Pro tip that Chris did, but didn't highlight; When applying multiple coats of colour, always run the can or gun perpendicular to the last coat you applied. So first coat, left to right. Second coat, up and down. Third coat, left to right. Ensures excellent coverage. 😉
It's so good that Matt is a part of this series. Someone has to demonstrate all the screwups that the rest of us will be doing so that Chris has the opportunity to explain the fixes. Chris, keep Matt around! 🙃
The amount of detail here is astounding. It's better and more informative than your average book! This is a new standard in instructional vids. Very well done. In particular, I love the attention to detail to call out what can go wrong and to answers viewers questions before they even ask them. I also highly recommend Stewmac's guitar inlay video. Fantastic job!
Chris is such an excellent teacher and he and Matt have such great chemistry together. When they did the tour of StewMac headquarters on their Driftwood Guitars channel it made me want to work there. This series is so well done and professional and I hope to see more of them on future series. Well done!
Glad that all three parts are posted at same time, hate waiting for the "next episodes". Also, the logo on the guitar should have been StewMac and Driftwood Guitars Logos. Do the upgraded nozzles work with the spray can handles you can buy. These handles would provide even better control. I see a really pretty grain on that wood, and you are painting over it.
Yeah, we have a lot of discussions about that. It seems like RUclips gives more love to the videos when we release them one at a time, but it's sure nice to get the whole story all at once. 😎
I'm very grateful for RUclips and modern technology. This knowledge expertise and a vault full of information was not available back in the day. But even at 66 year's old I'm loving it. Stewmac is a top notch outfit - glad to have them around.
The quality is there , because of the time put it and using propper technique and great products , and of course experience. Very well done. Process , process , process !!!!!!!!!
I've watched this series of videos several times because I am getting ready to paint my short scale bass. Chris and Matt are the best. They are very detailed and I feel confident I will be able to do a good job after these tutorials. I am gathering the materials and I will be ready to start soon. I think Matt made the mistake on purpose so Chris could show us how to fix it and so Chris could yell at him. All the Stewmac videos I have seen are just great.
refinished my first jazzmaster years ago and thankfully had noooo issues, but this video would have saved me the anxiety of not knowing whether what I was doing was "right" or not. Such a helpful video I'll be referencing from now on!
I own a Finishing shop and would recommend these videos to anyone interested in learning fine finishing techniques. My apprentice will be watching this as he will be assisting in finishing a Fender Guitar. Thanks for the great video.
Thanks. Been using this technique on guitar pedals. I was TERRIFIED of the "orange peel" but now I learned it's a necessary part of the process and I thank you for that.
I am in the process of re-finishing 2 guitars. One was factory painted and the other was wood stained. I have done this only once before and the results were mediocre because of my impatience. On these new projects I am taking my time. These videos are invaluable to me, I have already learn quite a bit. Thank You.
Great Tutorial, the first guitar I painted I skipped the filler stage thinking that I didn't need it. After Sealer, Paint, Lacquer, Sanding and buffing it looked great. 3 months later the lacquer had shrunk and I had to start over. Take your time, do all the steps, have patience.
Thank you for doing this video. I am very interested in doing this. I have 10 guitars and this seems like the only thing left for me to do. I learned soooooo much guys. It was a long series but WELL worth it. 13 coats of clear! I can't get over that. Amazing job!!
just jumped on... i have a sous vide to cook steaks. It would be a perfect water temp control to keep the cans at temp. Great vid. Just a though on a simple hack
He is 100% right about black paint jobs. I’ve painted a few guitars with lighter colors like red and surf green and my most recent project is a black strat and takes a lot more care because it shows every speck of dust or mistake.
After watching the1st video, I was hooked. I've got an offset solid body in my closet and I think the series may inspire me to finally start trying use what Chris and Matt are teaching.
Love the video series!! A small note for us beginners at such things is that Chris makes this look so easy but the guy has some SERIOUS spraying skills. Inspiring sirs.
That is true... he does. BUT... this project IS very doable, even for a beginner provided you're patient and follow the steps. I think with most projects where things go wrong (definitely true for me) is when you try to rush it or go off script.
@@stewmac Yeah good call, and will take another opportunity to praise Chris' skills but as you say, doable for us less gifted. Thanks again for the video series.
The water slide conversation reminds me of building model airplanes with my dad. We would also use the adhesive side of the paper to smooth out the edges as it’ll apply more sticky chemical stuff to the decal and can hit the edges and make them less sharp.
Thanks for showing first how we might get it right the first time and then including what to do when it goes wrong. An expert is just someone who's made more mistakes than everyone else so getting it wrong is, just as you said, an opportunity to do it again and gain more expertise.
Thanks for the amazing and in-depth guide. 35:00 This just happened to me. I'm so glad I had just watched this video before it happened because if I didn't know there was an easy fix I would have gone mad.
Thank you so much for this guys, I am in the middle of a project of what you guys have done here and this video has inspired me to keep going, thanks again👍
I am going to make a LP Cherry Burst finish, I have the Colortone spray cans, the powder pore filler and the vinyl sealer. these videos have shown me how. Thank You guys for making this video. I am a big fan of Stewmac videos and setup tools. Dan E. is a wealth of knowledge. I repaired a broken neck on a LP clone. It was broken at the scarf joint, I used Titebond III and cedar shims to create splints, the neck was held together by the fret board. I used several clamps to hold the splints and the neck in place. I let it setup for 24 hours, then I put it in my pickup truck in the sunshine to heat treat the glue joint. Then clean up the excess glue, I used 800 wet/dry grit paper to smooth the joint.. I sprayed it with Colortone Black Lacquer with many light coats. The spraying melted into the existing black finish. It looks great, I did a fret leveling, now I have a playable guitar again.
Best guitar finishing information I've found. Period. I've done several guitars but thought I'd pick up a pointer or two...but it's more like a dozen. Thanks! ("slurry" is the word you were looking for.)
One thing I haven't noticed in your really great presentation, a warning to make sure that your hands are free from skin oils when handling the guitar parts, such as when sanding or getting ready to apply the fillers, sealers or paint!
In regards to the decal, use a soft paintbrush to move the decal around and if it starts sticking too much you can put several drops of water on it and float it back into place. I built plastic model aircraft for many years and have put hundreds of decals on. 😉
Thank you for the advice. I just finished my first refin and did an EVH style. I watched this video after I finished but my next paint job will go even better because of your tips
Great video and tutorial. I'm glad Matt sanded through the color so it could be addressed. Great information. Thanks for putting it together and posting it.
Part 2 is also very comprehensive and well produced… two important tricks I use . 1. Soak your sand paper in distilled water over night … it makes it much more softer/pliable and therefor wraps around radius much easier minimizing burn through…2. Never ever store a Nitro Lacquer finish on plastic or petroleum based surface .. also don’t ever use plastic bubble wrap to ship a nitro finished item.. it will burn into the finish leaving a transference image …
Also, beware Contact Cleaner sprays! I had some extra drip out from the pots onto the surface of a Tele, and it destroyed the nitro. aound the control panel.
Check them out on Amazon. This is the one we bought for the series. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VDPQ1TX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Great video! The wet sanding is a little scary for me. But, nothing ventured and then nothing gained. Repairing the sand through and drop filling were really helpful! I wish I would have had seen these videos many years ago! Thank you!
Thanks. You can totally do it. Just take your time and follow the steps. So much of guitar work is about just taking your time and being patient. I find that one thing is about 75% of getting a good outcome.
Claaaaassy color! Hope this and giving a kit to my friends son gets me motivated to finish mine. I wanna try a weird red and purple burst type of stain even though the grain isnt nice. .. which can always be painted if its not great, its an sg so Black is fine 😊
I learned the hard way what Chris and Matt stress in finish work...PATIENCE! There are no shortcuts to a great finish. I allow 30 days drying time for all finishes - lacquer, poly, or acrylic- before final buff-out. Excellent series on finishing. Thanks for sharing your expertise Guys!
When wet sanding I prefer using mineral spirits (oderless) because it will not cause the wood to expand like water does. You also get the benefit of mineral spirits own lubrication so no need for soap.
Pro tip that Chris did, but didn't highlight; When applying multiple coats of colour, always run the can or gun perpendicular to the last coat you applied. So first coat, left to right. Second coat, up and down. Third coat, left to right. Ensures excellent coverage. 😉
Thanks for the tip!
RUclips and Stewmac need MORE of these types of videos. No detail left out or missed. The best video series yet on youtube!
46bcbvbnbc
Couldn't have put it better myself.
They make more from mistakes than they ever did from solutions
Absolutely. Well said!
It's so good that Matt is a part of this series. Someone has to demonstrate all the screwups that the rest of us will be doing so that Chris has the opportunity to explain the fixes. Chris, keep Matt around! 🙃
This is the gold standard for any tutorial
This is the best guitar finishing online workshop ever
NOW, I'm in shock!!! This was EXTREMELY helpful!! Different nozzles?? Heating the cans??? WOW!!!! Thanks guys!!!!
The amount of detail here is astounding. It's better and more informative than your average book! This is a new standard in instructional vids. Very well done. In particular, I love the attention to detail to call out what can go wrong and to answers viewers questions before they even ask them. I also highly recommend Stewmac's guitar inlay video. Fantastic job!
Chris is such an excellent teacher and he and Matt have such great chemistry together. When they did the tour of StewMac headquarters on their Driftwood Guitars channel it made me want to work there. This series is so well done and professional and I hope to see more of them on future series. Well done!
Couldn't agree more! I can almost guarantee we will find more projects to do together. It was a lot of fun shooting this series with them.
I agree. Very good chemistry together. Entertaining and educational.
I’m doing a bass now and I have to say these videos are absolutely outstanding.
Glad that all three parts are posted at same time, hate waiting for the "next episodes". Also, the logo on the guitar should have been StewMac and Driftwood Guitars Logos. Do the upgraded nozzles work with the spray can handles you can buy. These handles would provide even better control. I see a really pretty grain on that wood, and you are painting over it.
Yeah, we have a lot of discussions about that. It seems like RUclips gives more love to the videos when we release them one at a time, but it's sure nice to get the whole story all at once. 😎
I almost feel like stealing when I'm watching those tutorials - thanks a lot for sharing them (for free)! Insane amount of work.
You’re not stealing, they are graciously giving, and we are accepting. ❤
I'm very grateful for RUclips and modern technology. This knowledge expertise and a vault full of information was not available back in the day. But even at 66 year's old I'm loving it. Stewmac is a top notch outfit - glad to have them around.
After watching part 2, I was even more impressed with the quality of the presentation of the usefulness of the material.
Patience is the biggest objective and is the only way to get the best finished results
The quality is there , because of the time put it and using propper technique and great products , and of course experience. Very well done. Process , process , process !!!!!!!!!
The sanding the tape is a real time saver. Thanks
I've watched this series of videos several times because I am getting ready to paint my short scale bass. Chris and Matt are the best. They are very detailed and I feel confident I will be able to do a good job after these tutorials. I am gathering the materials and I will be ready to start soon. I think Matt made the mistake on purpose so Chris could show us how to fix it and so Chris could yell at him. All the Stewmac videos I have seen are just great.
refinished my first jazzmaster years ago and thankfully had noooo issues, but this video would have saved me the anxiety of not knowing whether what I was doing was "right" or not. Such a helpful video I'll be referencing from now on!
I used to paint cars in the 70's with lacquer in the 70's.... it should come back to me easily !!
Like riding a bike. :)
Seems like the the lacquer in the 70s messed with your short term memory in the 2020s.... Hehe just kidding all in good fun
Just painted my 1st guitar with Oxford
Nitrocellulose guitar Lacquer.Your videos showed me the way,thank you guys
Glad to see a video discussing common mistakes and how to fix them, very thoughtful.
I own a Finishing shop and would recommend these videos to anyone interested in learning fine finishing techniques. My apprentice will be watching this as he will be assisting in finishing a Fender Guitar. Thanks for the great video.
So far, this is the best series of videos about aerosol instrument painting.
The best part is your emphasis on patients. Also the glancing light method.
JWard
Thank you for this! I’m refinishing my very first guitar from 20 years ago and this gave me the idea to do the headstock too with a custom logo. 🙌
Thanks for the simple idea of adding lubricant/soap to water.
Thanks. Been using this technique on guitar pedals. I was TERRIFIED of the "orange peel" but now I learned it's a necessary part of the process and I thank you for that.
Heating up the spray cans for 15 minutes in hot water prior to spraying was a helpful tip. Very insightful series.
I am in the process of re-finishing 2 guitars. One was factory painted and the other was wood stained. I have done this only once before and the results were mediocre because of my impatience. On these new projects I am taking my time. These videos are invaluable to me, I have already learn quite a bit. Thank You.
I'm absolutely speechless😷 Ran across this video on accident and couldn't stop watching. Very impressed👍 Subber for life🎸
I have been putting my Stewmac Aerosol finish off for years. This is super helpful, and different from the stewmac finishing book. thank for this!
Great Tutorial, the first guitar I painted I skipped the filler stage thinking that I didn't need it. After Sealer, Paint, Lacquer, Sanding and buffing it looked great. 3 months later the lacquer had shrunk and I had to start over. Take your time, do all the steps, have patience.
*That* is what they call experience! 😂 It's painful in the moment, but priceless over the long haul.
@@stewmacdid you do sanding after clearcoat or just doing clear coat next step again
Without sanding
Hands down the best video on guitar refinishing
Thank you for doing this video. I am very interested in doing this. I have 10 guitars and this seems like the only thing left for me to do. I learned soooooo much guys. It was a long series but WELL worth it. 13 coats of clear! I can't get over that. Amazing job!!
Thank you!
I really don't think this series could have been any better. Such a great job!
just jumped on... i have a sous vide to cook steaks. It would be a perfect water temp control to keep the cans at temp. Great vid. Just a though on a simple hack
Great idea!
He is 100% right about black paint jobs. I’ve painted a few guitars with lighter colors like red and surf green and my most recent project is a black strat and takes a lot more care because it shows every speck of dust or mistake.
Absolutely. 💯
Goodness this whole process takes forever... I thought it'd be done by the end of this episode. About to change my mind about re-painting my guitar
After watching the1st video, I was hooked. I've got an offset solid body in my closet and I think the series may inspire me to finally start trying use what Chris and Matt are teaching.
Great to hear! Good luck!
I have watched a lot of vids and these are by far the best on finishing.
Chris is a great teacher. He doesn't miss a thing that needs explaining, and leaves you with no questions.
I have a question do you put 14 coats on the neck? On the body yes, but the neck.
I'm a big fan of Driftwood Guitars channel. The quality of information and footage is still there at StewMac. Cheers!
Love the video series!! A small note for us beginners at such things is that Chris makes this look so easy but the guy has some SERIOUS spraying skills. Inspiring sirs.
That is true... he does. BUT... this project IS very doable, even for a beginner provided you're patient and follow the steps. I think with most projects where things go wrong (definitely true for me) is when you try to rush it or go off script.
@@stewmac Yeah good call, and will take another opportunity to praise Chris' skills but as you say, doable for us less gifted. Thanks again for the video series.
The water slide conversation reminds me of building model airplanes with my dad. We would also use the adhesive side of the paper to smooth out the edges as it’ll apply more sticky chemical stuff to the decal and can hit the edges and make them less sharp.
Thanks! Yeah, this part definitely is nostalgic to my model building as a kid.
Wow! I've watched so many videos, and guitar finish groups on Facebook. This is ALL you need, what a great job. Stew Mac Video #1
Good camera work. Good audio. Not too much cutesy stuff. Good job guys.
I’m loving this series. Really good info packed into it, even for those of us with spray equipment.
This series is such a great gift to us regular folks! Thanks
Thanks for showing first how we might get it right the first time and then including what to do when it goes wrong. An expert is just someone who's made more mistakes than everyone else so getting it wrong is, just as you said, an opportunity to do it again and gain more expertise.
For anyone watching in Australia, if you can’t find Naptha, go to Bunnings and buy “Shellite”. It’s the same thing
Thanks for the amazing and in-depth guide. 35:00 This just happened to me. I'm so glad I had just watched this video before it happened because if I didn't know there was an easy fix I would have gone mad.
I learned a ton about finishing. Thanks StewMac!
Thank you so much for this guys, I am in the middle of a project of what you guys have done here and this video has inspired me to keep going, thanks again👍
You guys are good! So glad you hooked up with Stewmac.
Yes! Patience and planning are essential for success. Keeping a journal is an excellent idea. The payoff in the result is worth the effort.
Another detailed video on finishing. I appreciated the trick about using fine sandpaper on edges to keep a nice sharp edge. Thanks guys!
I am going to make a LP Cherry Burst finish, I have the Colortone spray cans, the powder pore filler and the vinyl sealer. these videos have shown me how. Thank You guys for making this video. I am a big fan of Stewmac videos and setup tools. Dan E. is a wealth of knowledge. I repaired a broken neck on a LP clone. It was broken at the scarf joint, I used Titebond III and cedar shims to create splints, the neck was held together by the fret board. I used several clamps to hold the splints and the neck in place. I let it setup for 24 hours, then I put it in my pickup truck in the sunshine to heat treat the glue joint. Then clean up the excess glue, I used 800 wet/dry grit paper to smooth the joint.. I sprayed it with Colortone Black Lacquer with many light coats. The spraying melted into the existing black finish. It looks great, I did a fret leveling, now I have a playable guitar again.
Best guitar finishing information I've found. Period. I've done several guitars but thought I'd pick up a pointer or two...but it's more like a dozen. Thanks! ("slurry" is the word you were looking for.)
The quality of the contents and how they are presented in these two videos are just out of scale. Thank you Driftwood and Stewmac!
Glad you enjoyed them!
34:55 and it was at just that moment when most people would decide to turn this into a relic project. 😉
ha ha.. where's the fun in that? 😜
@@stewmac 😂 Those two are amazing. Me thinks that was done intentionally just to show off their mad refinishing skills. 👍🏻
hahahahahaha!!! That's also what I'm thinking exactly!!!!!!
Who knew that watching spray painting and sanding would be so interesting! The water slide decal was a nice touch. Many thanks for the info.
Thanks so much for the comment!
One thing I haven't noticed in your really great presentation, a warning to make sure that your hands are free from skin oils when handling the guitar parts, such as when sanding or getting ready to apply the fillers, sealers or paint!
What a process! Slow and meticulous, the results should be incredible.
Very informative and to the point. I would have never imagined the time span but definitely believe
Good to have an assistant named "Matt" when talking about finishes!
Great tip about removing excess paint from the side of the headstock. Just did it on mine and looks awesome, thx!!
This is such a great series! I am so glad I happened upon these before attempting this. This is such a gold mine of information
Thanks. Good luck with your project!
In regards to the decal, use a soft paintbrush to move the decal around and if it starts sticking too much you can put several drops of water on it and float it back into place.
I built plastic model aircraft for many years and have put hundreds of decals on. 😉
This series surely beats Netflix, keep 'em coming!
Well... let's not get crazy... But thanks! That's our intention.
@@stewmac 😂😂
Seeing Stew Mac and Driftwood together in one RUclips video is like seeing 2 friends starting to date
Very helpful to see all the steps laid out, and to be reminded to be patient with the process.
Thank you for the advice. I just finished my first refin and did an EVH style. I watched this video after I finished but my next paint job will go even better because of your tips
Good video that covers all the steps needed to apply a good finish . I’ve used the spray cans and they work well .
They are good teachers.
Thanks all making this tutorial video.
Man, I’m getting anxious now. This is such a cool process.
Great video and tutorial. I'm glad Matt sanded through the color so it could be addressed. Great information. Thanks for putting it together and posting it.
Slide trick is deadly !
Part 2 is also very comprehensive and well produced… two important tricks I use . 1. Soak your sand paper in distilled water over night … it makes it much more softer/pliable and therefor wraps around radius much easier minimizing burn through…2. Never ever store a Nitro Lacquer finish on plastic or petroleum based surface .. also don’t ever use plastic bubble wrap to ship a nitro finished item.. it will burn into the finish leaving a transference image …
Also, beware Contact Cleaner sprays! I had some extra drip out from the pots onto the surface of a Tele, and it destroyed the nitro. aound the control panel.
Sure Glad I’m watching this as I’m learning a lot.
Genius to warm the lacquer in a hot water before spraying. Thanks
Lots of work!
Very good step by step instructions. You definately have the experience and give simple explicit instructions. Thanks for the videos.
I love this series. Tons of helpful information
Great video series... I want to know more about that inflatable spray booth!
Check them out on Amazon. This is the one we bought for the series.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VDPQ1TX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Great video! The wet sanding is a little scary for me. But, nothing ventured and then nothing gained. Repairing the sand through and drop filling were really helpful! I wish I would have had seen these videos many years ago! Thank you!
Thanks. You can totally do it. Just take your time and follow the steps. So much of guitar work is about just taking your time and being patient. I find that one thing is about 75% of getting a good outcome.
@@stewmac Thank you for the comment and encouragement!
Waiting is a killer, but really pays off!
That blue looks amazing!
Thanks!
Alright alright alright!!! Gonna learn today!
In your best Matthew McConaughey voice, right? 😎
Claaaaassy color! Hope this and giving a kit to my friends son gets me motivated to finish mine. I wanna try a weird red and purple burst type of stain even though the grain isnt nice. .. which can always be painted if its not great, its an sg so Black is fine 😊
I learned the hard way what Chris and Matt stress in finish work...PATIENCE! There are no shortcuts to a great finish. I allow 30 days drying time for all finishes - lacquer, poly, or acrylic- before final buff-out. Excellent series on finishing. Thanks for sharing your expertise Guys!
Really a great series, thank you. Worth every minute of it. Thank you very much!
When wet sanding I prefer using mineral spirits (oderless) because it will not cause the wood to expand like water does. You also get the benefit of mineral spirits own lubrication so no need for soap.
Thoroughly enjoyed this
Looks so good already. Can’t wait to finish the last video
Really excited about these videos and seeing the finished product
Thanks!
I'm doing a gold P bass body. It's my first time using Nitro. I wish I had this video when I painted the first coat.
Saving this video for when I eventually order a build kit.
Amazing amount of work you put into these videos. Thanks guys, this is incredibly detailed and helpful.
Excellent camera work and editing. Makes for a very professional presentation.
The mistake only added to my learning. I didn't realize how much work goes into a guitar finish. Looks great.
Mistakes can be GREAT learning opportunities!