Poly does a great job on lacquer as well. Looks awesome on that strat I did. I went with a semi gloss on that simply because the metal flake shines well enough I didnt need a go full gloss as it would have taken away from the sparkle of the flakes with that gloss shine. Turned out pretty sweet.
I'm not sure what lacquer you used and what poly you used. In my limited experience, it didn't work very well. I'm no expert, but one might not get the best long term results using polyurethane over lacquer. And you DEFINITELY CAN NOT put lacquer over poly AT ALL. They generally aren't very compatible finishes. Polyurethane does not form a solid bond with lacquer. A good rule of thumb, if you start with lacquer, it's generally best to stay with lacquer. Please correct me if I'm wrong here. I'm still learning.
If you let your lacquer dry fully and scuff it lightly you can apply poly over top of it. It would be inadvisable to try the opposite, because that would be like trying to spray lacquer over plastic. Using poly to create a harder shell around your lacquer finish isn’t a common technique per se, but it tends to work fine.
I stand corrected. I was under the impression that nitro lacquer can continue to gas off over a very long period of time, up to several years and shrink back in the process. Which can cause a world of issues with the poly coat. I take it that's not entirely accurate then? Or are people having issues because they didn't allow enough time for the nitro to completely dry
If you don’t let the nitro dry enough, that can definitely cause an issue. Once it has gassed off to a reasonable degree though, generally for a month or so, sealing it in poly will basically prevent further evaporation anyway.
YOU ARE GREAT...WE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR TIPS..MOST OF US HAVENT THE ABILITY OR ACCESS OR KNOW HOW TO THE PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SO THE SPRAY CANS ARE THE WAY TO GO...!!
I have a Carpenter's pencil, one of the flat ones, with a chisel tip on it that I taped to a speed square for doing tracings for simple shapes, especially when I want to do masking work for a graffiti wall I made in my carport. You just move the square around with the object tapes down on the poster board, with the flat edge of the pencil pressed against the sides
hell yeah! never thought about masking using screws/poster board before.. course ive never tried a burst either. nice strategy! figured you'd have a good one
Hello Brad, I don't know if you saw the Frog Leap Studio's video, where the guy is making his own guitar. I was amazed when I saw the final art on the painting. He used some paper to make the abstract draw, and it looked amazing. Despite the amount of mistakes, I want to do something like that. Any idea of what spray canes shoud I use to do that "technique" from the Frog Leap Studio's video? Thanks
Hey Brad .. another great video. Do you find that spray can paint has gotten better over the years? Looking at a lot of the videos you have done in the last 2 years with Spray cans are really impressive. I am going to spray my first guitar with cans tomorrow following your advice. I even purchased a couple of guitars for $20 off Craigslist to practice with. Happy New Year!
I definitely think that there are some decent quality cans out there these days. There’s also much more variety than there used to be. You can get candy paints, catalyzed clears, etc. now. It’s not nearly as hard to get a quality finish out of cans anymore.
Although this video is a little passed it is very informative I'm going to try to shoot my guitar with silver glitter and lil daddy tropical orange rattle can do you think this will work lm in Louisville KY is there a Big box here ?😮
Great Video And Very Informative As Always Brad, Luv That Burst Effect, Thank You Once Again for Sharing Your Knowledge With Us All, Looking Forward To The Next One, Have A Great Day, Cheers
Hey, cool videos, thanks for posting them. Although I've only watched a couple so far, I already feel more confident about the process. A couple of questions: 1 You screwed in the screws from the top of the card, thus rested the shield on the guitar with the sharp tips of the screw. That must run the risk of the screws damaging the sealer or paint, were you not concerned about that? 2 - My plan for my guitar is for a dark blue burst (all opaque, I'm not concerned at all about the grain pattern of the wood). So a nice deep-ish blue in the middle, fading to a darker blue one the edging of the guitar (and the sides and the back). Presumably the way to go is to spray the whole body in the lighter blue, let it dry, then add the 'burst' dark blue with the shield, then the sides and the back. Should that darker colour be added in one go, or should I let the front of the guitar dry before doing the rest? Cheers!
1. No, I just set it down carefully. You need to use the sharp end to avoid having marks where a larger surface masked part of the face and overspray left a “shadow” around it. 2. I would let it dry and sand lightly with 600 grit before adding the second color.
Hey Brad ! If i want to do a silverburst would you recommend putting my silver coats all over the guitar and use your technique with black afterwards ? Thanks
Man- the simplicity with a great outcome. What more could someone ask for? If you made vids every day I think you would keep many of us staying tuned. Great content Brother- great channel. I hope it’s making you good $.✌🏻🎸🤘🏻
Haha I wish I could make videos every day, but unfortunately I work 50-70 hours/week at my main job as well, so I don’t really have any more time that I can dedicate to it.
Despite Texas Toast, ( ;-) ) I knew you could teach me to put a rattle can burst on an inexpensive guitar for my almost 4 y/o granddaughter. Rock on Brad!
Hey Brad, im going to try your technique on my acoustic guitar. I tried using dye with an airbrush. It came out fantastic but once it dried there was what looked like salt crystals formed on the guitar body. I went out today and got a matte candy apple red and a matte black in spray cans. I will be using a minwax wood conditioner sealer before i spray. Hopefully it comes out like yours. Cheers from Newfoundland🤘🍻
Another great video Brad, thanks again! I've thought about ways to use a template, or "shield," to help spray a sunburst more accurately, or perhaps a better term would be "less inaccurately," than freehand, but could never think of a good way to suspend it above the surface to be painted. Your "screw method" is brilliant. Thanks again.
Brad Angove HA! That's always good advice! So, since I watched and commented on this video, I found somebody selling a MIK "Gibson Epiphone" Les Paul I'm going to look at tomorrow. Maybe I'll try this technique to refinish it. I may leave it as is for now, as I'm not as familiar with Epiphones from that era as I'd like to be. It's got the Epiphone headstock that's longer than the Gibson's, plus, it has the truss rod cover with the vertical "Gibson" engraved on it, and the neck plate that's cast with "Hand-crafted in Korea by Epiphone The Epiphone Company Nashville Tennessee, USA" I haven't seen one of those old Korean bolt-on Les Pauls for a long time, but I remember them being very well made. If it's in really good shape I may just leave it as is...if it's in good shape...
Back n the early days of painting custom vans we often used the same principal for wood grain effects and finish with a top coat of one to ten part of clear mixed with home brew burst then it was put into production . The favorite saying n the paint shop here they come with build sheets can we get a raise ! Sure stand on the fork lift !lol
Brad Angove back when we were about your age with built custom vans . We had the second largest company for van conversions. Eight builders . Eight painters . One saw man papa smurff and one trimmer we built eighty vans amonth . With only two clear coat booths . Their was always something going on day to day like where's the bathroom door!
I've wanted a purpleburst strat since I bought a Best of Deep Purple album that has one on the cover. If I want a solid color, would I use purple enamel to coat the whole thing, and then black around the edges with a template like this? I also have a paintbrush that I've never used before that might help in some way. By the way, a few years ago your videos helped me repaint my first guitar with a sick jack-o-lantern theme and I'd like to thank you for that. If you have a twitter or something I'd like to send you pictures.
I have an Instagram link in the description where you can send me pictures. Are you planning on mostly spraying, or are you trying to brush when possible?
@@BradAngove I haven't decided yet. I'm planning ahead for a fun summer project. I thought I'd go to my nearby ACE Hardware and look at their spraypaints which are on a 2 for 1 sale right now, and maybe compare shades. I don't have much of a plan yet on how I'm going to go about it.
Yes, but be careful about how you overlap them because opaque obviously doesn’t blend the same way. I’d definitely do a test piece first if I were you.
@@BradAngove Thanks Brad, I will definitley going to do a test, I have only painted single colours before, so this will be a step up for me. Keep up the great work!!
When you're finished will you have a mirror-smooth finish or will it still have an orange-peel look? Did you say you put a clear lacquer on top after painting?
Thanks so much for this video. Wanna do a shadetop like the -37 martin guitar. Tobaccobrown and amber yellow. So i guess i start with the brown then add the yellow after it? What kind of sealer are you using? On acoustic it kinda kill tone.
Love your videos. Have an old Squire that I am thinking off striping and then doing a burst. How would you go about doing a silverburst? Maybe a video??? ;)
Short answer: Yes If you're shooting free hand/not using a template using a lower angle, you can achieve a similar result. You'd concentrate the darker color to the outside and spray more from the middle of the body. If done correctly, the fade area can be more gradual, and more even gradient in the transition area. It's all about the angle. At least that's what I've seen in videos from the Gibson factory. Those guys shoot bursts all day long everyday! More than one way to skin a cat.
To add to Dave’s comment, which is correct, the same applies when you’re using a shield. If you lower your angle and aim from out to in, you will get a wider burst and a more substantial fade area.
I have watched a few of your videos and all are brilliant. I have a strat which I am painting an emerald burst - light green in the middle to darker then black at the outside edge. I am using solid colour spray cans. I have a question: should I create and use two masks for the 3 colours? Or only one in the outer edge between the darker green and the black. I have tested it slightly on an old piece of clean wood, it seems that the burst works well when the paint is wet. Can you comment on this, also could you do an emerald burst paint job tutorial on a strat. Many thanks Stuart.
look great man, I have used this technique for doing air brush paintings, haven't applied it to guitar bodies. Have you used Aniline wood dye? trying some out on my next build.
I don't particularly like burst pattern on guitars but the technique is definitely useful to know. Initially I though you would have used foam or some similar spacer but thinking it over the screws make a lot of sense. Minimal blockage of any diffusing spray under.
Hi Brad. I love your channel. I was just wondering what stores carry the behlen products you used? I live in North Bay Ontario and have a couple of guitars I am building and just wish to in a store to buy the sprays. Thank you
Awesome! I just found your channel yesterday and its very educational. Once you put out that video I'll probably try my hand at painting my Epiphone for the first time.
Technically you probably could, but this burst is done in lacquer. Using a brush on lacquer overtop would probably make more sense. The spray lacquer would be even better.
Not a huge "burst" fan but great video as always. I gotta admit that I liked the body better after it was on fire. Anyway.... Great job on the explanation!!
@@BradAngove I made a guitar out of a bunch of half inch thick pieces of oak side by side glued up, then burnt a burst onto it. Only cracked a little, didnt warp though:)
Brad Angove I’m looking to do a cherry burst. I kind of want a small part of the center to be more natural. Like the classic Tele blonde with the wood grain. Should I stain the center then paint the burst or just go over the middle lightly with the amber? Color doesn’t matter as much I just want the blending from yellow to orange and red to go from very light to a thick red so the picture shows on the yellow.
Hey Brad. First, thanks for what you do. I am learning a lot from you and I appreciate your expertise. Now to my question: I am building a kit guitar that has a very (very, very) thin but beautiful veneer but has some glue bleed through that won't take stain. I want to do a black burst around the edge to cover the flaws. Can I then come back with a satin or matte clear coat over that? I am really looking for a natural wood look because I like the spalted grain pattern in the veneer. Or do you recommend a different approach?
You can definitely do that. I would use an acrylic for the thin black burst, like I did on Darrel Braun’s guitar paint job. Then you can clear coat over the whole thing in a satin if you want.
@@BradAngove Thanks for responding, and thanks for making the information available and attainable. Much appreciated. BTW, can't wait to see what you do in the build-off.
I've seen videos where a person will start with the lighter color then put the cut out over the guitar and do the outside. Do you do it like this so the coating is even or is this just a preferred method? And can you show us a 3 tone burst sometime? Maybe a black to silver to white? Unless you have already done that lol
This is just my preferred method for transparent paint. I like to be able to blend overtop. On opaques I always start lighter and then add the darker edge.
@@BradAngove Hey thanks, bud. My brother and I are starting our own custom guitar shop and guitar line so I've been soaking up as much info as I can from your page. Keep it coming!
Question: How long should the vinyl sealer coat(s) be left on there before beginning to apply the burst as in this video? In other words should I let the vinyl sealerr set for a couple of days, or a couple of hours, before applying the sunburst?
@@BradAngove Thanks for the reply. I've got the sealer on and everything looks ready, just didn't know how long a good waiting period was. Your videos are always a big help, and I have certain ones marked so that I watch them again just before doing that task to have everything fresh in my mind as I begin.
I have just ordered two new kits and I plan on using this technique. However, I would db like to add specs of paint over lighter portion using the same color as the edge. Any ideas?
Ok. You can get the stipple by: Spraying into the air and creating guided overspray. Spraying onto a toothbrush and flicking it into the project. Bouncing the spray off of something at the nozzle. And probably some other techniques.
Thanks for the video. Awesome as always. I know manufacturers shoot light to dark. With a pattern like you used that isn't quite as feasible. Could you demonstrate the finished differences between doing both ways in a side by side results? On a side note. The Behlen products are really really good. I'm impressed. Thanks for the suggestion, Brad. So far my project looks great, and I'm no pro with spraying anything. Everything I've sprayed from Behlen has just been a pleasure to use. Starting day 2 of Behlen Stinged Instrument Lacquer today.
Thanks Dave. I sometimes spray in to out as well, but with these transparent colours the difference tends to be minimal. In fact, I would expect the side by side results to be identical. I would spray the entire face of the guitar amber, aiming for it to be lighter in the center and then fade to deeper around the outside. Then I would add the red directly on top of the amber. It should look very much the same. I am also quite fond of the Behlen. I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to use them for a few things now.
Cool, I wasn't sure if it would make a lot of difference if it went on the other way around. I know when dyeing/staining seems like it's better to go lighter color first, then dark over top. Seems to blend better. Unless you're sanding back to highlight figured grain like in curly maple. I Didn't know if tinted lacquers translated the same way.
Brad Angove well I have a Dean mlx that I'm painting satin white and I want to paint the fret board white as well but don't know how to go about it without messing it up.
You would paint it essentially the same way as everything else. Just make sure you clean it really well, sand it lightly at about 400 grit so your paint will stick, and then clean it again before spraying anything.
I've never worked with poly before. I was just going to use minwax oil based clear polyurethane. The neck I'm finishing is maple. Do you recommend minwax? Do I need sealer? If so, how many coats of sealer do I need? Also, do I sand in between coats? If so, what grit?
Brad Angove thank you for answering all of my questions. The neck is almost $600 with no finish and nothing on it, so I really want to make sure it comes out good
Hey Brad, thanks for another tutorial! Looks great as always! Hey I see yours is a bolt in neck, and you didn’t really worry about getting sealer, paint etc. in the neck cavity. I am building a glue in, set neck. I have read that I should only glue the bottom surface area of the neck and not let glue in the sides or butt, as wood to wood contact creates the resonance for sustain. Should I mask the neck cavity when painting? I heard someone Else say you can use the buildup to help with a loose fit, but have heard others say to shim with natural wood rather. Mine is not loose, so that’s not a concern, but I do wonder about getting paint in the cavity. Is it catastrophic? Or is this an old timer, relic guitar lover preference?
If it’s a nice tight fit you need to mask it to make sure it will continue to fit. Either way it’s usually a good idea to mask, although as you said, sometimes a bit of finish helps snug things up. I’m not an expert in the principles of resonance, but I would think that it’s much more important to have good contact and a snug fit than it is to have specifically wood-to-wood contact. I see no reason why the resonance needed for sustain wouldn’t be able to pass through finish. There are lots of guitars with finished bolt on necks and good sustain. There are also guitars with good sustain that aren’t made of wood. I imagine the people saying it had to be wood to wood are the same ones who think that tonewood makes a substantial difference to how a guitar sounds.
Brad Angove kind of what I thought too. Thanks for clarifying. Yea tonewood only really matters with an acoustic. When you put hot pickups in a guitar I think they outweigh any effect the wood type would have. Cool man, thanks for the advice, it is valued and appreciated.
Thank you for your awesome videos when I left guitar building school my first thought was how am I going to do paint and finishing with out a fancy spray booth and heated lacquer system you have really given me some great ideas and a little more confidence that I can do this at home keep up the good work
I’m very glad to hear that. You can absolutely do it at home if you have a safe place to work on it and are willing to put in the extra effort for a quality hand or can finish.
A spray can handle would make the work much easier and better… I like spraying from the middle to the outside. That gives you the possibility to ”feather” the burst more. I also prefer to start with the lightest tone…
Hi Brad, I attempted to make a template like the one in this video but failed miserably due to the fact that I'm not left handed.... Only joking! As usual another great instructional vid. Cheers.
Hello Brad I painted my squier strat when I was 15 back in 2004. I done a bad job of it, but after watching your videos I now know I've done a terrible job haha! (Terrible job with regards to not preparing it properly and finishing etc). It's currently green with a red element logo (I was really into Tony Hawks games) I'm going to repaint it and I'm wanting to do a purple or a blue burst. So would you recommend taking the paint right back to the wood? goo.gl/images/FkfC6g Sort of similar to this body, but I know I can't achieve this with spray cans, but just taking some inspiration. Thank you Kenny
yeah, i see rigid fades on less commercial products because the gradual fade is harder to do... so i guess you could say that i like the gradual fades more because there is more craftsmanship involved. i have done fades on test peices of wood using dye, and it is somewhat tedious, though you can treat dyes like watercolor and it will work fine if you let the stuff dry in between coats, and you mix the dye lightly. however, most people cannot pull off a gradual dye burst because the traditional application method simply doesnt work well, and cans are the fastest option by far.
yeah, that is the professional way to do it. if i had an air compressor, i would do it that way, but i only build guitars for myself at the moment and i don't plan on making a career out of instrument building, so it would not be a smart investment. i will eventually have a fab shop one day, but i am still a college kid. i realize that i have so much research under my belt now though from all these youtube videos, and because whenever i take on a guitar building project, it is always as ambitious as i can make it... i have about a thousand pounds of exotic wood for building this stuff sitting around in my room(weight wise, though roughly the same in british money too i suppose).
Hey man, you’ve come a long way in six years! Keep it up!
Thanks man.
That's a very...very useful video. Thanks Brad.
Glad I could help.
So much good information on this channel I love digging further threw older stuff, so much great tips and such. Helping me with my build alot!
Thanks. Glad you’re finding useful content.
Thank you Brad. You and your videos have been very helpfull to me. Please keep doing what you do.
I’m glad you’ve found them useful. Thanks for watching.
Poly does a great job on lacquer as well. Looks awesome on that strat I did. I went with a semi gloss on that simply because the metal flake shines well enough I didnt need a go full gloss as it would have taken away from the sparkle of the flakes with that gloss shine. Turned out pretty sweet.
I'm not sure what lacquer you used and what poly you used. In my limited experience, it didn't work very well. I'm no expert, but one might not get the best long term results using polyurethane over lacquer. And you DEFINITELY CAN NOT put lacquer over poly AT ALL. They generally aren't very compatible finishes. Polyurethane does not form a solid bond with lacquer. A good rule of thumb, if you start with lacquer, it's generally best to stay with lacquer. Please correct me if I'm wrong here. I'm still learning.
If you let your lacquer dry fully and scuff it lightly you can apply poly over top of it. It would be inadvisable to try the opposite, because that would be like trying to spray lacquer over plastic. Using poly to create a harder shell around your lacquer finish isn’t a common technique per se, but it tends to work fine.
I stand corrected. I was under the impression that nitro lacquer can continue to gas off over a very long period of time, up to several years and shrink back in the process. Which can cause a world of issues with the poly coat. I take it that's not entirely accurate then? Or are people having issues because they didn't allow enough time for the nitro to completely dry
If you don’t let the nitro dry enough, that can definitely cause an issue. Once it has gassed off to a reasonable degree though, generally for a month or so, sealing it in poly will basically prevent further evaporation anyway.
YOU ARE GREAT...WE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR TIPS..MOST OF US HAVENT THE ABILITY OR ACCESS OR KNOW HOW TO THE PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SO THE SPRAY CANS ARE THE WAY TO GO...!!
I’m glad you’re finding the spray can videos useful. Thanks for watching.
I have a Carpenter's pencil, one of the flat ones, with a chisel tip on it that I taped to a speed square for doing tracings for simple shapes, especially when I want to do masking work for a graffiti wall I made in my carport.
You just move the square around with the object tapes down on the poster board, with the flat edge of the pencil pressed against the sides
hell yeah! never thought about masking using screws/poster board before.. course ive never tried a burst either. nice strategy! figured you'd have a good one
Cheers Chris
Great tutorial. Thanks for the crunchy guitar playing while you were painting (the tone was awesome).
I wish that was me playing haha.
So much knowledge here. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching
Very cool. I will try that technique today on my other guitar. Thanks for great content!
Thanks Michael.
Hello Brad, I don't know if you saw the Frog Leap Studio's video, where the guy is making his own guitar.
I was amazed when I saw the final art on the painting. He used some paper to make the abstract draw, and it looked amazing.
Despite the amount of mistakes, I want to do something like that. Any idea of what spray canes shoud I use to do that "technique" from the Frog Leap Studio's video? Thanks
You can do it with pretty much any spray can. I’ve used that technique on a few guitars before; it’s quite straightforward. Have fun!
This turned out so good 🤙🏻🤙🏻
Thank you
Hey Brad .. another great video. Do you find that spray can paint has gotten better over the years? Looking at a lot of the videos you have done in the last 2 years with Spray cans are really impressive. I am going to spray my first guitar with cans tomorrow following your advice. I even purchased a couple of guitars for $20 off Craigslist to practice with. Happy New Year!
I definitely think that there are some decent quality cans out there these days. There’s also much more variety than there used to be. You can get candy paints, catalyzed clears, etc. now. It’s not nearly as hard to get a quality finish out of cans anymore.
Although this video is a little passed it is very informative I'm going to try to shoot my guitar with silver glitter and lil daddy tropical orange rattle can do you think this will work lm in Louisville KY is there a Big box here ?😮
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I’m not sure what’s around Louisville though.
amazing video extremely helpful
Glad to hear it
Great Video And Very Informative As Always Brad, Luv That Burst Effect, Thank You Once Again for Sharing Your Knowledge With Us All, Looking Forward To The Next One, Have A Great Day, Cheers
Cheers to you as well. Wait until you see the effect I’ve got coming out on Friday...
That sounds interesting, is it Friday yet Haha, looking forward to it Brad many thanks, Cheers for now
Hey, cool videos, thanks for posting them. Although I've only watched a couple so far, I already feel more confident about the process.
A couple of questions:
1 You screwed in the screws from the top of the card, thus rested the shield on the guitar with the sharp tips of the screw. That must run the risk of the screws damaging the sealer or paint, were you not concerned about that?
2 - My plan for my guitar is for a dark blue burst (all opaque, I'm not concerned at all about the grain pattern of the wood). So a nice deep-ish blue in the middle, fading to a darker blue one the edging of the guitar (and the sides and the back). Presumably the way to go is to spray the whole body in the lighter blue, let it dry, then add the 'burst' dark blue with the shield, then the sides and the back. Should that darker colour be added in one go, or should I let the front of the guitar dry before doing the rest?
Cheers!
1. No, I just set it down carefully. You need to use the sharp end to avoid having marks where a larger surface masked part of the face and overspray left a “shadow” around it.
2. I would let it dry and sand lightly with 600 grit before adding the second color.
@@BradAngove Brad, thank you so much for replying. I really appreciate it. Good man. Cheers.
As usual, another great job. Thank you.
Thank you for watching.
another great job
Thanks.
very useful! next project will definitely take use of this technique. thanks!
I’m glad you like it; thanks for watching.
Hey Brad ! If i want to do a silverburst would you recommend putting my silver coats all over the guitar and use your technique with black afterwards ? Thanks
Yes, that’s how I would do it.
It was beautiful! to get great results with spray you have to know how to handle it well, and you do great jobs with spray I really liked
👏👏👏⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you!
great vid dude
Thanks man.
Man- the simplicity with a great outcome. What more could someone ask for? If you made vids every day I think you would keep many of us staying tuned. Great content Brother- great channel. I hope it’s making you good $.✌🏻🎸🤘🏻
Haha I wish I could make videos every day, but unfortunately I work 50-70 hours/week at my main job as well, so I don’t really have any more time that I can dedicate to it.
UA-cam is a pretty difficult way to earn money haha. Luckily I don’t really prioritize that.
Despite Texas Toast, ( ;-) ) I knew you could teach me to put a rattle can burst on an inexpensive guitar for my almost 4 y/o granddaughter. Rock on Brad!
Cheers
Do you use transparant paint for this or what lacpuer can you use to still see the wood?
Yes, transparent lacquer, often referred to as toner lacquer.
Great tutorial. Any particular way I should spray? Just follow the outline or spray from the body out?
Follow the line, yes. You spray angle will change the way the fade looks. Inward will spread the burst further. Outward will give a harder line.
Awesome paint job! I really enjoyed the music during the painting scene. Who was playing?
I’m not sure who it was exactly. I get the music for my videos from epidemic sound.
Thanks again for your teaching!
Hey Brad, im going to try your technique on my acoustic guitar. I tried using dye with an airbrush. It came out fantastic but once it dried there was what looked like salt crystals formed on the guitar body. I went out today and got a matte candy apple red and a matte black in spray cans. I will be using a minwax wood conditioner sealer before i spray. Hopefully it comes out like yours. Cheers from Newfoundland🤘🍻
Cheers; I hope it works well for you.
Another great video Brad, thanks again! I've thought about ways to use a template, or "shield," to help spray a sunburst more accurately, or perhaps a better term would be "less inaccurately," than freehand, but could never think of a good way to suspend it above the surface to be painted. Your "screw method" is brilliant. Thanks again.
When in doubt, screw it! Thanks for watching James.
Brad Angove HA! That's always good advice! So, since I watched and commented on this video, I found somebody selling a MIK "Gibson Epiphone" Les Paul I'm going to look at tomorrow. Maybe I'll try this technique to refinish it. I may leave it as is for now, as I'm not as familiar with Epiphones from that era as I'd like to be. It's got the Epiphone headstock that's longer than the Gibson's, plus, it has the truss rod cover with the vertical "Gibson" engraved on it, and the neck plate that's cast with "Hand-crafted in Korea by Epiphone
The Epiphone Company
Nashville
Tennessee, USA"
I haven't seen one of those old Korean bolt-on Les Pauls for a long time, but I remember them being very well made. If it's in really good shape I may just leave it as is...if it's in good shape...
Hopefully it’s pristine haha.
If you want a satin finish is it as simple as doing a satin clear coat over the top or is it better to get satin colours? Thanks for the vid!
Satin clear over top should do the trick.
Wow, this is a better version of the tutorial
Couldn’t be much worse than the other one haha
On a flamed maple top, will the wood grain show through one can of spray paint if I don't prime the guitar before painting?
Yes
@@BradAngove Thank you for the reply! Awesome work on the guitar btw
Back n the early days of painting custom vans we often used the same principal for wood grain effects and finish with a top coat of one to ten part of clear mixed with home brew burst then it was put into production . The favorite saying n the paint shop here they come with build sheets can we get a raise ! Sure stand on the fork lift !lol
Stand on the forklift haha. That’s brilliant.
Brad Angove back when we were about your age with built custom vans . We had the second largest company for van conversions. Eight builders . Eight painters . One saw man papa smurff and one trimmer we built eighty vans amonth . With only two clear coat booths . Their was always something going on day to day like where's the bathroom door!
I've wanted a purpleburst strat since I bought a Best of Deep Purple album that has one on the cover. If I want a solid color, would I use purple enamel to coat the whole thing, and then black around the edges with a template like this? I also have a paintbrush that I've never used before that might help in some way. By the way, a few years ago your videos helped me repaint my first guitar with a sick jack-o-lantern theme and I'd like to thank you for that. If you have a twitter or something I'd like to send you pictures.
I have an Instagram link in the description where you can send me pictures. Are you planning on mostly spraying, or are you trying to brush when possible?
@@BradAngove I haven't decided yet. I'm planning ahead for a fun summer project. I thought I'd go to my nearby ACE Hardware and look at their spraypaints which are on a 2 for 1 sale right now, and maybe compare shades. I don't have much of a plan yet on how I'm going to go about it.
Would it work better if you screw from the back, that way the screw heads support the panel, making it a bit more stable??
It can be done either way. That just results in spots where you don’t get paint on the guitar because it is covered by the screw heads.
Hi Brad, would you suggest the same technique if you were doing a burst with opaque lacquer?
Yes, but be careful about how you overlap them because opaque obviously doesn’t blend the same way. I’d definitely do a test piece first if I were you.
@@BradAngove Thanks Brad, I will definitley going to do a test, I have only painted single colours before, so this will be a step up for me. Keep up the great work!!
Hello Brad, are you spraying the amber right over the red? Thank you.
Yes.
When you're finished will you have a mirror-smooth finish or will it still have an orange-peel look? Did you say you put a clear lacquer on top after painting?
Ya, you put clear over it and then you can sand and polish to get it perfectly smooth.
@@BradAngove Thanks
Thanks so much for this video. Wanna do a shadetop like the -37 martin guitar. Tobaccobrown and amber yellow. So i guess i start with the brown then add the yellow after it? What kind of sealer are you using? On acoustic it kinda kill tone.
I’m using the Behlen vinyl sealer, which is what is in their guitar finishing kit that is designed for acoustic guitars.
Another great vid!. Thank you Brad. Cheers.
Thanks!
Hello beginners question, did you sand in between the coats of vinyl sealer, if so what grade of sandpaper, was it wet sand paper. Thanks
I didn’t because I did them within the re-coat time. If I hadn’t, I would have sanded with 320 in between coats. Dry.
Is there some kind of catalyst that will harden typical spray paint like Krylon?
Not that I’m aware of.
Love your videos. Have an old Squire that I am thinking off striping and then doing a burst. How would you go about doing a silverburst? Maybe a video??? ;)
Just spray the guitar silver and then add the black around the outside. It’s on my list somewhere, but it’s a long list haha.
is it safe to assume that a lower spraying angle would result in a wider burst?
Short answer: Yes If you're shooting free hand/not using a template using a lower angle, you can achieve a similar result. You'd concentrate the darker color to the outside and spray more from the middle of the body. If done correctly, the fade area can be more gradual, and more even gradient in the transition area. It's all about the angle. At least that's what I've seen in videos from the Gibson factory. Those guys shoot bursts all day long everyday! More than one way to skin a cat.
To add to Dave’s comment, which is correct, the same applies when you’re using a shield. If you lower your angle and aim from out to in, you will get a wider burst and a more substantial fade area.
I have watched a few of your videos and all are brilliant.
I have a strat which I am painting an emerald burst - light green in the middle to darker then black at the outside edge. I am using solid colour spray cans.
I have a question: should I create and use two masks for the 3 colours? Or only one in the outer edge between the darker green and the black.
I have tested it slightly on an old piece of clean wood, it seems that the burst works well when the paint is wet.
Can you comment on this, also could you do an emerald burst paint job tutorial on a strat.
Many thanks
Stuart.
I would do the inner two colours just by hand because the burst will be wider. Then use a shield to do the outer burst.
look great man, I have used this technique for doing air brush paintings, haven't applied it to guitar bodies. Have you used Aniline wood dye? trying some out on my next build.
Yes; I’ve used some aniline dye. What are you mixing it with?
I don't particularly like burst pattern on guitars but the technique is definitely useful to know. Initially I though you would have used foam or some similar spacer but thinking it over the screws make a lot of sense. Minimal blockage of any diffusing spray under.
Ya, this method prevents you from getting a kind of abrupt line where the overspray ends.
Hi Brad. I love your channel. I was just wondering what stores carry the behlen products you used? I live in North Bay Ontario and have a couple of guitars I am building and just wish to in a store to buy the sprays. Thank you
Richelieu is the only supplier I’m aware of in Canada.
Brad, could you do a video on how to crackle paint a guitar? Like the Charvels of the late 80's.
You read my mind Jordan. I’m experimenting with the technique right now. Once I’m fully satisfied with it, I will do a video.
Awesome! I just found your channel yesterday and its very educational. Once you put out that video I'll probably try my hand at painting my Epiphone for the first time.
I’m glad you’re finding the videos useful. Hopefully I can get to the crackle video soon.
could you use the poly wipe on clear coat to finish this sunburst?
Technically you probably could, but this burst is done in lacquer. Using a brush on lacquer overtop would probably make more sense. The spray lacquer would be even better.
as always thanks for the info. I am very new to building guitars and i really appreciate your help
You’re welcome
Not a huge "burst" fan but great video as always. I gotta admit that I liked the body better after it was on fire. Anyway.... Great job on the explanation!!
Thank you. This is actually a different body. After I burnt the other one I decided to leave it that way.
Brad Angove... That's awesome. I set one on fire a few years ago but I burned it a little too much and warped the body.
Damn. That is a bit of a risk, particularly when there are glue joints involved.
@@BradAngove I made a guitar out of a bunch of half inch thick pieces of oak side by side glued up, then burnt a burst onto it. Only cracked a little, didnt warp though:)
If I want to do an image transfer would I apply it where you’re at at 10:17?
I would seal this in with a coat or two of clear first.
Brad Angove I’m looking to do a cherry burst. I kind of want a small part of the center to be more natural. Like the classic Tele blonde with the wood grain. Should I stain the center then paint the burst or just go over the middle lightly with the amber? Color doesn’t matter as much I just want the blending from yellow to orange and red to go from very light to a thick red so the picture shows on the yellow.
Just the amber should be suitable then. You can build it up by just adding more layers to the outside areas to darken them.
Hey Brad. First, thanks for what you do. I am learning a lot from you and I appreciate your expertise. Now to my question: I am building a kit guitar that has a very (very, very) thin but beautiful veneer but has some glue bleed through that won't take stain. I want to do a black burst around the edge to cover the flaws. Can I then come back with a satin or matte clear coat over that? I am really looking for a natural wood look because I like the spalted grain pattern in the veneer. Or do you recommend a different approach?
You can definitely do that. I would use an acrylic for the thin black burst, like I did on Darrel Braun’s guitar paint job. Then you can clear coat over the whole thing in a satin if you want.
@@BradAngove Thanks for responding, and thanks for making the information available and attainable. Much appreciated.
BTW, can't wait to see what you do in the build-off.
Thanks Chuck. Hopefully I don’t disappoint haha.
Brad Angove not a chance. Whatever you do. It’s gonna be great!
I've seen videos where a person will start with the lighter color then put the cut out over the guitar and do the outside. Do you do it like this so the coating is even or is this just a preferred method? And can you show us a 3 tone burst sometime? Maybe a black to silver to white? Unless you have already done that lol
This is just my preferred method for transparent paint. I like to be able to blend overtop.
On opaques I always start lighter and then add the darker edge.
@@BradAngove Hey thanks, bud. My brother and I are starting our own custom guitar shop and guitar line so I've been soaking up as much info as I can from your page. Keep it coming!
Question: How long should the vinyl sealer coat(s) be left on there before beginning to apply the burst as in this video? In other words should I let the vinyl sealerr set for a couple of days, or a couple of hours, before applying the sunburst?
I generally like to give it 3 days.
@@BradAngove Thanks for the reply. I've got the sealer on and everything looks ready, just didn't know how long a good waiting period was. Your videos are always a big help, and I have certain ones marked so that I watch them again just before doing that task to have everything fresh in my mind as I begin.
Hi Brad, can you do a tutorial on how to achieve a crackle effect on a guitar paint job?
Did we already have this chat, or are you the second person to ask me that today haha?
Im the 2nd one then. LOL
Haha ok. Yes, I’m working on familiarizing myself more thoroughly with that technique. Once I’m comfortable with it, I will do a video.
I have just ordered two new kits and I plan on using this technique. However, I would db like to add specs of paint over lighter portion using the same color as the edge. Any ideas?
Are you saying you want the darker color stippled over the rest as well?
@@BradAngove Yes. I may go dark color on back and edges with light color on front with stippling over the light.
Ok. There are a couple ways to do that. Are you using spray cans?
@@BradAngove Yes. I have looked into a spray gun and air brush kit, but not on a place where I can get spray gun and equipment in my garage.
Ok. You can get the stipple by:
Spraying into the air and creating guided overspray.
Spraying onto a toothbrush and flicking it into the project.
Bouncing the spray off of something at the nozzle.
And probably some other techniques.
Thanks for the video. Awesome as always. I know manufacturers shoot light to dark. With a pattern like you used that isn't quite as feasible. Could you demonstrate the finished differences between doing both ways in a side by side results?
On a side note. The Behlen products are really really good. I'm impressed. Thanks for the suggestion, Brad. So far my project looks great, and I'm no pro with spraying anything. Everything I've sprayed from Behlen has just been a pleasure to use.
Starting day 2 of Behlen Stinged Instrument Lacquer today.
Thanks Dave. I sometimes spray in to out as well, but with these transparent colours the difference tends to be minimal. In fact, I would expect the side by side results to be identical. I would spray the entire face of the guitar amber, aiming for it to be lighter in the center and then fade to deeper around the outside. Then I would add the red directly on top of the amber. It should look very much the same.
I am also quite fond of the Behlen. I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to use them for a few things now.
Cool, I wasn't sure if it would make a lot of difference if it went on the other way around. I know when dyeing/staining seems like it's better to go lighter color first, then dark over top. Seems to blend better. Unless you're sanding back to highlight figured grain like in curly maple. I Didn't know if tinted lacquers translated the same way.
How would you go about painting the fret board?
What kind of fret board is it, and what look are you aiming for?
Brad Angove well I have a Dean mlx that I'm painting satin white and I want to paint the fret board white as well but don't know how to go about it without messing it up.
Brad Angove its a rosewood fret board
You would paint it essentially the same way as everything else. Just make sure you clean it really well, sand it lightly at about 400 grit so your paint will stick, and then clean it again before spraying anything.
Brad Angove awesome thanks bro
I've never worked with poly before. I was just going to use minwax oil based clear polyurethane. The neck I'm finishing is maple. Do you recommend minwax? Do I need sealer? If so, how many coats of sealer do I need? Also, do I sand in between coats? If so, what grit?
The minwax is fine. If the neck is maple you probably don’t need sealer.
Brad Angove thank you for answering all of my questions. The neck is almost $600 with no finish and nothing on it, so I really want to make sure it comes out good
Hey Brad, thanks for another tutorial! Looks great as always! Hey I see yours is a bolt in neck, and you didn’t really worry about getting sealer, paint etc. in the neck cavity. I am building a glue in, set neck. I have read that I should only glue the bottom surface area of the neck and not let glue in the sides or butt, as wood to wood contact creates the resonance for sustain. Should I mask the neck cavity when painting? I heard someone
Else say you can use the buildup to help with a loose fit, but have heard others say to shim with natural wood rather. Mine is not loose, so that’s not a concern, but I do wonder about getting paint in the cavity. Is it catastrophic? Or is this an old timer, relic guitar lover preference?
If it’s a nice tight fit you need to mask it to make sure it will continue to fit. Either way it’s usually a good idea to mask, although as you said, sometimes a bit of finish helps snug things up.
I’m not an expert in the principles of resonance, but I would think that it’s much more important to have good contact and a snug fit than it is to have specifically wood-to-wood contact. I see no reason why the resonance needed for sustain wouldn’t be able to pass through finish. There are lots of guitars with finished bolt on necks and good sustain. There are also guitars with good sustain that aren’t made of wood. I imagine the people saying it had to be wood to wood are the same ones who think that tonewood makes a substantial difference to how a guitar sounds.
Brad Angove kind of what I thought too. Thanks for clarifying. Yea tonewood only really matters with an acoustic. When you put hot pickups in a guitar I think they outweigh any effect the wood type would have. Cool man, thanks for the advice, it is valued and appreciated.
You’re welcome.
Thank you for your awesome videos when I left guitar building school my first thought was how am I going to do paint and finishing with out a fancy spray booth and heated lacquer system you have really given me some great ideas and a little more confidence that I can do this at home keep up the good work
I’m very glad to hear that. You can absolutely do it at home if you have a safe place to work on it and are willing to put in the extra effort for a quality hand or can finish.
a piece of paper suspended with screw. great idea
A spray can handle would make the work much easier and better… I like spraying from the middle to the outside. That gives you the possibility to ”feather” the burst more. I also prefer to start with the lightest tone…
Hi Brad,
I attempted to make a template like the one in this video but failed miserably due to the fact that I'm not left handed....
Only joking!
As usual another great instructional vid.
Cheers.
Did you try flipping the piece of poster board upside down?
Haha thank you.
Ha ha! No... I changed hands holding the razor blade and it turned out fine.
Glad it worked out in the end. Next time I’ll film it in a mirror for you...
Do you have an airbrush that you don't need anymore and are looking to sell?
What kind of airbrush are you looking for?
Do you have any videos of a burst with solid paint?
I have some where I did black bursts around the edge. Like the guitar I painted for Darrel Braun.
The costs of spray cans and dyes for guitar work is just nuts. The spray cans for a three color burst are $30 a piece!
$30? Where?
Hello Brad
I painted my squier strat when I was 15 back in 2004. I done a bad job of it, but after watching your videos I now know I've done a terrible job haha! (Terrible job with regards to not preparing it properly and finishing etc). It's currently green with a red element logo (I was really into Tony Hawks games)
I'm going to repaint it and I'm wanting to do a purple or a blue burst. So would you recommend taking the paint right back to the wood? goo.gl/images/FkfC6g
Sort of similar to this body, but I know I can't achieve this with spray cans, but just taking some inspiration.
Thank you
Kenny
I need my bass body painted . What do you charge ?
Send me an email at brad.angove@gmail.com if you would like to discuss what finish you are looking for and what the cost would be.
the burst you made this time is much better than the one you burned off.
I’m glad you like it. I assume you prefer the more gradual fade?
yeah, i see rigid fades on less commercial products because the gradual fade is harder to do... so i guess you could say that i like the gradual fades more because there is more craftsmanship involved.
i have done fades on test peices of wood using dye, and it is somewhat tedious, though you can treat dyes like watercolor and it will work fine if you let the stuff dry in between coats, and you mix the dye lightly. however, most people cannot pull off a gradual dye burst because the traditional application method simply doesnt work well, and cans are the fastest option by far.
Ya, doing it with dyes is definitely a challenge. I prefer to mix the dyes into paint and use my gun to get a really precise fade.
yeah, that is the professional way to do it.
if i had an air compressor, i would do it that way, but i only build guitars for myself at the moment and i don't plan on making a career out of instrument building, so it would not be a smart investment. i will eventually have a fab shop one day, but i am still a college kid. i realize that i have so much research under my belt now though from all these youtube videos, and because whenever i take on a guitar building project, it is always as ambitious as i can make it... i have about a thousand pounds of exotic wood for building this stuff sitting around in my room(weight wise, though roughly the same in british money too i suppose).
I’m jealous. It’s quite difficult to find exotic wood around here.
How about the back? Did anybody happen to see him change colors? ☹️
Wow first lobe this video
First lobe?
Ment to say first, love this video
Oh. I’m glad you like it. Thanks.
yeah I'd screw this up for sure
I'll stick with solids 🤘
Fair enough
Let’s hang out dude
Are you from Alberta?
I used toothpicks to raise the template away from the body.
Nice.
And how cover it with an ugly pick guard. Lol