paint for my lp special

[andrewjunior]

i'm buying a used LP special (knock off custom) that's super blue... like an electric blue color. i want to paint it tv yellow. does anybody know of any paint companies that have a paint color that is close to tv yellow?

[regnar]

What kind of paint do you plan on using? If I were doing it I would go to one of my auto body friends with a color sample and have them mix up a custom color just for me. Otherwise, hit every paint and hardware store in town for a good match.

[EpiEric]

Here's an interesting article on doing your own TV Yellow finish:

 

http://home.flash.net/~guitars/TV_Yellow.html

 

That is if you're going all the way down to bare wood...

[deflepfan]

For me, a true TV Yellow is more of a yellow wash over the wood, where the wood grain shows through, and not a bright, garish yellow. Something soft and leaning towards the grey family.

 

 

Here's Gibson's LP Special in TV Yellow, a perfect example, IMHO:

 

Sheila:

[RSDx]

What kind of paint do you plan on using? If I were doing it I would go to one of my auto body friends with a color sample and have them mix up a custom color just for me. Otherwise' date=' hit every paint and hardware store in town for a good match.[/quote'] Actually, most stores with a paint department that's actually worth buying from can custom blend to the color you want .... no big deal, really.

[andrewjunior]

any estimates on price? like if i went to home depot or sherwinn williams or lowes, does anyone have any clue about how much i'd be paying?

[tflanster]

any estimates on price? like if i went to home depot or sherwinn williams or lowes' date=' does anyone have any clue about how much i'd be paying?[/quote']

 

 

Have you considered the possibility of actually calling one or two of those places and asking them? Pick up a phone. This after all is a guitar afficianado's site, not a paint store.

[andrewjunior]

Have you considered the possibility of actually calling one or two of those places and asking them? Pick up a phone. This after all is a guitar afficianado's site' date=' not a paint store. [/quote']

 

sorry dude, i didn't mean to piss in your cheerio's, i was just hoping to get advice from someone who might have done it in the past.

[andrewjunior]

i'm gonna leave it at this, i just want to say, if we were to follow that logic (guitar afficianado's site, not a paint store), half the questions on here would never have been asked.

please accept my apology for rubbing you the wrong way, but please consider that maybe there's a member here that can help everyone, no matter what the question, and no matter how well it relates.

[deflepfan]

i'm gonna leave it at this' date=' i just want to say, if we were to follow that logic (guitar afficianado's site, not a paint store), half the questions on here would never have been asked.

please accept my apology for rubbing you the wrong way, but please consider that maybe there's a member here that can help everyone, no matter what the question, and no matter how well it relates.[/quote']

Andrew, there really are few afficiandos here. And a few others that sometimes say on a forum what they would not dream of saying tothe face. Don't sweat it.

 

But, in spite of how he said it, he is right about calling around to get prices. A gallon of paint can run $15 to $40, depending on manufacturer and if it's a custom mix.

 

Keep in mind, you are going to have to strip off all of the old paint down to the wood. And having been workin on my Studio's neck after the breakage, let me say from experience, it isn't going to be easy. It's thick and it's hard! Be patient.

 

Take a trip over to your local paint store and look at the paint color chip display and pick out a few of the possible choices and take them home. The chip samples will look different there than under the flourecent lights, and the samples will not be 'exact' matches to the actual paint color.

 

Good luck and keep us informed.

Sheila

[andrewjunior]

that's the answer i was hoping for, sheila. thank you.

i agree that aficionados do post on here and are members, i just feel that an answer like yours would've been great rather than something that sounded so rude.

[tflanster]

Andrew' date=' there really are few afficiandos here. And a few others that sometimes say on a forum what they would not dream of saying tothe face. Don't sweat it.

 

For crying out loud. Isn't the obvious that the answer to paint pricing is found at the paint store? Sure, if I had the knowledge re; refinishing I'd gladly share it, but "how much does a can of paint cost? Who knows? What kind? What color? What brand? I just bought a gallon of satin exterior latex from Ace Hardware. Cost $28.00. Does that help? I don't think so. You have to go to the source. If my post was too "abrupt", well, why spend a lot of time gnawing a the edges? I wasn't pissed at the question, just at the fact that the obvious solution to the question wasn't considered.

But, in spite of how he said it, he is right about calling around to get prices. A gallon of paint can run $15 to $40, depending on manufacturer and if it's a custom mix.

 

Keep in mind, you are going to have to strip off all of the old paint down to the wood. And having been workin on my Studio's neck after the breakage, let me say from experience, it isn't going to be easy. It's thick and it's hard! Be patient.

 

Take a trip over to your local paint store and look at the paint color chip display and pick out a few of the possible choices and take them home. The chip samples will look different there than under the flourecent lights, and the samples will not be 'exact' matches to the actual paint color.

 

Good luck and keep us informed.

Sheila

[brianh]

that's the answer i was hoping for' date=' sheila. thank you.

i agree that aficionados do post on here and are members, i just feel that an answer like yours would've been great rather than something that sounded so rude.[/quote']

Here's the deal:

 

House paint from Lowe's or HD ain't gonna give you pro looking results. First, you need to disassemble the guitar and CAREFULLY strip all the old paint off with a heat gun and scraper:

 

 

Then, sand it down using progressively finer paper until it's smoother than a baby's butt. Then you need to apply grain filler and sand again, maybe do this twice. Then spray on a clear base coat and sand again. Once you're happy that the finish is perfectly smooth everywhere and any gaps are filled, you can think about paint. Nitrocellulose paint is not sold at HD or Lowes, you have to go to Stew Mac or a Luthier supply store:

http://grizzly.com/products/Behlen-Guitar-Finishing-Kit/T21176

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Finishes_and_solvents.html

 

It's also extremely FLAMMABLE - you could easily blow up your shop if it's not well ventilated. The shop also needs to be dust and bug free.

 

A good TV Yellow wash is hard to do because it's a tint mixed with clear nitro. And you need an airbrush rig to get decent results - they don't sell it in rattle cans. To mix, you have to add a llittle tint to the nitro mixture, test a sample, add some more, test, etc. But, if you don't care about seeing the grain, and would be happy with a solid finish, you can skip most of this hassle and just buy Krylon primer and spray paint right off the shelf in Wal-mart.

 

Some of the members here have used the Krylon method with excellent results - use the SEARCH function above....

 

Here are just a few:

 

http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=10944

http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=10553

[andrewjunior]

thanks again for the kind answers, brian and deflepfan. i very much appreciate the open mindedness and willingness to help.