So true. And they don't offer nitro relic style finishes BUT! You can just get the body and do it yourself, or only pay them 200 for a clear finish, sand it down a tiny bit, and then spray on whatever nitro paint color you want and since warmoth already made it super smooth with the clear finish, your finish color will show up really nice too! Not exactly as good as what a factory can produce but meh, close enough. Just look at Aarons Sherwood green one here. Looks super bad ass! It would trick anyone into thinking it's a factory finished guitar unless they got right up on it and looked at it for a few seconds in great detail.
@@soyborne.bornmadeandundone1342 Sure, just tie a rope to it and drag it down a gravel road so in your head... at least... you'll feel like you put 30 years of honest wear and tear on it. Dumbest trend in guitars ever.
Couple of tips. Nitro and acrylic lacquer paints are self leveling which means the new coat melts the previous coat and blends into it. If you were to sand between the color coats then the new color coat erases all your hard work of sanding between coats. So don't sand between color coats. Just pile one color coat on top of the other after letting the previous coat dry for about 15 minutes. I never do any final wet sanding as I hand polish the guitar afterwards and this will basically level sand the final clear coat. If you want a perfect paint job you will have to start from the foundation of sanding the guitar body as best as you can with progressive higher grit of sandpaper. Also, use a spray booth as there are lots of specs of dust floating in the air ready to land on your freshly painted guitar. It also takes about one month for the guitar to dry before buffing. If you do the prep work then you don't need as many coats of paint afterwards to cover for mistakes in sanding. Also, use dark ie. gray or black primer color for dark colors and use white primer for light colors. That sherwood green should have had a dark primer and not a white one. The white one was great for the red strat. If you don't use a white primer then the color will be much darker. Lastly, nitro evaporates after years and will probably sink into the wood if the sealer is also a nitro product. I would use duplicolor sand and sealer spray can to do the primer coat with and then either a nitro or duplicolor perfect match acrylic lacquer which is more durable than nitro but sprays just as easy as nitro. Acrylic lacquer is more plasticky substance and therefore more durable than nitro. They use this stuff for car paints. One more thing, before spraying primer or sealer make sure you wet sand the body to raise the grain that you will then cut down with a sandpaper. It creates smoother surface afterwards.
Great tips you got there man, even wrote a couple notes to myself for when I get brave enough to refinish my guitar in lacquer. The thing with the white basecoat is Fender used to do that back in the day, and still do on vintage spec models that are solid colored. "Mojo Factor" is a powerful phenomenon, and some people want it just like is was back in the day.
Yeah these are good tips for sure. Just one addendum. I have worked on guitars that car guys have finished with acrylic and one springs to mind. It's true that acrylic is harder and has SOME of the desirable spray properties of nitro but because it's a metal car finish and designed for metals expansion in all directions it is not ideal for woods more directional contraction/ expansion which tends to be extreme in one axis. The aforementioned guitar I worked on was a SG type and in the area notorious for breakage at junction between headstock and nut was a bad transverse finish crack. It really stuck out bad because of the finish thickness and I realized that in that area where headstock flexes with string tension the finish was just not flexible enough in that direction. Nitro in contrast will not finish crack if treated well and if not will spider check in a way that is pleasing to most as it indicates patina age, vintage etc. So right there and then I figured out why large guitar and furniture makers use nitro and more and more urethane because they flex correctly for wood. Otherwise great advice.We in major guitar factory never saw the need to spray white or dark color under final color coats but makes sense to me at least until too color nitro coats chip off corners to expose white sealer underneath! LOL.
Are you suggesting to wet-sand the bare wood, prior to spraying the initial sealer? I want to make sure I understood you properly on that. Some GREAT tips you’ve given.
@@phillamoore157I would not wet sand the body prior to spraying sealer on it. After the sealer is on, then I would sand off the sealer to get a smooth surface. Basically, the sealer will raise the grain hairs and you want to knock those down after the sealer have been put on. I'm sorry if I confused you.
I appreciate the humility venturing from familiar (professional guitar making) to unfamiliar (finishing) and posting the process. Beyond that, the adherence to doing it like anyone else without the same facility makes the process more relatable.
I really like this guy. If I had the time I’d love to make my own guitar. And the care and honesty that goes into these videos convince me this company is a 100% trustworthy place to go for that. Respect.
I put one of my last gtrs together during the lockdown, used a Squier Mascis neck and p/ups around a Warmoth roasted alder body that I tung-oiled. Never done anything like this before, but slow-and-easy really helped. Thanks Warmoth.
Thanks Aaron . What I loved about your videos is your humbleness and trying your best to share your experiences. You are really a good man, I hope the viewers and the company appreciate your work. Learning is a continuous journey and no one is perfect . This time I have remembered to comment and say thank you for your kind words and sharing your wisdom. Best regards from ENGLAND UK.
This is why I’m addicted to hand-rubbed oil finishes. Costs more for figured woods that look good naked, but oil or oil/poly mixtures are much easier to apply, and endlessly repairable. I’ve also found that polishing the wood out to 2000 grit before applying oil seems to seal up the end grain, making for more even colouration- especially if you’re using dyes to tint the finish.
@@ericv7720For a really hard wood like maple or walnut, burnishing out to those finer grits before oil is worth the time. I avoid wet, deep-penetrating Danish oils, and use hard-drying ones like polymerized (cooked) Tung oil or Tru-oil gunstock finish. I don’t apply thick coats- preferring to wet it out, let it sit for an hour or two, then rub off the excess before it hardens and gets gummy. 4 or 5 days of that, then once a week for a few weeks, again at 6 months, then once a year or so after that. It feels natural, never sticky, and the grain and figure in the wood glows. Scratches can be touched up with a few passes with fine polishing papers and a little more oil.
Just a tip on wet sanding, don't use water, use mineral spirits. When I worked for Gibson and Fender that's what we used. It evaporates fast and won't hurt the finish and won't swell the grain.
If you ask me that turned out absolutely beautiful and I like how humble you are and calling yourself a newb, you basically achieved what I and other newbs would achieve after 3 months of trial and error haha. Way to go!! I have always been a fan of warmoth finishes and since I live in India, I could never thought about owning one. Maybe I will get lucky and finally build myself a warmoth strat! #HerosJourney Thanks Aaron!
I did a tru-oil finish on my mahogany tele. No filler, I wanted the grain to come through much like a gibsons raw finish. It took me about 2 months of layer after layer. Waiting 24 hours between coats. It came out AMAZING. If you’re after a natural finish try-oil is great and dummy proof.
Used boiled linseed oil on my mahogany Strat (one piece body) Came out lighter than the tru-oil hybrid Strat I built. Also the linseed oil gave it a bit of a cinnamon hue - Very pretty. #heroesjourney
Uh, I figured put how to do it in 3 coats. Beautiful deep grain look and very glossy. Trick is, sanding the first coat with 1500 grit. Make sure you sand up to 400 and leave no fine scratches cause they'll show.
@@ranman58635yeah man, you could def get a great finish with fewer coats. I had done thinner ones before and wanted to see how it would look with a lot of layers. Came out amazing.
I modified an old boom mic stand to shoot bodies on. Reranch is also great friendly company to get supplies from. Ive never had any issues with the Stew Mac canned lacquer either. The one thing with the lacquer in a can is it dries much slower. Wet sand using naphtha....it flashes off very fast so as not to swell up any grain. It also helps cut the lacquer so sanding moves along quicker. Great video! Great job.
@@warmoth that's sad. It's been a few years since I've ordered anything. Well I guess I'd have to amend my comment to Reranch were a friendly company to get supplies from. Edit....I must re-amend my comment. I just went to the Reranch site and it seems they are in fact alive and well. Just to be certain I put items in a cart and it gave me a total and wanted credit card info.
I think you forgot to mention temp factors. Make sure your can is warm and the same for your guitar body finish : ) I take a soup cup, fill it with a bit of water, micro wave it for 1 min, take it out, put the can of spray paint inside of it, let it sit for a few mins, and now you're ready to paint. To make your body warm, let it sit in the sun for a second. If you don't want to do that, Nuke a hot towel for a few minutes and then touch it all over your body to get it all nice and warm. And that sounded dirty! lol.
Having finished two bodies (one of them a Warmoth!) I can tell you I learned very similar lessons. Definitely have a lot more respect for finishing work afterwards. Mine were both dye/stain jobs and still it was incredibly painstaking. Clear coating especially, there's imperfections everywhere. Probably the hardest part of a partscaster build.
I've done a couple aerosol finishes. It is very time consuming, and I found myself going "Yeah, that happened to me too!" It's all a learning process and experience. Thanks for sharing this. #herosjourney
Great video. I hope that enthusiasts will note the few times that you mention that such a finish actually does take weeks to achieve and there are no short cuts. There is a character to an old fashioned nitrocellulose lacquer finish that simply doesn’t happen with other finishes. The finish ages in a wonderfully natural way that can’t be faked. In twenty years, the wear, the age, and the minor accidents will all look good. Whether your journey in guitar making stays limited to assembling parts and putting a telecaster together or you advance to making your own bodies and necks, Warmoth is certainly a place to begin the journey.
Just finished watching. You did a 99% perfect job I'd argue. And honestly after a few days or weeks of playing, those lil nics would have happened somewhere on the body anyways. Remember folks. No such thing as a 100% perfect finish. If you look close enough after a while you WILL see a imperfection.
Totally agree. I feel like if anything I own is too perfect, I’m not able to really use it without a certain level of stress. Imperfections can be freeing in that regard.
I want to build my dream DIY custom shop 62-64 Strat. It’s $250 for a bare body and $500 for the paint job. Dustin at Doom Bloom does excellent work from what I hear and he said that he’s try to do as clean a job as possible, but he typically doesn’t do factory finishes, just closet clean finishes. Would you say it’s worth it for me to do it myself having finished 3 necks in nitro? Or do you think it’s worth doubling the price since it’s my dream guitar?
Aaron, I think you do the opposite of jibber-jabber in your videos! You give great info in a manner that keeps me interested and I don't ever feel like you are just saying empty words. I'm either learning or laughing. Thanks!
#herosjourney great job! I just painted a Charvel with poly cans. You did quite nice, not taking away anything, there’s a 3 part series over at Stew Mac channel on how to finish a body and neck with cans, it us really helpful. Peace
I've been watching your videos since quarantine- Warmoth's attention to detail and Aaron as their spokesman have won me over- I can't wait to build a guitar of my own from Warmoth #heroesjourney
Why do I feel like something I said to Spike inspired this video? Lol. Basically I was notified that my custom ordered strat body had a couple paint flaws, and instead of accepting it as it was I said "do what you have to do. I've waited over 20 weeks, I can wait longer. I'd be okay with the inconsistencies if I did it myself with a spray can". I finally recieved that body last week by the way and it's *beautiful!!* Good job on both bodies, Aaron!
I was asking a couple of guys who work in a body shop about painting a guitar. I have a $300 mod platform guitar that I quickly discovered wouldn’t be cost effective to pay a body shop to blast with some paint, so now on to learning how to do it myself. I had no idea how much work it would take to paint a guitar from raw wood properly! The two guys started talking about sanding and how that can be really discouraging if you start clear coating and didn’t get the surface perfectly flat! Luckily my project is to repaint a guitar with a different color, so won’t take as many coats. Just need to find the right kind of paint and rig up a diy paint booth in my garage This video is a great starting point for me, to establish my expectations, and good timing for me at least. Thanks algorithm and thanks Warmoth!
Yap totally.. I do the finish.. Love it. Natural woods and stains... Always turns out nice so far. And having an awesomely perfect body.. Like warmoth... Ya almost can't go wrong.
Oh man, this is the final test. Finishing is whole other thing. I have one of your Fender replacement necks on the way. It's the last piece of a killer strat. Can't wait.
Fantastic, FANTASTIC video A-A-Ron. They look dang fine! My first, and so far, only, DIY guitar was an El cheapo ebay Strat kit with the uncut headstock from at least 17-18 years ago. I chose Fiesta Red for mine and it turned out great! It's strictly been for wall art, but just a few days ago, I was thinking about how much I like the color, so I'm going to make a player out of her. Have already swapped-in some Fender Fat 50s, CTS, etc. Next comes a proper neck. I'm looking at your roasted maple offerings. Once complete, she'll be an excellent Strat!
#HeroesJourney I appreciate that you allowed yourself to be a beginner for this project. The “Aaroncaster” was painted with a DIY spirit that you can’t get from a factory. Although this project cost you a hair follicle and major index finger pain, the final product was well worth it!
I'm working on my fourth build. Two rebuilds after guitars were severely damaged in a house fire, and two builds using mostly Warmoth bodies. I love building. I wish I had more time for it. My next project will be a route from scratch build this summer. Wish me luck
You did very well, man. I'm a finish guy who dislikes rattle cans, but you did a really nice job. You took all the right steps. Applying the finish in a dusty area is never fun. I also use McGuiars to polish my stuff..I use the plastic headlight polish and a Dewalt auto buffer. I use it on my furniture and almost everything I do. Well done! Man, then you're giving it away! spot on!
Haha, accidentaly is how we learn a lot of things. Great to see you sharing your first paintjob and showing some of the problems that you came across, that's super-valuable information for anybody who's starting his own project. Cheers
I have had one attempt at a rattle can finish. I just didn't do enough with the sealer and I never sanded and buffed it well enough. I was so scared of going right through! From a distance it looks OK. Useful video to show me some of where I went wrong on mine.
Cool that you're dabbing into painting as well. This is the first thing I learned around 35 years ago. I used to buy used guitars, refinish and resell as a teenager. One thing I learned was not to use sealer. Most of the old timers back then called it sanding soap. They advised on using lacker as the sealer, and I can tell you the finish was clearer on stain jobs vs when I used sealer. I am about to refinish 2 of my guitars and will be using 2k clear instead of nitro, You should haved leveled the front of the guitar before painting it to prevent that low spot by the control knob. Would have been easier since you were doing a solid color. But crucial if you were doing a stain/translucent color so you don't spend extra money in clear leveling it.
Thank you Sir, a lot of wisdom and lessons learned in your video. Not only did you do a pretty good job on the bodies and neck, but you did an excellent job on doing the video.
Nice! I’ve done this too. Warmoth body and nitro finish and it came out great. The trick is to take your time spray light coats and warm the lacquer before you spray it.
I did my first diy build last year , it was a Tele. I painted it with about 10 coats of lacquer and 6 coats of clear coat. I ended up installing locking tuner's and changed the pickups and ashtray bridge to Wilkinson , it took about two weeks mainly because of waiting for the paint to dry. All in all it was a great experience and I will definitely do another one , probably an SG next time. Great vid by the way!✌️ PS I didn't wet sand it either because lack of patience...
Hi, what's the difference between Lacquer and Clear Coat? I though those would be the same, isn't the Clear coat the varnish/lacquer that it's sprayed in the last phase? thank you
Im a luthier at Silvino Guitars and I have always hated painting guitar because of past mistakes and the time it takes to do them. This videos showed a lot of tips that I havent seen in probably 30 can paint and can clear thank you!! #heroesjourney
I’m about to refinish my telecaster, I am so glad I found this video. Not only for the information but also for finding the paint company. Thank you so much! #heroesjourney
Not bad for a first time! I did it myself once, way back on a (cheap) Stratocaster style guitar, there were no youtube tutorials or anything like that, so I had to find out the hard way that painting a guitar is a craft in itself; dust problems, insufficient sanding and painting and not knowing at all that you can polish the paint.
Take it from somebody who has done many many paint jobs there arent many paint jobs that are perfect, I think you did awesome and if you're happy thats all that matters. Great job
Enjoyed following your fearless #herosjourney, Aaron! Very impressive outcomes from a first timer. and so much patience with all those coats and how many hours sanding? Sorry about your finger (and insightful detail about the overhang disrupting the spray), very pleased there was no need to amputate. Aloha!
Just came here 2 years later to share that I did my own finishing on a guitar recently and today was the sanding/buffing day. I too got a blister on my index finger. #HerosJourney Warmoth finishing is an absolute steal for what you get! (I did my own because I was set on a nitro lacquer.)
You are a braver man than I. We've all got very clear ideas about what a glossy guitar body should look like, especially textbook shapes like those, and posting a video of your efforts and results is definitely a #herosjourney (though that looks silly without an apostrophe).
Aaron, I’d love to see a video that goes in depth on the common techniques used by the various custom shops to relic/distress nitro finished guitars. I understand if it’s not in your wheelhouse but perhaps think about bringing on a guest? I think there are guitar players (like me) that would do more Warmoth builds if they could view it as both meeting a guitar need but also an artistic project to create something typically associated with the ultra high end guitar market. I don’t mean just basic tips on nitro finish checking and dings. One little example is I’d love to know how to emulate a particular method of using dark stains (or dyes) next to the frets on tinted lacquered maple fretboards creating that really cool contrast/effect that you see on some high end guitars. 🎸🤘
Pro quality is a high mark to aim at on first efforts. I'm glad you were able to get the outcome you wanted. In my experience with arts & crafts, a lot of the process involves adjusting the techniques and/or the objectives. My oldest guitar has a Warmoth neck and have painted the body many times.. I love that neck, there's nothing like it!
This guy is so cool. I've seen a ton of how-to videos, but this is the first time I've heard: "Actually I've had a haircut since this video started and I'm almost ready for another one, I think".
I get incredible results from canned NC. The secret is pore filling when needed or sanding sealer first unless you are alright using a lot of NC to level a lot of the woods. There is a brand that has a small wall clock on it at the box stores but you need to check the label as they sell to california as well so you may see non NC cans on the shelf too. I just sort through them.
Good job! I always encourage people to go for it. I have a small shop, and I have finished many guitars. No long speech LOL, but I could offer a couple quick tips? First, almost all "home stores" sell "triggers" for spray cans. They grip in the top ring, and when you pull the trigger a tab presses down on the tip. Makes it a mini self powered spray gun. LOL Should be about $10. Also, I like to draw warm tap water into a bucket, and place the cans in it before spraying. As warm as possible, from the tap, works best. The warm paint, and propellant will flow better and not spatter. Best luck!! Gary PS; I use some Warmoth necks with my builds in my old age also!! LOLOL 8)
Getting so many flashbacks to when I first painted a guitar body. That was swamp ash, thought I had enough filler but noooo I didn't. Now I just tell people it's an "open grain finish". Still love it though! Been itching to do another ever since. DIY gives such a sense of accomplishment. #heroesjourney
Mahalo for this video, Aaron. I’ve been tempted to try my own nitro finish and have watched several videos on it, but they were all experts who are already experienced in the techniques, so watching a noob’s #heroesjourney on the Nitro Sea makes it somehow less intimidating. I look forward to every new Warmoth video, and this was one of the best: enjoyable, informative, and satisfying. Aloha.
I’ve put together many projects with Warmoth parts over the years for my customers and myself. I’ve often heard much crying about the prices for the finishes. Now perhaps those folks who complain see just what’s involved. Good job and video…!!! What were we supposed to say to win the body…?
I’ve been working outside of the US for a few months and I was just thinking about ordering an unfinished body to start when I return. Showing a first effort from an inexperienced perspective gives me a lot more confidence going forward😄 I’ll definitely throw my hat in the ring for the #herosjourney though as well
#herosjourney They look great Aaron, congrats on having a go and succeeding! My hint - start each spray pass from before the guitar body starts, until after it finishes, and then release the spray, before commencing the next pass, keeping the can the same distance from the body the whole time. Move your whole body, not your arm or wrist.
Outstanding job for your first go. I've never tried an instrument, but I used to be a high end house painter and did a lot of fine cabinetry, trim, molding, etc. I think you may have avoided the valley if all your passes overlapped by 50%. Just a guess, as this could be a whole different animal.
It's not that hard but wears on your patience waiting for the paint to dry. That's the longest part of the whole build , but when it's done you'll be very pleased , I even bought a special lacquer pen to write my last name on the headstock. I'm gonna definitely do another one...
Loved your work Aaron! I painted my first Strat 2 years ago using nitro paint cans and it was a lot of work trying to level everything using the grain filler, sealer and primer coats since I was using Ash and it SOAKS everything you put there! Also I did an Inca Silver so the surface HAD to be leveled! It ended up working great and the guitar has already aged to a golden hue 2 years later in some areas. Nitro is king! #heroesjoruney
This is a text-book example of failing your way to success. Both those look fantastic. I’d be thrilled if mine came out that good. What I would do next, solely for the sake of learning, is how to strip all that paint off, then doing the process all over again. Now, I want to paint a set of drums…..if I can just find a video on that! 👍
#HeroesJourney I have french polished guitars a few times. One time I was doing a classical. I had a guitar wall hanger in a corner. So on one wall was the guitar drying between coats and on the other corner wall was a large framed glass picture. My little nephew ran in the room and crashed into stuff. Knocked the picture down. Hits a speaker. Turns 45 degrees and crashes into the guitar and didn't just ruin the finish. It had shattered glass all inside. And pieces sticking out of the spruce top. You just have to laugh that stuff off but wow...I had 45 hours just in hand rubbing shellac, oil and paint thinner. Ugh. Heh. Thanks for taking us along.
This is awesome stuff. Relic options at warmoth?. Relic options would be in demand. Have you considered relic options? Doing a relic what level to pick diy rdy? Will check website...
Ironically I came to Warmoth because I was looking for a new guitar with a natural wood finish after playing a Rick 650 for a decade, and it ended up being absolutely the easiest thing to do and still looks great even without a hard finish.
Beautiful job, Aaron! I love how positive and kind you are in explaining all these concepts, which can easily get intimidating. Loving that metallic green! #herosjourney
I bought a Charvel MIM Warren Dimartini guitar and hated it. I put a Warmoth modern scalloped neck on it, along with a Dimarzio X2N, a Sugar Chakra, and a Gotoh 1996T bridge. I play it all the time. Warmoth to the rescue!
I am trying to finish a body I made myself and it is a challenge as is anything you have never done before. I have watched Warmoth videos and the painter makes it look like it is nothing! Years of doing the same thing over and over again.... Great video, #heroesjourney
I learned that having Warmoth do the paint job is a heck of a bargain. Well worth the price.
So true. And they don't offer nitro relic style finishes BUT! You can just get the body and do it yourself, or only pay them 200 for a clear finish, sand it down a tiny bit, and then spray on whatever nitro paint color you want and since warmoth already made it super smooth with the clear finish, your finish color will show up really nice too! Not exactly as good as what a factory can produce but meh, close enough. Just look at Aarons Sherwood green one here. Looks super bad ass! It would trick anyone into thinking it's a factory finished guitar unless they got right up on it and looked at it for a few seconds in great detail.
Totally agree
@@soyborne.bornmadeandundone1342 Sure, just tie a rope to it and drag it down a gravel road so in your head... at least... you'll feel like you put 30 years of honest wear and tear on it. Dumbest trend in guitars ever.
#heroesjourney
Absolutely. 👍
Couple of tips. Nitro and acrylic lacquer paints are self leveling which means the new coat melts the previous coat and blends into it. If you were to sand between the color coats then the new color coat erases all your hard work of sanding between coats. So don't sand between color coats. Just pile one color coat on top of the other after letting the previous coat dry for about 15 minutes. I never do any final wet sanding as I hand polish the guitar afterwards and this will basically level sand the final clear coat. If you want a perfect paint job you will have to start from the foundation of sanding the guitar body as best as you can with progressive higher grit of sandpaper. Also, use a spray booth as there are lots of specs of dust floating in the air ready to land on your freshly painted guitar. It also takes about one month for the guitar to dry before buffing. If you do the prep work then you don't need as many coats of paint afterwards to cover for mistakes in sanding. Also, use dark ie. gray or black primer color for dark colors and use white primer for light colors. That sherwood green should have had a dark primer and not a white one. The white one was great for the red strat. If you don't use a white primer then the color will be much darker. Lastly, nitro evaporates after years and will probably sink into the wood if the sealer is also a nitro product. I would use duplicolor sand and sealer spray can to do the primer coat with and then either a nitro or duplicolor perfect match acrylic lacquer which is more durable than nitro but sprays just as easy as nitro. Acrylic lacquer is more plasticky substance and therefore more durable than nitro. They use this stuff for car paints.
One more thing, before spraying primer or sealer make sure you wet sand the body to raise the grain that you will then cut down with a sandpaper. It creates smoother surface afterwards.
Great tips you got there man, even wrote a couple notes to myself for when I get brave enough to refinish my guitar in lacquer. The thing with the white basecoat is Fender used to do that back in the day, and still do on vintage spec models that are solid colored. "Mojo Factor" is a powerful phenomenon, and some people want it just like is was back in the day.
Yeah these are good tips for sure. Just one addendum. I have worked on guitars that car guys have finished with acrylic and one springs to mind. It's true that acrylic is harder and has SOME of the desirable spray properties of nitro but because it's a metal car finish and designed for metals expansion in all directions it is not ideal for woods more directional contraction/ expansion which tends to be extreme in one axis. The aforementioned guitar I worked on was a SG type and in the area notorious for breakage at junction between headstock and nut was a bad transverse finish crack. It really stuck out bad because of the finish thickness and I realized that in that area where headstock flexes with string tension the finish was just not flexible enough in that direction.
Nitro in contrast will not finish crack if treated well and if not will spider check in a way that is pleasing to most as it indicates patina age, vintage etc.
So right there and then I figured out why large guitar and furniture makers use nitro and more and more urethane because they flex correctly for wood.
Otherwise great advice.We in major guitar factory never saw the need to spray white or dark color under final color coats but makes sense to me at least until too color nitro coats chip off corners to expose white sealer underneath! LOL.
You dont want to do that on an open grain wood
Are you suggesting to wet-sand the bare wood, prior to spraying the initial sealer? I want to make sure I understood you properly on that. Some GREAT tips you’ve given.
@@phillamoore157I would not wet sand the body prior to spraying sealer on it. After the sealer is on, then I would sand off the sealer to get a smooth surface. Basically, the sealer will raise the grain hairs and you want to knock those down after the sealer have been put on. I'm sorry if I confused you.
I appreciate the humility venturing from familiar (professional guitar making) to unfamiliar (finishing) and posting the process.
Beyond that, the adherence to doing it like anyone else without the same facility makes the process more relatable.
I really like this guy. If I had the time I’d love to make my own guitar. And the care and honesty that goes into these videos convince me this company is a 100% trustworthy place to go for that. Respect.
Thanks Andrew!
I put one of my last gtrs together during the lockdown, used a Squier Mascis neck and p/ups around a Warmoth roasted alder body that I tung-oiled. Never done anything like this before, but slow-and-easy really helped. Thanks Warmoth.
Thanks Aaron . What I loved about your videos is your humbleness and trying your best to share your experiences. You are really a good man, I hope the viewers and the company appreciate your work. Learning is a continuous journey and no one is perfect . This time I have remembered to comment and say thank you for your kind words and sharing your wisdom. Best regards from ENGLAND UK.
Thanks so much!
This is why I’m addicted to hand-rubbed oil finishes. Costs more for figured woods that look good naked, but oil or oil/poly mixtures are much easier to apply, and endlessly repairable. I’ve also found that polishing the wood out to 2000 grit before applying oil seems to seal up the end grain, making for more even colouration- especially if you’re using dyes to tint the finish.
That's what I'm considering doing with a walnut body. So no sealing, just sand and apply a few coats?
@@ericv7720For a really hard wood like maple or walnut, burnishing out to those finer grits before oil is worth the time. I avoid wet, deep-penetrating Danish oils, and use hard-drying ones like polymerized (cooked) Tung oil or Tru-oil gunstock finish. I don’t apply thick coats- preferring to wet it out, let it sit for an hour or two, then rub off the excess before it hardens and gets gummy. 4 or 5 days of that, then once a week for a few weeks, again at 6 months, then once a year or so after that. It feels natural, never sticky, and the grain and figure in the wood glows. Scratches can be touched up with a few passes with fine polishing papers and a little more oil.
I watched this without skipping. so satisfying. happy to see the great result.
Just a tip on wet sanding, don't use water, use mineral spirits. When I worked for Gibson and Fender that's what we used. It evaporates fast and won't hurt the finish and won't swell the grain.
If you ask me that turned out absolutely beautiful and I like how humble you are and calling yourself a newb, you basically achieved what I and other newbs would achieve after 3 months of trial and error haha. Way to go!!
I have always been a fan of warmoth finishes and since I live in India, I could never thought about owning one. Maybe I will get lucky and finally build myself a warmoth strat! #HerosJourney
Thanks Aaron!
I did a tru-oil finish on my mahogany tele.
No filler, I wanted the grain to come through much like a gibsons raw finish.
It took me about 2 months of layer after layer. Waiting 24 hours between coats.
It came out AMAZING.
If you’re after a natural finish try-oil is great and dummy proof.
Used boiled linseed oil on my mahogany Strat (one piece body) Came out lighter than the tru-oil hybrid Strat I built. Also the linseed oil gave it a bit of a cinnamon hue - Very pretty. #heroesjourney
I did tru oil on a Tele build. Great stuff to work with.
Uh, I figured put how to do it in 3 coats. Beautiful deep grain look and very glossy. Trick is, sanding the first coat with 1500 grit. Make sure you sand up to 400 and leave no fine scratches cause they'll show.
@@ranman58635yeah man, you could def get a great finish with fewer coats.
I had done thinner ones before and wanted to see how it would look with a lot of layers.
Came out amazing.
You killed it in your first try (if it counts as a first try with all your experience). I think I'll buy mine painted! Respect for what you guys do.
I modified an old boom mic stand to shoot bodies on. Reranch is also great friendly company to get supplies from. Ive never had any issues with the Stew Mac canned lacquer either. The one thing with the lacquer in a can is it dries much slower. Wet sand using naphtha....it flashes off very fast so as not to swell up any grain. It also helps cut the lacquer so sanding moves along quicker. Great video! Great job.
As far as I can tell Reranch does not exist any more. Their website is non-functional.
@@warmoth that's sad. It's been a few years since I've ordered anything. Well I guess I'd have to amend my comment to Reranch were a friendly company to get supplies from. Edit....I must re-amend my comment. I just went to the Reranch site and it seems they are in fact alive and well. Just to be certain I put items in a cart and it gave me a total and wanted credit card info.
I think you forgot to mention temp factors. Make sure your can is warm and the same for your guitar body finish : )
I take a soup cup, fill it with a bit of water, micro wave it for 1 min, take it out, put the can of spray paint inside of it, let it sit for a few mins, and now you're ready to paint.
To make your body warm, let it sit in the sun for a second. If you don't want to do that, Nuke a hot towel for a few minutes and then touch it all over your body to get it all nice and warm.
And that sounded dirty! lol.
I second all of that. I might be a bit turned on too. Giggity.
@@corneliuscrewe677 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Having finished two bodies (one of them a Warmoth!) I can tell you I learned very similar lessons. Definitely have a lot more respect for finishing work afterwards. Mine were both dye/stain jobs and still it was incredibly painstaking. Clear coating especially, there's imperfections everywhere. Probably the hardest part of a partscaster build.
I've done a couple aerosol finishes.
It is very time consuming, and I found myself going "Yeah, that happened to me too!"
It's all a learning process and experience.
Thanks for sharing this.
#herosjourney
You won! Congrats!
I just need to do a headstock with minimum coats Any tips ? Thanks
Great video. I hope that enthusiasts will note the few times that you mention that such a finish actually does take weeks to achieve and there are no short cuts. There is a character to an old fashioned nitrocellulose lacquer finish that simply doesn’t happen with other finishes. The finish ages in a wonderfully natural way that can’t be faked. In twenty years, the wear, the age, and the minor accidents will all look good. Whether your journey in guitar making stays limited to assembling parts and putting a telecaster together or you advance to making your own bodies and necks, Warmoth is certainly a place to begin the journey.
Just finished watching. You did a 99% perfect job I'd argue. And honestly after a few days or weeks of playing, those lil nics would have happened somewhere on the body anyways. Remember folks. No such thing as a 100% perfect finish. If you look close enough after a while you WILL see a imperfection.
To me that adds character to the guitar , and makes it more personal IMO!
Totally agree. I feel like if anything I own is too perfect, I’m not able to really use it without a certain level of stress. Imperfections can be freeing in that regard.
I want to build my dream DIY custom shop 62-64 Strat. It’s $250 for a bare body and $500 for the paint job. Dustin at Doom Bloom does excellent work from what I hear and he said that he’s try to do as clean a job as possible, but he typically doesn’t do factory finishes, just closet clean finishes.
Would you say it’s worth it for me to do it myself having finished 3 necks in nitro? Or do you think it’s worth doubling the price since it’s my dream guitar?
Aaron, I think you do the opposite of jibber-jabber in your videos! You give great info in a manner that keeps me interested and I don't ever feel like you are just saying empty words. I'm either learning or laughing. Thanks!
#herosjourney great job! I just painted a Charvel with poly cans. You did quite nice, not taking away anything, there’s a 3 part series over at Stew Mac channel on how to finish a body and neck with cans, it us really helpful. Peace
I've been watching your videos since quarantine- Warmoth's attention to detail and Aaron as their spokesman have won me over- I can't wait to build a guitar of my own from Warmoth #heroesjourney
Why do I feel like something I said to Spike inspired this video? Lol. Basically I was notified that my custom ordered strat body had a couple paint flaws, and instead of accepting it as it was I said "do what you have to do. I've waited over 20 weeks, I can wait longer. I'd be okay with the inconsistencies if I did it myself with a spray can". I finally recieved that body last week by the way and it's *beautiful!!*
Good job on both bodies, Aaron!
This channel is getting better and better every time. 👏🏻👏🏻
Cool video. Cheers Aaron.
(The green paint on the t-type body is gorgeous!)
I was asking a couple of guys who work in a body shop about painting a guitar. I have a $300 mod platform guitar that I quickly discovered wouldn’t be cost effective to pay a body shop to blast with some paint, so now on to learning how to do it myself. I had no idea how much work it would take to paint a guitar from raw wood properly!
The two guys started talking about sanding and how that can be really discouraging if you start clear coating and didn’t get the surface perfectly flat!
Luckily my project is to repaint a guitar with a different color, so won’t take as many coats. Just need to find the right kind of paint and rig up a diy paint booth in my garage
This video is a great starting point for me, to establish my expectations, and good timing for me at least.
Thanks algorithm and thanks Warmoth!
Yap totally.. I do the finish.. Love it. Natural woods and stains... Always turns out nice so far. And having an awesomely perfect body.. Like warmoth... Ya almost can't go wrong.
Oh man, this is the final test. Finishing is whole other thing. I have one of your Fender replacement necks on the way. It's the last piece of a killer strat. Can't wait.
Fantastic, FANTASTIC video A-A-Ron. They look dang fine!
My first, and so far, only, DIY guitar was an El cheapo ebay Strat kit with the uncut headstock from at least 17-18 years ago. I chose Fiesta Red for mine and it turned out great! It's strictly been for wall art, but just a few days ago, I was thinking about how much I like the color, so I'm going to make a player out of her. Have already swapped-in some Fender Fat 50s, CTS, etc. Next comes a proper neck. I'm looking at your roasted maple offerings. Once complete, she'll be an excellent Strat!
#HeroesJourney I appreciate that you allowed yourself to be a beginner for this project. The “Aaroncaster” was painted with a DIY spirit that you can’t get from a factory. Although this project cost you a hair follicle and major index finger pain, the final product was well worth it!
I'm working on my fourth build. Two rebuilds after guitars were severely damaged in a house fire, and two builds using mostly Warmoth bodies. I love building. I wish I had more time for it. My next project will be a route from scratch build this summer. Wish me luck
Fingers crossed!!
You did very well, man. I'm a finish guy who dislikes rattle cans, but you did a really nice job. You took all the right steps. Applying the finish in a dusty area is never fun. I also use McGuiars to polish my stuff..I use the plastic headlight polish and a Dewalt auto buffer. I use it on my furniture and almost everything I do. Well done! Man, then you're giving it away! spot on!
Haha, accidentaly is how we learn a lot of things.
Great to see you sharing your first paintjob and showing some of the problems that you came across, that's super-valuable information for anybody who's starting his own project. Cheers
I've built 4 Warmoth guitars and ordering pre-finished bodies and necks is definitely the way to go! Thanks Aaron for taking us through the process.
I have had one attempt at a rattle can finish. I just didn't do enough with the sealer and I never sanded and buffed it well enough. I was so scared of going right through! From a distance it looks OK.
Useful video to show me some of where I went wrong on mine.
Fiesta Red body looks awesome! great work!
Cool that you're dabbing into painting as well. This is the first thing I learned around 35 years ago. I used to buy used guitars, refinish and resell as a teenager. One thing I learned was not to use sealer. Most of the old timers back then called it sanding soap. They advised on using lacker as the sealer, and I can tell you the finish was clearer on stain jobs vs when I used sealer. I am about to refinish 2 of my guitars and will be using 2k clear instead of nitro,
You should haved leveled the front of the guitar before painting it to prevent that low spot by the control knob. Would have been easier since you were doing a solid color. But crucial if you were doing a stain/translucent color so you don't spend extra money in clear leveling it.
Thank you Sir, a lot of wisdom and lessons learned in your video. Not only did you do a pretty good job on the bodies and neck, but you did an excellent job on doing the video.
This is great! Ty for doing this!
Warmoth rules!!
This made me happy that I paid you guys to finish mine. 😄
The red one came out excellent 👌
Really good job on both. The Red Strat looks great man!
I built my First guitar in 1989 - And it was a Warmoth body and neck I used. It turned out Beautiful, and I wish I had never never sold that guitar.
Nice! I’ve done this too. Warmoth body and nitro finish and it came out great. The trick is to take your time spray light coats and warm the lacquer before you spray it.
I did my first diy build last year , it was a Tele. I painted it with about 10 coats of lacquer and 6 coats of clear coat. I ended up installing locking tuner's and changed the pickups and ashtray bridge to Wilkinson , it took about two weeks mainly because of waiting for the paint to dry. All in all it was a great experience and I will definitely do another one , probably an SG next time. Great vid by the way!✌️ PS I didn't wet sand it either because lack of patience...
Hi, what's the difference between Lacquer and Clear Coat? I though those would be the same, isn't the Clear coat the varnish/lacquer that it's sprayed in the last phase? thank you
Im a luthier at Silvino Guitars and I have always hated painting guitar because of past mistakes and the time it takes to do them. This videos showed a lot of tips that I havent seen in probably 30 can paint and can clear thank you!! #heroesjourney
Thanks Aaron this is an excellent and realistic tutorial video. That’s a big help when considering doing a first body
I’m about to refinish my telecaster, I am so glad I found this video. Not only for the information but also for finding the paint company. Thank you so much! #heroesjourney
How’d it go?
I got my paint from the same guy. I called to and he was VERY helpful in my decision making.
Hello all ! Thank you Aaron for this video ! What’s the color of the white/cream strat behind you ?
Love the video but having seen this and remembering my own neck finishing experiment. I realised the Warmoth paint job is so well worth the money
Not bad for a first time! I did it myself once, way back on a (cheap) Stratocaster style guitar, there were no youtube tutorials or anything like that, so I had to find out the hard way that painting a guitar is a craft in itself; dust problems, insufficient sanding and painting and not knowing at all that you can polish the paint.
Take it from somebody who has done many many paint jobs there arent many paint jobs that are perfect, I think you did awesome and if you're happy thats all that matters. Great job
Thank you Aaron for taking us through your #HeroesJourney!
Enjoyed following your fearless #herosjourney, Aaron! Very impressive outcomes from a first timer. and so much patience with all those coats and how many hours sanding? Sorry about your finger (and insightful detail about the overhang disrupting the spray), very pleased there was no need to amputate. Aloha!
Just came here 2 years later to share that I did my own finishing on a guitar recently and today was the sanding/buffing day. I too got a blister on my index finger. #HerosJourney
Warmoth finishing is an absolute steal for what you get! (I did my own because I was set on a nitro lacquer.)
You are a braver man than I. We've all got very clear ideas about what a glossy guitar body should look like, especially textbook shapes like those, and posting a video of your efforts and results is definitely a #herosjourney (though that looks silly without an apostrophe).
#herosjourney Great to see you again Aaron! This was such an inspiring video, thank you!!!
Aaron, I’d love to see a video that goes in depth on the common techniques used by the various custom shops to relic/distress nitro finished guitars. I understand if it’s not in your wheelhouse but perhaps think about bringing on a guest? I think there are guitar players (like me) that would do more Warmoth builds if they could view it as both meeting a guitar need but also an artistic project to create something typically associated with the ultra high end guitar market. I don’t mean just basic tips on nitro finish checking and dings. One little example is I’d love to know how to emulate a particular method of using dark stains (or dyes) next to the frets on tinted lacquered maple fretboards creating that really cool contrast/effect that you see on some high end guitars. 🎸🤘
I love your story telling style. Fun video sir.
Pro quality is a high mark to aim at on first efforts. I'm glad you were able to get the outcome you wanted. In my experience with arts & crafts, a lot of the process involves adjusting the techniques and/or the objectives.
My oldest guitar has a Warmoth neck and have painted the body many times.. I love that neck, there's nothing like it!
This guy is so cool. I've seen a ton of how-to videos, but this is the first time I've heard: "Actually I've had a haircut since this video started and I'm almost ready for another one, I think".
The sad puppy dog face at 10:10 is worth watching the video alone.
I highly recommend Gracey's Vintage Finishes products, they have excellent color selections and product reliability.
I get incredible results from canned NC. The secret is pore filling when needed or sanding sealer first unless you are alright using a lot of NC to level a lot of the woods. There is a brand that has a small wall clock on it at the box stores but you need to check the label as they sell to california as well so you may see non NC cans on the shelf too. I just sort through them.
Excellent job. You painted it really well.
Good job! I always encourage people to go for it. I have a small shop, and I have finished many guitars. No long speech LOL, but I could offer a couple quick tips? First, almost all "home stores" sell "triggers" for spray cans. They grip in the top ring, and when you pull the trigger a tab presses down on the tip. Makes it a mini self powered spray gun. LOL Should be about $10. Also, I like to draw warm tap water into a bucket, and place the cans in it before spraying. As warm as possible, from the tap, works best. The warm paint, and propellant will flow better and not spatter. Best luck!! Gary PS; I use some Warmoth necks with my builds in my old age also!! LOLOL 8)
Getting so many flashbacks to when I first painted a guitar body. That was swamp ash, thought I had enough filler but noooo I didn't. Now I just tell people it's an "open grain finish". Still love it though! Been itching to do another ever since. DIY gives such a sense of accomplishment. #heroesjourney
Beautiful work, Aaron. I am always happy to see you deliver another video. Your humanity, your humor, your sincerity - all are welcome. #heroesjourney
Mahalo for this video, Aaron. I’ve been tempted to try my own nitro finish and have watched several videos on it, but they were all experts who are already experienced in the techniques, so watching a noob’s #heroesjourney on the Nitro Sea makes it somehow less intimidating.
I look forward to every new Warmoth video, and this was one of the best: enjoyable, informative, and satisfying. Aloha.
Respect for those artist who make this process, giving life, vibrant vibes to the instruments. #heroesjourney
#HeroesJourney That was really fun to watch!
More DIY please!
I’ve put together many projects with Warmoth parts over the years for my customers and myself.
I’ve often heard much crying about the prices for the finishes.
Now perhaps those folks who complain see just what’s involved.
Good job and video…!!!
What were we supposed to say to win the body…?
I’ve been working outside of the US for a few months and I was just thinking about ordering an unfinished body to start when I return. Showing a first effort from an inexperienced perspective gives me a lot more confidence going forward😄
I’ll definitely throw my hat in the ring for the #herosjourney though as well
Great to see you branching out and going for it. Great video #heroesjourney
Thanks for the great video, Aaron. It was a real #HeroesJourney .
New warmoth video...and my ⅞ S-style build will be here friday! Work was crap today, but this is certainly good news.
#herosjourney
You did a great job. I have attempted this before.....but next time I will let warmoth do it.
#HERO’sJourney
🤩 WOW congratulations to you for this challenging undertaking.
#herosjourney They look great Aaron, congrats on having a go and succeeding! My hint - start each spray pass from before the guitar body starts, until after it finishes, and then release the spray, before commencing the next pass, keeping the can the same distance from the body the whole time. Move your whole body, not your arm or wrist.
Outstanding job for your first go. I've never tried an instrument, but I used to be a high end house painter and did a lot of fine cabinetry, trim, molding, etc. I think you may have avoided the valley if all your passes overlapped by 50%. Just a guess, as this could be a whole different animal.
It's not that hard but wears on your patience waiting for the paint to dry. That's the longest part of the whole build , but when it's done you'll be very pleased , I even bought a special lacquer pen to write my last name on the headstock. I'm gonna definitely do another one...
@@mikeg6666 Oh good call on the lacquer pen. I'd do that if I didn't have the worst penmanship on planet earth.
@@johncbeer 🤣 mines not the best either , being Italian I have a lot of i's and n's in my name. So I basically drew a capital G and a straight line! 😃
Loved your work Aaron! I painted my first Strat 2 years ago using nitro paint cans and it was a lot of work trying to level everything using the grain filler, sealer and primer coats since I was using Ash and it SOAKS everything you put there! Also I did an Inca Silver so the surface HAD to be leveled! It ended up working great and the guitar has already aged to a golden hue 2 years later in some areas. Nitro is king!
#heroesjoruney
You did good! Never underestimate the value of Bondo
Lightly relic'd. That's marketing! Great job and thanks for the video. #heroesjourney
Total marketing!! LOL. :D
I also painted a Warmoth Vintage body with Gracey's Dakota Red. Man, I love that color! #HerosJourney #HeroesJourney
Looks fantastic great job , I think I will order the finished one 🙂
This is a text-book example of failing your way to success. Both those look fantastic. I’d be thrilled if mine came out that good. What I would do next, solely for the sake of learning, is how to strip all that paint off, then doing the process all over again. Now, I want to paint a set of drums…..if I can just find a video on that! 👍
What a great project Aaron. They look great!! #herosjourney
#HeroesJourney I have french polished guitars a few times. One time I was doing a classical. I had a guitar wall hanger in a corner. So on one wall was the guitar drying between coats and on the other corner wall was a large framed glass picture. My little nephew ran in the room and crashed into stuff. Knocked the picture down. Hits a speaker. Turns 45 degrees and crashes into the guitar and didn't just ruin the finish. It had shattered glass all inside. And pieces sticking out of the spruce top. You just have to laugh that stuff off but wow...I had 45 hours just in hand rubbing shellac, oil and paint thinner. Ugh. Heh. Thanks for taking us along.
#herosjourney
This is the content that the world needs! Next time, show us the tea cup!
Now I understand why there haven't been any Warmoth videos for a while : )
Yep, this one was a lot of work!
Great job! One thing I noticed, overlap your passes about 50% to eliminate a 'striping' effect.
This is awesome stuff. Relic options at warmoth?. Relic options would be in demand. Have you considered relic options? Doing a relic what level to pick diy rdy? Will check website...
Ironically I came to Warmoth because I was looking for a new guitar with a natural wood finish after playing a Rick 650 for a decade, and it ended up being absolutely the easiest thing to do and still looks great even without a hard finish.
I hope to win and see the work in person! Great job! #HeroesJourney
Beautiful job, Aaron! I love how positive and kind you are in explaining all these concepts, which can easily get intimidating. Loving that metallic green! #herosjourney
#HEROESJOURNEY Thank you Aaron! These came out awesome! 🤘
Nice job as always. Great content.
Looking great! Reduces my fears of finishing a body for sure! #herosjourney
I bought a Charvel MIM Warren Dimartini guitar and hated it. I put a Warmoth modern scalloped neck on it, along with a Dimarzio X2N, a Sugar Chakra, and a Gotoh 1996T bridge. I play it all the time. Warmoth to the rescue!
I am trying to finish a body I made myself and it is a challenge as is anything you have never done before. I have watched Warmoth videos and the painter makes it look like it is nothing! Years of doing the same thing over and over again....
Great video,
#heroesjourney
LOL....I know, right? The guys in our finishing department have this dialed in!
You are always helpful, Aaron. Your mounting system looks cool. What is that?
It's not something you can buy. It's the the handle/mount system that Warmoth developed.