Get an Awesome Guitar Finish with Duplicolor and 2K (BEAUTIFUL RESULTS)

You can get a beautiful finish on your guitar using some duplicolor spray cans and a 2K clear coat, which also comes in spray cans. You just need to know how to use the two of them together. The best part is, it's actually pretty simple. Many duplicolor paints are acrylic lacquer, and if you let them dry fully you can coat over them with a catalyzed clear coat for an awesome, automotive grade finish.
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[@johndoe-br9kv]

Great knowledge base and solid DIY process for guitar body painting. Consequently you are only person that I know follow up and answer to the patrons questions. Thanks for all you do!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks John

[@DeeTee79]

I love this page. This is my go to page for my need to know for any pathing guitar building and painting. 🇨🇦Thanks for all your help throughout the years Brad !

[@BradAngove]

Cheers!

[@martinsanders1]

This looks great! Can't wait for part 2.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Martin!

[@martinsanders1]

Question: Why do you do two normal coats on this one, rather than the usual Tack coat Wait 10 mins Regular coat Wait 10 mins Regular coat ?

[@karthikmylavarapu3289]

Looks awesome!!! Love how consistently you were spraying

[@BradAngove]

Thank you. I'm glad you like it.

[@daveshindig149]

As someone who's used the spraymax 2k clears a few times, that stuff works GOOD. Best clear from a can, period. You can dig your fingernails into it after it cures and it doesn't come close to leaving a mark.

[@minkorrh]

Any experience with the Duplicolor cans of clear?

[@jmdean_]

@@minkorrh Yes -- I can pick chunks out of it w my fingernail. Starting to think I didn't let something cure long enough.

[@jaloejuice]

How long does it take to cure?

[@BradAngove]

@jaloejuice 24 hours for most purposes

[@jaloejuice]

@@BradAngove would you recommend 1 or 2 cans for a tele body? I’m planning on making a two tone wood thinline tele, painting the ash top with duplicllor and leaving the back natural mahogany. Then adding the clear coat to the whole thing.

[@guitarsbymetaljay]

I've been using Eastwood 2K matte clear on my last few projects and I love the durability and look of it plus it cures and hardens really fast

[@BradAngove]

Glad to hear it

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

Very cool. Didn't know you were still doing this. Very cool. Thanks man..

[@stevenfolino405]

Great job Brad. I actually did a telecaster in that same color and it came out great. Keep up the good work!

[@BradAngove]

Glad to hear yours turned out well.

[@jwv6985]

Spray cans have come a long way. Excellent job 👍

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

I'm picking up guitar for a refin tomorrow Finally I can watch your painting tutorials and put them into practice

[@BradAngove]

That’s exciting

[@sickandmedicinalm740]

Well now I'm ready for sanding! I have a bass guitar I'm about to try to tackle. Thanks for all these tutorials!

[@BradAngove]

I hope it goes well

[@casperboo5465]

Wow luv that color Brad, caunt wait to see it when its all done mate, great job Cheers

[@BradAngove]

Thank you.

[@jepsmusicjp]

Thank you! Buying a solo guitar kit soon and I'd use your tutorial

[@jasonrackawack9369]

Ha, I had done this same thing with the same paint back in 94' it held up very well over the years. Cool video.

[@BradAngove]

Thank you

[@p.s8950]

Much, much better vid than the previous Red Peril job. And I really enough your video style, great info with the Lack of heavy metal background music and/or attempts at standup comedy. You've inspired me to mod and paint a Strat I have here in Alberta.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks. I hope it goes well for you.

[@juanowar]

great job. I´m on the task of painting one of my guitars in glossy black with a mirror pickguard. you vids takes me to the right path.

[@BradAngove]

Sounds like a fun project. I hope it goes well.

[@lroscinski5046]

I like how you sanded down hip-carve to your standards !! I am currently in process of my own design and i did the same thing. very kool !!!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks. I’m glad you like it.

[@Majo0o0o0r]

You made this look so easy, I'm intrigued to try it

[@BradAngove]

I hope it goes well for you

[@JohnnyGuitaristOfficial]

That is one awesome finish brother!!! 🙌🏻🎸

[@72dodge340]

Looks like the same Calypso they used on some of the Fox body Mustangs. Looks great on both the car and guitar!

[@BradAngove]

I was pretty pleased to find this color actually. Haven't seen it on the shelf before.

[@michaeloaks8636]

Wasn't that Cayman Green on those early 90's?

[@hateashburiednewjersey8471]

That was awesome ! !

[@rush2124u2]

At first I didn't think that I would like that color but the more I look at it, it's very nice. Rather original Calypso Blue., tres cool

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Sam.

[@leandropim]

@@BradAngove does it needs to sand the color before clear coat? If yes 600 or 1200?

[@BradAngove]

I don’t sand metallics before clear coating.

[@Dobermanator]

Colour choice looks like it will be a winner.

[@BradAngove]

Glad you like it.

[@danialm8122]

as always.. i love your work Brad.

[@BradAngove]

Thank you

[@jamman6]

Closing in on 100K subscribers. Thanks for your vids, they're pretty informative and helpful.

[@BradAngove]

Thank you. That's what I'm trying for.

[@Terry3Gs]

Looks great brad !!

[@BradAngove]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@tim46387]

I've learned if I want to get a finish as nice as what you're doing, Just do EXACTLY what you do. I've taken some short cuts that screwed up a few guitars along the way. I'm finishing an alder Tele with wipe on poly. Did it your way. Looks great . Go figure. Love the channel. Be safe . Be well. Aloha

[@BradAngove]

Glad it worked out for you!

[@minkorrh]

The POacifica I did with Wipe On Poly came out nice. I used satin finish and its a smooth as a babys bum....the only issue is the crappy body wood and endgrain, but that's to be expected with a painted guitar. If you knew you were painting a guitar, you wouldn't buy the best _looking_ wood to do it.

[@donjorge8329]

Great colour!!!!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Don

[@andywood3943]

Brad, I’ve been watching your videos over the last month trying to figure out to refinish an old Squier Jazz Bass. After sanding the body down with 400 grit I think? I decided on using a combination of Duplicate-Color Gray perfect match filler primer and Dupli-Color Olympic White. I actually purchased the Dupli-Color clear coat but after watching some other videos with people raving about the SprayMax 2K Clear coat I decided to order a can of that instead. Wow am happy I did! It did end up with a pretty noticeable orange peel that I had to do more research on how to fix. I ended up wet sanding the whole body with 1500, 2000, then 3000 sand paper and finally polishing the whole thing with polishing compound. I know I messed up probably a lot because I’m very new to all of this but this combination of products is a total winner and my finished product looks amazing despite my green thumbs! I’ve never commented on a KZbin video but after seeing that you made a video with the sameish combo of stuff I used I just had to let you know! You were my guide in this refinishing process so I just wanted to say thanks for all the tips and information on how to finish things so well on a budget! Stay Safe!

[@BradAngove]

Hey Andy, I’m glad to hear your finish turned out the way you wanted!

[@billybober1812]

Question...were you putting the color coat on immediately ...within minutes...of spraying the primer?....any grain filler.

[@RafaFerrer]

I am going to use this technique for my cement items. thanks

[@DragonofLimerick]

Love the color, great video!

[@BradAngove]

Thank you

[@jmanningmbt]

Duplicolor acrylic lacquer spray is an excellent substitute for nitrocelulose lacquer. Yes, it takes a while to cure. I let it cure for about a month before I sand and buff, but the resulting finish is beautiful.

[@BradAngove]

It has very different properties than nitro, but it can definitely give a beautiful finish.

[@EdwardT9]

But one similarity is a new coat burns into the previous one like nitro does. Fender custom colors in the 60s were all acrylic lacquers too.

[@chosenideahandle]

I'm in Canada too. Thanks pointing me to the 2K in a can I can get here, so I'm not cleaning my gun for smaller jobs!

[@BradAngove]

Glad I could help

[@matthewshort7904]

man, you make it look easy. I moved to Cheyenne, WY and not many places around paint guitars. There is a shop in Iowa but they've been hit hard this year. I''ve been contemplating on doing this myself. However, I want a metallic finish instead.

[@benpowersguitar]

Love that color man.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Ben

[@gergemall]

Love the color and your videos. I have the same color .lol I use the clear coat cans on my touch up auto paint repair

[@hollierthanthou83]

Very nice colour choice

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Hollie

[@briansimpson8116]

Great video. I learn something new every time. Real excited on how the planets are going to look on that greenish color.😂😂

[@BradAngove]

That's the oceanic background. This one gets some spray art coral and fish...

[@CustomPaints]

Thank you for mentioning us! we actually have a Store in the US now and we do ship to Canada! 😎

[@BradAngove]

Excellent

[@p.s8950]

Thanks. I'm taking my Jeep TJ in to be painted this colour.

[@BradAngove]

That should be interesting.

[@Actionray]

Great video man! Great job!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Brian

[@Actionray]

@@BradAngove absolutely man, thanks for the content!

[@b.cguitarcovers2347]

Looks good man

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Blake. Glad you like it.

[@YomalSenanayakeMusic]

Nice work man...! gonna use your method... Cheers...!

[@BradAngove]

I hope it goes well for you.

[@YomalSenanayakeMusic]

@@BradAngove Thank you...!

[@surge98]

If you're willing to spend a little more than what a can of Duplicolor costs, automotive paint suppliers can often mix a proper 1k urethane base coat into a spray can for you. Sherwin Williams will do it if you go to one of their automotive specialty stores. 66 Auto Paint in Missouri sells online and does Pantone color matching, they can create just about any shade of any color you could possibly think of. I wanted to do a lavender finish but could only find that color in cheap hardware store enamels. I found a shade I liked on the Pantone color chart and they mixed a perfect urethane color match for me. No affiliation with them, but very happy with how the project turned out.

[@MrMikkiFunk]

Great video! Really helpful commentary! I was wondering, would you be able to do a video to show how you put together the dolly/ handle that you're using the spin the body while you're spraying it? I can think of how I'd put one together but yours looks really solid and I'd love to know how it's put together/ components etc! Thanks

[@BradAngove]

I have this old video on it:kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZy8Y4yNhrt9pac

[@douglassloan6831]

Awesome.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks!

[@terencekaye9948]

Amazing how you keep your paint and clear coat from running,,,, I can never seem to get the distance right,,, LOL Great vid Brad,, thank you...

[@BradAngove]

Getting the balance right between speed and distance comes with some practice. You will get the hang of it.

[@chancegreene1543]

I bought a different blue Bahama blue like the old novas and it loooks sooooo good

[@BradAngove]

Excellent

[@ehleroo]

That guitar is going to look great. Looking forward to part two. Would you ever do a Plasti-Dip spray guitar finish tutorial?

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Kevin. I had said quite a while back that I wouldn't, but I suppose it might come up at some point. The thought of spraying a coating of rubber on your guitar never really sat well with me. I suppose it's nice to have a paint job you can peel off if you don't like it, but you can always just sand back and respray a normal paint job anyway, so I'm not sure I get the appeal.

[@nathanielsabanski]

Plasti-dip, while it looks amazing, is extremely sticky against skin and not pleasing to feel on a guitar.

[@sonoftyme9789]

Dude, you’re awesome. Thanks for the vids, great knowledge. We are stunt doubles by the way!

[@BradAngove]

Stunt doubles? Nice. Which one of us does the stunts?

[@nickbosler2646]

Thanks for the info! Just painted the headstock of a Super-Sonic with Graphite Metallic to match the body. Looks very very close to the factory paint job on the body.

[@BradAngove]

Nice!

[@PherotoneStudios]

Thanks for the help mate. I’m about to spray a body with nitro. I’ve sprayed quite a lot of things but I’m not that good at it

[@BradAngove]

It all comes with practice my friend.

[@esper9x375]

drop dead gorgeous paintjob brad. what if i will use a different brand of acrylic primer and base coat (not dupli) and ill use carpaint urethane clear coat, will it still have the same outcome?

[@dariodelfrate7399]

Hi Brad / long time follower here and love your work... in fact your videos gave me enough confidence to basically build a strat from a piece a junk. So let me share my experience ... After one year of work 🙂 I primed the body, sanded it nicely (as strange as it may sound I love sanding, it’s soothing) and gave 3 coats of synthetic enamel as colour. That was possibly the fatal flow but let me continue... enamel was the only product I found which I could have the colour made exactly to my shade of seafoam. It turned out gorgeous. I left it to cure for two months as i was quite worried about the next step and finally sprayed it with non catalysed poly as i believed that 2K could be too aggressive on the enamel. ... so I gave some nice coats, turned out fantastic, polished with wet sanding up to 2500 then macguire compound, all by hand. It looked amazing, factory finish seriously. After 2-3 weeks the poly started to crackle, very fine lines which got worse for another 3-4 weeks and finally stopped. I have a beautiful vintage looking poly finish now 😜, which of course i was not expecting. This is my experience and I would love to have your opinin on what happend... and what kind of paint is duplicolour to withstand 2K as clear - infos are not so clear to me! Anyways, I will start building another in no time! Keep up with the great work! Ciao

[@BradAngove]

Well I’m glad most of the process went well for you. Long story short: enamel doesn’t play well with other paints. If you’re going to use enamel, either use an enamel clear over it, or just go ahead and polish the enamel color itself.

[@dariodelfrate7399]

@@BradAngove thanks Brad! You are great man!

[@dariodelfrate7399]

@@BradAngove thanks Brad! You are great man!

[@BradAngove]

Cheers Dario

[@noclu9683]

Thanks!

[@BradAngove]

Thank you! That’s very kind of you.

[@montygore]

Hi Bra. I have been using acrylic with pretty good results. I finished my Solo PRS. I just ordered Spraymax 2k. How long do I need to let the acrylic that I used at first set.. After my finish was done it looked so good I want to put the harder finish on it. The acrylic scratched while just putting the pickups in. Also I put tru-oil on the neck,sides and back. Can the 2k be sprayed on the ba over the tru-oil? I am leaving tru-oil on the neck and it leaves a nice smooth finish. Im with you. I always sand my necks smooth. Thanks for the great videos. Mont

[@billw8648]

Dude, you make me want to go to the gym!

[@jasonodell79er]

Awesome

[@jeffreyeagen4896]

That's a pretty cool color, actually. Is it metallic? Can't wait to see it finished!

[@BradAngove]

Yes, it's one of their metallic/pearl colors.

[@brianshuma5481]

I had a Kramer Focus that color in 1986 :-)

[@woodsnstrings]

In Canada you can get Spraymax at Napa.

[@ScottKisten]

I had a couple questions. If using duplicolor paint is it any harder to get a good finish with a metallic color? Compared to a solid?!Or is it about the same? Also do you recommend warming up the cans at all? I have seen some people recommend that. Not sure if that is a good idea or not.

[@SirClausel]

Hey Brad! First off i love your videos! They have helped me alot! Im at the moment working on refinishing a guitar and have grainfilled the guitar and ready to paint it. Im a bit unsure if my laquer method Im thinking of will work. I have bought a lacquer that i got recommended for guitar finish(NOT poly though). I wanna do 3-4 layers. Let it cure for a week. Sand with 1000 grit till its flat. 3-4 layers on top of that and then sand with 1000 then 1500 and then 2000. Then polish. I hope this will give me a nice high gloss. What do you think?

[@BradAngove]

That should work fine if it's lacquer.

[@yosemitesam4549]

I've noticed that good painters look almost machine like as they go back and forth and overlapping and maintaining the same distance from spray gun (or paint can) to the guitar body...

[@BradAngove]

The really good ones get a lot of practice I would think. Probably daily.

[@HuyNguyen-tb1lw]

Great work as always! Have you ever tried using Mohawks precatalyze clear spray cans? If so is it comparable to the 2K can quality?

[@BradAngove]

The pre catalyzed lacquer? Yes, I’ve used it and I like it. But no, it is not comparable to 2K.

[@evensteven8129]

How long did you wait between painting the teal and the final clearcoat? Also your paint room looks nice. Do you have a video on your room setup? I have been using a heat gun to assist in curing / drying paint on my current maple drum project.

[@BradAngove]

I waited a week. No video on the room setup but that’s an interesting idea. It’s really just this booth and then a shelf of paint related junk haha.

[@opiegonebad58]

I wish I would have seen this a week ago! I just painted my guitar with duplicolor (exact same color as a matter of fact!) and used their clear coat. Not all that happy with what I am seeing so far. The paint is awesome. The clear coat, not so much.

[@BradAngove]

Wow, how bout that timing. Give the guitar another week or two to dry. Then you can sand it with 800 grit to make sure everything is nice and smooth and go ahead and coat it with the 2K like I did. The duplicolor clear with act like an intercoat clear.

[@murpsman]

I've come to understand, repeatedly, that 220 is the best grit for paint prep. I've been told that 320 is too close to polishing the wood which to a certain degree inhibits good adherence of the paint.

[@gbish6906]

Hey Brad, first great work on your GGBO! Second, I need some advice - I want to do a daphne or sonic blue finish, like a 60s strat. I have some crystalac brite-tone waterborne gloss finish that I'd like to spray as top coat. I'm just unsure how to go about that specific colour. What do you recommend?

[@BradAngove]

Have you looked through the craftnique dyes and pigments to see if there’s one (or a mix) that will work for you?

[@InSaiyanShinobi]

I just used this exact paint the perfect match on a pc case and the texture of the paint came out like sand paper? Is that normal Or should i wet sand it before I use the 2k clear coat?

[@pops71]

Once again another fantastic video, thank you. Do you find that generally one 20oz cup full of clear will cover 3 coats on a guitar body? Was that a 4:1 clear coat? Have you found any difference between a 4:1 and a 2:1 euro clear?

[@BradAngove]

Yes, that's enough for 3 coats easily. This was a 4:1. It behaves very similar to the 2:1 that I've used.

[@pluke63]

Hey Brad, your videos are always a delight! I was wondering if you use Spray Max 2k clear matt as finishing, do you need to sand level anyway or is it better to leave it untouched not to lose its peculiarity? Will it self level enough? Thanks for always sharing your experience!

[@BradAngove]

It should self level enough. You can't really do that process on the matte clear. If you need to build up and sand, you should do that with gloss. Sand the gloss at 800 grit and add one or two coats of matte to finish off.

[@minkorrh]

@@BradAngove Stupid question.....why would you put matte on top of gloss after sanding? I was thinking to have my company spray as many coats of clear on in a week and then I would wetsand and polish/buff with the equipment we have. We do wheel refinishing and they all have clear on them, so to leave the body in a booth and have them shoot it quickly every time for a week is a no-brainer for me. I'm curious as to the matte finish?

[@ajessa9509]

Great video. Very informative. I'm about to give it a try. Before I did, 2 quick questions: Do you know if this will work with Krylon ColorMaxx Fusion (Acrylic Enamel) instead of the Duplicolor? Secondly, did you need to (or do you recommend) sanding down any orange peel before the 2K enamel?

[@BradAngove]

If you can remove the orange peel before adding the duplicolor that would be helpful, but isn’t necessary. I’ve never tried it with krylon, but I generally find krylon to be unreliable and difficult to use in conjunction with other products.

[@rush2124u2]

Part 2 not ready yet? looking forward to it

[@BradAngove]

Soon haha.

[@KCElectrics]

Do you try and keep the spray booth at specific temp and humidity? Finish looks great 👍

[@BradAngove]

I don’t generally need to. it stays around room temp and it’s fairly dry around here.

[@katoom-ju6vo]

Hi Brad. This project of yours looks fantastic!! I really like the calypso color!! Do you know if the Spraymax 2k Clear Gamour will stick to a gloss Duplicolor Perfect Match paint? Thanks

[@BradAngove]

You’ll want to scuff the gloss with some 800 grit to allow the spraymax to adhere properly.

[@gdenyer]

Hey Brad! I just want to say a big thanks for making me aware of SprayMax 2K. Provided you have the right temperature and PPE, it is a dream to use! Keep it up, bud! Well done!

[@BradAngove]

Cheers man. I’m glad it’s worked well for you.

[@vanshankguitars]

Very informative as always. I'm just not setup for 2K though.

[@BradAngove]

That's understandable. Unfortunately, even though it comes in spray cans now, you still need a pretty specific setup to be shooting 2K.

[@paulshaum3421]

@@BradAngove what kinda setup are you talking about? Maybe a dumb question but I’m pretty new to guitar building

[@BradAngove]

Good ventilation, a quality respirator, and if you’re mixing it, a paint gun and compressor.

[@jmjbwme]

Thank you so much for this series. Did you use Dupli-Color® Sandable Primer?

[@BradAngove]

I believe so. That or their filler primer.

[@adammoran7849]

Hey Brad.. She's looking great already! I can't wait to see her all done up after you finish every "pro-cess".. anyway, I do have a question: I'm getting ready to spray my Strat body, I have a look in mind but I'm not sure how to achieve it. The best way I can describe it is a blue candy cats eye marble. I'm not sure if I should spray her white first & build up a candy blue or go silver first. Any thoughts,ideas recommendations, advise or even a flat out "dear God NO" would be greatly appreciated.

[@BradAngove]

Can you elaborate on what you mean by marble in this case? Candy blue over white will mostly just look blue. Candy over silver will have some of that metallic show through. That’s usually a better effect.

[@Cbuzz1399]

Awesome vids. These are a huge help. Question for you. If i were to use the SprayMax Matte clear, would there be a need for level sanding in between coats or would that compromise the matte appearance. Will matte clear be susceptible to orange peel? If so, how would you get rid of it? Appreciate any help.

[@BradAngove]

There’s not much you can do about removing orange peel from matte clear. Luckily it doesn’t tend to show it much. I like to build my finishes with gloss, then sand that flat and do one or two final light coats of matte or satin to try to keep everything as level and smooth as possible.

[@WrinkledPlatypus]

When you flip spray cans, it's obviously not because you're showing off but a sign of how much you must be around them things

[@BradAngove]

It’s an old habit. I honestly don’t even think about it anymore because I used to do it so much haha.

[@theorncampbell4432]

I used to do a lot of "street art" as a freelancer (and less officially as a kid). I picked up the can flipping from that. I can't hold a spray can for more than about 20 seconds before I flip it. I used to be a habit to keep the metal ball moving through the paint.. It's now just an old habit.

[@rokinrandy]

That's Steinberger's electric blue! Thanks

[@mwc821]

Just to clarify, how much time was between each coat? I know you said in the beginning but some of the edits made it seem like you did one after the other.

[@dgaz3057]

I do automotive spot work sometimes and I think just using auto clear coat should be more than fine.

[@BradAngove]

It is

[@Ojas.mediratta]

Hey Brad! I’m planning on putting some vinyl graphics on my guitar before the 2k clear coat. When you say three coats, then sand, then three coats again, do you mean I should do three coats of clear, then the graphics, then three more coats? Or should I do the graphics over the color and then three coats of 2k, sand, and then three more coats of 2k? Thanks in advance!!

[@BradAngove]

Do the graphics on the color before adding clear. You want as much clear over them as possible to help bury them.

[@rickbuchda9955]

Hey Brad. Was watching a video of you painting a guitar, did you make the stand/holder for the guitar? It looked genius and was wondering if you could share what you used to make it (I’m assume you did)? Thanks Rick B.

[@BradAngove]

Hi Rick. I did make it and lots of people have copied it (in their own way). I have a very old video on it. Just look up Brad Angove guitar stand.

[@liveafterdeath6778]

Hey Brad. Love your channel. Working on my first build. Used Ace Hardware enamel as color. Put on several coats. Some orange peel. Would like to use Spraymax 2k for clear. How long to wait before spraying clear and do I have to sand at 800 grit before applying 2k clear?

[@BradAngove]

I’m not sure the 2K will work over enamel. Enamel isn’t generally meant to be clear coated.

[@dizzle7564]

Awseome vid Brad! Did u sand the primer before paint?

[@truckskate9677]

I don't speak for the man but I believe the answer is yes. He always sands the primer before painting to get a better adhesion from the paint

[@BradAngove]

Did I miss this comment somehow? My apologies. Yes; I sand the primer.

[@moderndaygrinch]

Thanks as always for the great info! If the guitar you were doing had bridge studs, would you insert them before or after the 2k clear?

[@BradAngove]

After. I would put balls of tape in the holes to mask them before painting.

[@moderndaygrinch]

@@BradAngove Appreciated! Will do

[@jaloejuice]

Wait do I need to put some primer on before the duplicolor? Or can I just put grain fill (aqua coat), sand, then start?

[@abraxian7090]

This video popped up the night between colour and clear coat going on my second ever finish. Handy. I noticed you didn't use sanding sealer or vinyl sealer this time, even though you sanded off the original sealer. Do you find that the primer does the job of sealing? (I put sealer and primer on mine, maybe I didn't need to)

[@BradAngove]

Primer can do that. Generally I prefer the sealer, but the duplicator system has a primer so I went with that.

[@ecco222]

Most duplicolor stuff is lacquer. Some is acrylic enamel.

[@triman95]

I know, old video, but thought it may be worth a comment. If you're in the states, certain NAPA auto parts stores have paint centers where you can get custom paint mixed. The one I go to can also mix your paint and put it in a very good quality spray can. They also have the 2-part clears in the very can you are showing in this video. I'm anxious to try duplicating the process you're demonstrating on my next guitar.

[@BradAngove]

That’s a great tip. Many paint stores can do that and it’s very helpful.

[@josephgervasi]

Amazing overview - thanks. Question: do you ever sand the paint coat before clear coating? Or only if imperfections, then respray and clear coat over new unsanded paint layer?

[@BradAngove]

I usually sand lightly before clear coating, but I avoid it with metallics if I can.

[@josephgervasi]

@@BradAngove Thanks dude! Halfway through and it is coming out great - thanks for the tutorial.

[@colmil5]

@@BradAngove If you’re not sanding, then how long should you wait in between color and clear?

[@BradAngove]

It depends on the paints. In this particular instance I gave it a week for the solvent in the color to evaporate.

[@johndoe-br9kv]

Thanks for the prompt response. As for you clear coat(s) what is the time between coats of the paint and clear coats? What size nozzle are you using? I currenly have a Iwata LPH 140 paint gun with a 1.4 nozzle and needle. Amazing paint job. Consequently what was the color you used on this Fender, it looks stellar.

[@BradAngove]

I’m using a 1.5 nozzle and I waited a week between color and clear.

[@johndoe-br9kv]

@@BradAngove Thanks for the prompt response. What was the time you waited between the second Clear coat?

[@joeyurban4325]

Man, you should make a video about swirl dipped finish using Magic Marble. There are no instructional videos on this.

[@ericm8025]

Hey Brad, wondering about that stand you use to spin the body while painting. Do you make and sell those? Would like to get one. Just subscribed to your channel....excellent videos! Thanks!

[@BradAngove]

Hi Eric, I don’t make and sell that one but if you look at my most recent few videos I show a new one that I just got that is way way better and is available for purchase. There’s a set neck version too that I will be posting about soon.

[@robbreger3639]

Brad. I know you’ve probably covered this a million times. I read all the comments and didn’t seem to find an answer to this question. I am painting over I believe a poly finish on my guitar that has a Seafoam green color. I want to paint it slime green. The plan is to rough it up. Then, paint it with spray max 2K slime green (or the closest Spraymax color I could find). Follow that by spraymax 2K clearcoat. From the comments I’ve read, I am thinking that the slime green spraymax 2k will self level. The plan is to put a couple coats of slime green on. Let that dry for two or three days, and put on the clearcoat. After that, sand the clearcoat with 2000 grit and put polish on there. Please give me input if I’m either missing a step or adding a step. I love your videos.

[@BradAngove]

I don’t think spraymax colors come in 2K. It should be a 1k acrylic. Then you can clear coat with the 2K clear. Your plan sounds fine to me. I don’t think the green will self level a lot, but it will depend on how heavy you spray it.

[@stellar_cartographer]

Brad, When you’re using cat poly, what do you do if you get finish imperfections like dust or gnats if spraying outside? I tried cat poly in the past and it worked well, but I had a indoor setting. I’d like to try it now, but I’ve been mostly spraying outdoors with lacquer, which is easy to sand out imperfections between coats with no evidence of witness lines. Would you light scuff sand between coats like lacquer after 24hrs? Would you have to go to progressively higher grit to avoid witness lines? I’ve only had experience with nitro, acrylic lacquer, and wipe on poly, and since lacquer melts into itself between coats, I’m curious as to what your approach would be for poly

[@BradAngove]

I do 3-4 coats of poly in a session, then if necessary I will wait 24 hours, sand smooth with 800 grit (and remove imperfections like dust) and repeat. Anything that gets in the second round (which you should really do your best to avoid having stuff in), generally just gets sanded out as you move through the cut and polish process.

[@desertrooster702]

Brad, I just used Duplicolor on a guitar body. It looks amazing! Question: I used a metallic paint. Do I have to spray 2K clear over it or can I just leave it as is. I like the sheen (satin/semi.)

[@BradAngove]

You don’t technically have to spray over it, but it will have some durability issues if you don’t. You could use a semi gloss clear coat.

[@desertrooster702]

@@BradAngove got it. Thanks!