get some finishing polish.

[@BradAngove]

Let me know how it goes.

[@guitarboomer88]

Most definitely

[@audacide]

I have a couple of questions, Brad. How well are these techniques and products gonna work on a basswood guitar body? Also, satin finish for the neck and gloss for the body? You had mentioned in another video that gloss on the neck would make for stickier playing. Thanks for all that you do. Your vids are very well done and informative.

[@BradAngove]

You could use these techniques on basswood. The grain pattern just wouldn’t be as attractive and you may want to grain fill first. Satin on the neck and gloss on the body makes sense. As you know, I don’t particularly like the feel of a gloss neck.

[@audacide]

Thanks Brad. I watched a few of your vids, as well as others on the subject of grain fills last night. My tele kit from Solo should be here this week, so I'm stoked to get started on it. I did find the video on filing the frets a bit daunting, though, so I may have to fire some more questions at you down the road. Thanks again, Danielle B

[@BradAngove]

Fret work can be daunting even for the more experience luthiers, guitar techs, etc. if you get a properly radiused fret leveling beam etc. it gets a bit easier, but you just have to take it slow and be willing to spend a lot of time if you want it perfect. If you rush and go too far... I think you can probably guess how annoying that can get haha.

[@johnbanks2275]

eh brad i have a 600 grid and a 800 paste merdna it took the paint when i started to polish with it badly and i had ten coats of clear coat what happen

[@BradAngove]

Maybe the polisher was a bit too aggressive. Sometimes it can heat up and melt the paint off. It also depends a lot on the type of polishing pad you’re using.

[@mattsez2879]

I just picked up a Dean Mach V bass......kinda ugly, but semi collectable ( for a low end bass ). Hated all the hard edges.....so I stripped her down to bare wood.....and rounded everything, and made the body flow. Just did my second coat of poly gloss. Should I polish with steel wool for the first compound? or just level with the wool dry? And.....can I use my automotive buffer for the polishing?.....cause im a big girly and my arm get tired....( i said it first ya trolls ). And....should I go for a glass finish or stop when its smooth to the touch?

[@BradAngove]

Hi there. I have some videos specifically about polishing clear not by hand if you'd like to check those out. This one was designed for people who don't have equipment and want to save money on supplies. Ideally, you would sand the clear flat with sand paper, then sand to as high a grit as possible to make polishing easier, then you would polish it with compound and polish with your polisher. You should be able to get a nice gloss that way.

[@mattsez2879]

nice....thanks for taking the time. This was such an uuuuugly bass.......but after removing all hard angle cuts and rounding everything.....its turning out to be decent. Cant wait to see the new finish all done!

[@BradAngove]

I'm glad to hear that it's going well. Let me know how it turns out.

[@mattsez2879]

ok guys....listen to him when he says let the poly dry.....( starts over )

[@BradAngove]

Yikes. Sorry to hear that.

[@richardk8313]

brad, if you used Nitro how long do you wait before you final sand and polish?

[@BradAngove]

Usually about a month.

[@richardk8313]

Brad Angove wow that long! Stew Mac said around 10 days to 2 weeks using their Nitro spray cans. Next project for sure it’s minwax stain and rub on poly. In by 9 Out by 5. :). More my style. I need instant gratification. And I don’t need a hazmat suit.

[@BradAngove]

Some lacquers are faster. Behlen is about 10 days usually. The rule of thumb though is a month for nitro.

[@Spitfireme123]

would this compound and polish work with a tru oil finish?

[@BradAngove]

It should, yes.

[@icecursor]

Good Stuff man! Subscribed... number 6500!. Now, How about if you did the next one with a stain and a finishing oil like tung oil, or danish oil or truoil... I'm Doing an old bass guitar that was given to me. I'm looking for an almost matt finish of a chocolate brown wood. Also, if you could explain the differences between the finishing oil and the wax finish. Thanks!

[@BradAngove]

I have tutorials up about how to apply a tung oil finish, and how to apply a danish oil finish. I haven't done anything with truoil yet though. The danish oil and tung oil ones are probably in the wood finishing playlist on my channel. Wax finishes sit on top of the wood, whereas oils generally soak in somewhat. Oils also affect the look of the wood more than wax typically (from my experience). I used wax in this video to polish the satin finish, but I rarely use it as an actual finish itself.

[@einarabelc5]

Hi, I'm trying to save as much money for the following. I recently bought a guitar a gloss finished guitar with two minor scratches in the headstock and unfinished buffing on the top right corner of the bridge pickup. I heard this can be fixed with buffing. How can I do this by hand? ThankS!

[@BradAngove]

You can follow the steps from the video that I used for the gloss top of the guitar, or you can have a look at the last video in my series on finishing with behlen's guitar finishing kit. I did a better job of polishing that one.

[@zemanel1231]

hey there, im making my first guitar, it is made out of pine and its too light so i did it a little bit thicker, now it has 6cm and weights 3 kilos, just the body is that too much? thank you

[@BradAngove]

That shouldn't be too bad. A typical les paul weighs closer to 4.3 kilos.

[@zemanel1231]

really? thank you very much

[@BradAngove]

Yes. That does seem a bit thick, but the weight isn't really an issue in my opinion. Pine isn't particularly dense. You may want to through a neck and a strap on it and see how it balanced (particularly if you like to play standing up), but I don't think it should be much of an issue aside from that. Are you worried about something specific? Like tone issues or something of that nature?

[@zemanel1231]

its my first homemade guitar so i didn't want to spend to much money on it, i was afraid of the guitar neck diving that way i made it a little bit thicker. I saw in a forum people talking about shiming a neck, is that something that i should do or not?

[@BradAngove]

Why do you feel that you should shim the neck? Is the pocket too deep?

[@chrisnation49]

Brad. I saw a vid where a guy used an orbital sander with a cloth pad just 'trapped' between the sander pad and the work piece. Would that work here?

[@BradAngove]

It could. It’s not ideal, but could get you through the initial stages at least.

[@chrisnation49]

@@BradAngove And how about polish/buffing to finish? A big fat cloth and some polish and loadsa time? We can get Meguiar and Turtle over here

[@BradAngove]

@@chrisnation49 Basically just the softest lint free cloth you can get your hands on. If you can put a bit of foam behind it too then showing that on a sander might do it for you.

[@chrisnation49]

@@BradAngove Thanks Brad. That might be the way to go because neither back nor front of this guitar are flat. Something that takes up the profile is essential, I believe. It's Gib 339-ish

[@jimigear2288]

Brad, Would this work ok with the pray on poly?

[@BradAngove]

Absolutely.

[@Dave6SS]

Hey..gotta question for ya im getting ready to paint a diy guitar with kryolan yellow gloss paint & primer in one..would I use the same technique..or just a polish...thanks

[@BradAngove]

Is that a spray can, or are you applying it by hand?

[@Dave6SS]

Brad Angove Spray can

[@BradAngove]

You may want to consider putting a clear coat over it to protect it. Aside from that, you can use the same technique if you find that it needs polishing.

[@BradAngove]

I have a whole other series on my channel on how to paint your guitar with spray cans.

[@Dave6SS]

Brad Angove Thanks Brad

[@johnbanks2275]

eh brad no miniwax on gloss side right just steel wool

[@BradAngove]

Correct

[@aaronnichols9469]

How long did you let the poly dry before polish?

[@BradAngove]

A couple days.

[@aaronnichols9469]

Brad Angove Thanks for the fast response! Love your channel!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for watching. Glad you're enjoying the content.

[@Movement17November]

Will this get rid of streaks?

[@BradAngove]

What kind of streaks?

[@Movement17November]

@@BradAngove In a polyurethane finish. Just wondering if have them in there, then go to this method, is it likely to solve for them? Thanks. Your videos are awesome.

[@BradAngove]

Oh, yes this should even out the sheen.

[@nerkoids]

Hey Brad, what if we donate stuff to you to make more of these videos? Would that also work for you?

[@BradAngove]

nerkoids What did you have in mind?

[@TheCWHatton]

Did Brad say Canadian Tire?????

[@BradAngove]

Probably

[@trannusaran6164]

Never knew Jake Gyllenhaal made guitars

[@BradAngove]

Sam Johnson I guess you learn something new every day!

[@CarcPazu]

He must hear this three times a day every day.

[@drd1614]

Lol somebody else commented on one of his other videos saying the same thing.

[@considermephilofficial9832]

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID! THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID! THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID! ad naseam.

[@DragonofLimerick]

OOOOO MAGIC! Drinking out of that cup should we call 911 or whatever number is called in Canada?

[@BradAngove]

It’s still 911 in Canada. Just less expensive.

[@j.a.rodriguez3838]

Where else does the magic happen?

[@Conboy77]

Great videos Brad. Wish I found you earlier on.... I could have saved 38 hours of the last couple days, or.... Just spread out my viewing times at least!

[@BradAngove]

I hope you find them helpful moving forward.

[@Evox2316_]

Where does the magic happen? ;D

[@BradAngove]

Exactly where you'd expect.

[@mrsmiley9772]

finally! Thank you for answering my steel wool conundrum, couldnt find 1000 grit paper and wanted to use wool after 600 also great videos man

[@BradAngove]

+Mr. Smiley Thank you sir. I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@mrsmiley9772]

Very much so!

[@johndellaselva687]

Thanks for the video and instruction. Just one critique would be to shorten the talking and just show the process.

[@chrisnation49]

The way you guys on your side of the Atlantic use the word 'scuff' is exactly the opposite of the meaning it has over UK-side! A scuff, on a work-piece such as those in your videos, is a disaster - an abrasion/ridges from fingers or the edge of a sander ... But, as Winston Churchill said about American/Canadian English and English English [quoting the playwrite G.B.Shaw] "England and America are two countries divided by a common language" But in fact, you make perfect sense and make great videos.

[@BradAngove]

Haha thanks Chris. We also consider a scuff to be an abrasion. When I say scuff it I mean abrade it, but I see that there’s a difference in connotation.

[@MatijaBuhMetaliero]

I'm sorry for your coffee cup

[@BradAngove]

It's memory lives on.

[@JoshuaPaulKing]

Sorry about your coffee cup.

[@BradAngove]

It's ok, there are several pallets of them in the shop. I'm sure I can find a new one.

[@johng4127]

"Hey guys! I’m Brad, and I make how-to videos." NO you make endless YAKKING videos.

[@BradAngove]

“Hey guys, I’m John and I watch endless yakking videos.”