How to paint a guitar - Complete guide to guitar finishing with dyes and nitrocellulose lacquer

[@davidrees1840]

I've assembled & finished a few kits, and learned a ton from your methodology. Great video, and beautiful guitars!

[@ADFinlayson]

Thank you, glad you got something out of the video

[@chkorn86]

BORING?!!! WHAT?!!! this is the most interesting, complete and satisfying video about guitar staining I´ve found!!! Amazing! Thank You for the knowledge!

[@MichaelSmith-on1ig]

Your relaxed narration and behavior only adds to the quality of your videos. Great content!

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it

[@kevinoconnor7860]

I have been painting everything from heicopters, boats, cars, surf boards, guitars for 40 + yrs, each and every one needed an understanding of it's own difference to the next. You have a multitude of talents, and a very good understanding of what needs to be done with wood. I only hope I can learn the building part as well as you. I am not a purple fan but you made the guitar look wonderfull.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thank you Kevin, the finishing is the hard part so you have a head start on most, me included because I started with no gear and no idea

[@hkguitar1984]

I greatly appreciate the effort it must have taken to produce this video, just to share all of your knowledge and experience. Great Work Sir, Thank You

[@ADFinlayson]

Yes there are a lot of hours that go into editing videos like this, thank you for noticing that and glad you enjoyed the video

[@hkguitar1984]

@@ADFinlayson 👍😉

[@Hotrod66149]

I’m 27 minutes in and I’m thoroughly impressed so far. I’m an electrician but my passion is woodworking, I’ve seen a lot of videos on KZbin but this is one of the finest!

[@ADFinlayson]

Thank you mate, glad you enjoyed the video Ash

[@ryanybos]

This tutorial is the best, most informative how to stain and lacquer a guitar video on the web in my opinion. Clearly explained, step by step, with valuable insight from a professional who has obviously stained and lacquered more than his fair share of guitars. Thank you A D Finlayson Guitars for this upload.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@the1songwriter]

Many thanks for this thoroughly detailed video demonstrating how to stain & lacquer. It is by far the most in-depth explanation I've come across on KZbin. Now I feel confident to give it a go. Cheers to you, sir!

[@ADFinlayson]

No problem, thanks for watching.

[@scottriddle5468]

Love watching you build guitars

[@Nigel2Zoom]

Wow the finish is beautiful, the grain or quilts are stunning.

[@ADFinlayson]

Cheers Nigel, thanks for watching

[@scottyV1000]

Thank you, I’m about to start finishing my first Strat guitar and you have given me a good idea of the sequence I need to follow. I just wish I had a dedicated spray area with proper ventilation like you have.

[@ADFinlayson]

I spent a few years waiting for sunny days so I could spray lacquer in my garden, we all have to start somewhere.

[@RobertWarren-mx2cc]

Detailed and very informative. Pro tip additional comments is secret sauce stuff rarely given in "How to" videos of this nature. Beautifully finished product with instructional narrative, concise and well delivered.

[@sparky971]

My friend you are a master craftsman,has anyone ever told you that you look like Jack Osborne, what a great video, thank you

[@monday6524]

This has been a great educational video. I will be watching it over and over I am sure. Thank you for the great narrative and detail.

[@ADFinlayson]

You're welcome, thanks for watching

[@azmark6894]

Truly a clinic in how to do things right. Your patience and attention to detail are evident in the final product, truly superb work.

[@ADFinlayson]

Glad you enjoyed the video Mark. Thanks for watching Ash

[@kevinthomas3341]

That is the best looking single-cut I've seen for a long while. Absolutely gorgeous.

[@ADFinlayson]

Cheers Kevin, thanks for watching

[@djoyce777]

Wow, phenomenal job! Thank you for taking us along on your journey. I learned a TON from this and will be watching again while taking notes so I can incorporate your many pearls of wisdom into finishing my latest build. Appreciated :D

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks for watching, glad you found it useful

[@ralphdrees4413]

These guitars are beautiful man

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks Ralph

[@hawza90]

I bought an LP kit and some Gibson custom shop greenybucker pickups and I'm following this guide to do a greenyburst. This video is my bible for the next few weeks :) Thank you so much for this!

[@ADFinlayson]

Glad you enjoyed the video, good luck with your build

[@hawza90]

@@ADFinlayson Quick question, did you sand seal and grain fill the neck too? if you don't mind me asking :)

[@ADFinlayson]

@@hawza90 no, not for maple

[@hawza90]

@@ADFinlayson But if it was mahogony yes?

[@hawza90]

@@ADFinlayson and thank you so much :) This is only the second guitar I've built

[@albinhelen514]

A quick tip, that may or may not work is to put a bit of tape at the edges of the neck that you remove after every painting session so you don't have to do the sanding bit at the end (1:15:20), something that we do when painting cars so you eliminate the option of accidentally pulling some paint of with the tape. Also, why didn't you use grain filler on the top, or is it because it has been dyed earlier and therefore is already grain filled since the last dye? Great video, I was mainly interested in the staining part put had to watch the whole thing because it was so interesting.

[@ADFinlayson]

That's a good tip, thanks for the insight, I might try that next time I'm spraying a neck. I don't grainfill the top A) because I don't want it to interfere with the dye. B) maple doesn't need grain filling. If I did an all mahogany guitar it would be a different story - I would use a dyed grainfiller which will do some of the colouring, then I would do spray a shader over the top to even it all out. Cherry mahogany with dark grain filler is a good example.

[@michaelkaufmann2729]

Great, thanks a lot. So much input and knowledge.

[@ADFinlayson]

No worries, thanks for watching

[@tfejulienewmar]

Such a considerate and thoughtful thing to do. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us ❤

[@ADFinlayson]

thanks for watching!

[@quartercirclebk]

I come back to this video constantly to pick up some new tips and tricks. Thanks a ton for this resource, really can't wait to see what you do next. One question as I'm about to try out the Angelus stains for the first time - when you say you've got them "diluted 25%" with the acetone, do you mean 3 parts dye + 1 part acetone? Or the other way around? (or 4 parts dye + 1 part acetone...? Math is not my strong suit...)

[@ADFinlayson]

Yes about 3 -1, thanks for watching

[@davethain885]

Fabulous video.....fabulous result!

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks Dave, glad you enjoyed it the video

[@Mr986Willis]

Awesome video, I've been taking notes and hope to see improvements in results on my next guitar. Any idea when the buffing video will be coming out? I'll see you at the London International Guitar Show 🤘

[@ADFinlayson]

Sorry there is no buffing video, life got in the way and the guitar shipped months ago. I am working on 5 guitars currently and I will try a get a buffing video out sorry.

[@ADFinlayson]

I’m not at the London guitar show this year, haven’t got any stock and haven’t got time to make anything

[@Mr986Willis]

@@ADFinlayson that's a shame, maybe next time then.

[@christophermendez7921]

Awesome results! Burst turned out amazing

[@ADFinlayson]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching

[@christophermendez7921]

@@ADFinlayson What buffing agent do you use?

[@ADFinlayson]

@@christophermendez7921 I am currently using menzera hard compounds.

[@StratEdgy]

Love your work. I like your techniques and you teach well!

[@ADFinlayson]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video

[@RobertBerrios-rx2dl]

Thanks for an excellent video! Thanks for being so thorough. I love how you explain every step clearly and in depth. Nice looking instrument.

[@ADFinlayson]

No worries, thanks for watching

[@negot8]

Beautiful work. The person getting this is very lucky - and probably doesn’t deserve it.

[@tomhall2830]

Thanks for the education! Mentally preparing myself to paint a StewMac LP kit and was looking for exactly this kind of detail. I appreciate you talking us through the issues. Following. Cheers!

[@ADFinlayson]

Glad you enjoyed the video, good luck with your kit.

[@kylemoran4343]

I never use a tac-cloth ! I find that most leave a slight film of some sort that clear coats don't agree with. I tend to use a "barley damp" paper towel to wipe down before I spray clear. And, I always wear gloves to keep the oil from my skin off the wood. Cheers !

[@quantumpoptart]

I had the same problem but maybe it’s a different brand in the UK

[@ADFinlayson]

Yeah I’ve had an issue with that before if pressing too hard with the tac cloth, especially if it’s fresh out of the packet

[@davecatalfo6376]

Thank you for a great tutorial. I really appreciate the time and level of detail you put into this. I learned so much and that guitar is absolutely stunning. This is the first video of yours I have seen. You've gained a new subscriber! Now time to go back and watch more!

[@ADFinlayson]

Glad you enjoyed it Dave, thanks for watching

[@lousekoya1803]

What a great teacher you are ! Thank you for sharing your knowledge ! Even the Acetone gloves are important to know which I didn't ! Have you ever used hot Hide glue like Gibson used back then or it's a waste of time ? What is the wood essence of your neck ? Love the blend between the neck and body.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thank you, the neck wood on this one is roasted maple. No I don't use hide glue, I don't use glue often enough to make the hassle worth while.

[@behemot666]

restoring my old trusty BcRich Ironbird right now, thanx for tips

[@smmyers5956]

Have you tried something like AquaCoat grain filler and sanding sealer? Water based dries nice and clear. Low VOC and water based for low odor and easy cleanup. As for spray direction? As I understand it spraying painted wood you can go both ways. Spraying wood you go with the grain always.

[@ADFinlayson]

I'm not a big fan of aqua coat, if you don't get every last bit of it off it can go milky under the clear and it does shrink quite a lot. I do still use it occasionally, if for example Ive got my primer on and realised I've missed a few spots, I'll use some aquacoat for it's quick dry time

[@rickgledura3194]

Very nice and very thorough video. But I did not see you when you were spraying the clear coat do the headstock.

[@ADFinlayson]

There is always something to complain about

[@andreabilli3119]

Good work, my friend, and thank you for the guidance. If it’s not too much trouble, could I ask you for a list of the products you used so I can look them up online and avoid any mistakes? Thank you so much.

[@ADFinlayson]

Unfortunately not all the products I use are available everywhere in the world. Essentially I finished with nitrocellulose, any alcohol dyes should be compatible with that, you can use pretty much any off the shelf grainfillers with it too, and nearly every company that sells lacquer will sell a compatible base coat/sanding sealer with it. I hope that helps and thanks for watching.

[@behemot666]

BTW thanx very much 👍Great videos on Your channel, I realy apreciate, big hello from Poland

[@ADFinlayson]

No worries, thanks for watching

[@mauricelavergne3434]

Have you ever heard of Solarez as a grain filler, it is a UV cured grain filler. Very little is required to do a coat, once you apply it you bring it outside in the sun or under a UV light and it fully cures in 3-5 minutes, sand if necessary and reapply as many coats as necessary to fully fill. Same process, sanding sealer then Solarez, you can do as many coats as required to completely fill grain in one day, excellent product and big time saver.

[@ADFinlayson]

I've never used Solarez, I heard of it years ago but it wasn't available in UK. That may have changed now but tbh I have about 5 different types of grainfiller in the workshop already.

[@ColtsfaninVegas]

Thank you for this video. Very informative.

[@ADFinlayson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lukegoffkat]

Why are you using a sharpie instead of a watermark printed serial number? Thanks by the way on the tutorial of using Rose on top of the purple. Really made a difference!

[@ADFinlayson]

It's not a sharpie, but It's handmade so it's got a hand-written serial number. Glad you found the video useful. Ash

[@isaacrooke6348]

Hey mate love the video! Could you tell me what model your extraction fan is? Cheers

[@ADFinlayson]

It’s an atex rated 12” axial fan, I got it from a company called power star electrical

[@kylec4509]

Super great information! You may not be able to answer this, but say if instead of a nitro top coat you wanted to do a Spray Max 2k top coat. Would you use a pre catalyzed sanding sealer (like Mohawk for instance) and then apply 2k using basically same procedures as shown here?

[@ADFinlayson]

Sorry mate, you’re right I can’t answer that. All can suggest is do a tester

[@ericrichard5237]

I figured the up and down spraying was because it would be less passes as opposed to horizontal passes.

[@fuzzwahdulin]

Thanks, good information

[@PaoloRS1]

What a great video. Loads of information and v entertaining too. What a stunning guitar. What wood is the fingerboard? Keep the videos coming Ash! Thanks for making this one.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thank you Paula, appreciate that. The fretboard on this one is pale moon Ebony

[@BackNblack-5150]

I'm attempting my first build and stumbled upon your highly interesting and informative video! Now all I have to do is decide what color to use, deep purple or cherry burst??

[@ADFinlayson]

Red is easier

[@musiclabtr]

Just a question, why did you color burst after the clear coat and not while staining?

[@ADFinlayson]

I like to getting sanding sealer over the colour before I do anything else, the sealer always alters the colour in some way, also I find it's good to get a barrier between the colour and the burst, if anything went wrong and I had to sand the burst off, it's good to to be able to do that without removing the colour too.

[@musiclabtr]

@@ADFinlayson Oh ok! that makes sense! thanks for the explanation

[@spesh1974]

Thanks (again, because I keep re-watching your vids)! Finally about to grain fill my mahogany body before the clear nitro finish. Would you suggest I pay £20 for the Z Poxy or could I use the 2-part UniBond poxy tube I have in a drawer?

[@ADFinlayson]

I would personally not use unibond. I said any finishing resin, not any epoxy - needs to be thin

[@solidsurrounds]

Can we find out who or where he's getting the DIY Kits ? Thanks

[@stevengarlow2581]

I was watching your videos and was wondering what and where do you get that material you use for covering the top when you are working on the sides or back?

[@ADFinlayson]

Hi I can’t think of what you mean other than perhaps masking tape, sometimes I tape the top off with masking or green frog tape.

[@MarkRawling]

Super vid, thanks! What are your thoughts on having a base coat like poly or CAB - is it needed to provide stability over time perhaps, or maybe it just reduces the number of top coats needed?

[@ADFinlayson]

I think I did about 18 coats all in on account of the quilt top soaking everything up, normally I would only do 12 or 13 but for some reason I only sprayed about half the number of coats of sealer I normally do, probably concentrating on talking to the camera instead of what I was doing. No reason why poly can't be used as a base coat but you do need to be careful about compatibility

[@MarkRawling]

I think the reason they use poly or CAB is because it's more stable, much simpler/faster, and it doesn't yellow over time. I'm thinking about doing some finishing myself, but this step gives me pause - not sure how to do it best.

[@WilliamLassley]

Fabulous and very educational !! You answered about every question i had for finishing a guitar, and about twenty more I hadn’t even considered. Thank you so much. Now I can continue finishing my quilt top beauty with a little confidence. Thanks again sir. You are the best.

[@tbdog99]

I'm duplicating your "Lemon Fade" finish on a flame maple top. Can you please advise what dyes were used? The pink over purple treatment you did here makes good sense. Is there a color you recommend to "top off" the lemon fade? Any coaching you could provide would help a lot. Thanks!

[@ADFinlayson]

I believe I used a combo of crimson water based yellow and a brighter alcohol based yellow

[@tbdog99]

@@ADFinlayson Thanks! That gives me some confidence, and that's what I'm a gonna do.

[@mitchellgulliver1643]

Great video thanks for sharing. What's your preferred spray tip size for cellulose?

[@ADFinlayson]

I don't consider myself to be an expert in this regard, this LPH-80 I am using has a 1.2mm tip which I like, my old turbine system had a 1.3mm tip and I much prefer the smaller tip even if it does require slightly thinner paint.

[@mitchellgulliver1643]

@@ADFinlaysonNice, it looks like you're getting really good results. Did you get the E2 or E4 cap? I'm strongly considering getting one of these LPH-80's myself.

[@orthorat]

I learned a lot, thank you!

[@ADFinlayson]

Glad you enjoyed the video

[@martinn2595]

Any problem with fume in your glasses? Thank for sharing!

[@ADFinlayson]

No but I have good extraction, you need a good extractor if you’re in an enclosed space

[@tonyflies1]

Great job, can you tell me what needle size is on your LPH80. Looking about getting one.

[@ADFinlayson]

1.2mm tip, personally I would not go any smaller for guitars

[@tonyflies1]

@@ADFinlayson many thanks yeah 1.2 definitely small as I’d like also. Is the the E2 or E3 cap. Looks to have nice control with it.

[@filipduchon8126]

Hi, can you help me? I want to do really light grey on flame maple LP - to let show the wood of the color. What should I use for the light grey? Thank you! 👍🏻

[@ADFinlayson]

Just dilute black dye 🤷‍♂️

[@recordplayerz]

Great video, thanks for the info

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks for watching!

[@OkomailkakJR907]

What will it cost from you to have a refinish done on a Les Paul Standard?.

[@ADFinlayson]

depends, email me [e-mail]

[@markoacanski8620]

I've got a qustion. Do you also grainfill the neck?

[@ADFinlayson]

Mahogany etc yes, maple no

[@mauricelavergne3434]

When using a tune a matic bridge which should I ground the bridge or the tail piece?

[@ADFinlayson]

I ground the tailpiece

[@rnemchev]

Thank you! It is valuable to me!

[@ADFinlayson]

Glad you enjoyed the video

[@rocklover7437]

I served my apprenticeship painting cars with cellulose .It looked great polished but it didn't weather well and wasn't very durable .I suppose a guitar a cellulose finish will have more character and develop more character with time .We then started using acrylics and then two pack finishes .This was over a 50 year time period.

[@ADFinlayson]

as far as I'm aware cellulose (at least the paint I am using certainly) is classified as an interior finish, I can't see that it would work well as an automotive finish.

[@mmmikem]

Can you recommend any cheaper alternative to the LPH80 for a hobbyist?

[@ADFinlayson]

Get in touch with spraygunsdirect, they will give you some good advise

[@Nimgoble]

What did you do to the top to get it ready for staining?

[@ADFinlayson]

Not sure what you mean?

[@Nimgoble]

@@ADFinlayson Did you sand it down to a certain grit? Use filler? Etc.

[@ADFinlayson]

I normally sand maple to 320, no grain filler on maple.

[@vicioannou]

Where’s this kit purchased from?

[@ADFinlayson]

This isn’t a kit, all the videos are of my builds

[@beohyl]

What did you charge your client for this job?

[@ADFinlayson]

There is a configurator on my site that will give you an idea of what my guitars cost

[@nicopoppe4838]

do you sell kits? (just the wood)

[@ADFinlayson]

Sorry I don’t

[@Dakoda-td7uy]

Hey do you build guitars too

[@ADFinlayson]

Hi yes these are all scratch built

[@Dakoda-td7uy]

@@ADFinlayson I'm sorry I'm not sure what scratch built means

[@ADFinlayson]

built from scratch, I make them too.

[@Dakoda-td7uy]

@@ADFinlayson ok how much would it cost for a build

[@ADFinlayson]

@@Dakoda-td7uy Depends on the spec, email me [e-mail] and we can talk.

[@briggsliceaga9257]

Promo-SM 😩

[@bigdbearkiller5115]

setnecks are such bullshit. all they are is a bolt on neck that's glued. build a neck through or a bolt on not some half assed thing.. oh and his pocket wasnt to tight it was fine.

[@ADFinlayson]

If you say so 👍

[@BeautifulAngerMusic]

@bigbearkiller...can we see your channel with the guitars you have built?

[@matheusalmeida4699]

This video was great, thank you!

[@ADFinlayson]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.