Painting a headstock

[waynepunkdude]

I'm thinking about getting the headstock on my Jazz painted and then a decal put on.

Does anyone know where I can get it done and how much it would cost?

[rapscallion]

You can do it yourself very simply, just check out projectguitar.com there's a whole guide on how to there

[Jobiebass]

do it yourself?

or a car garage??

[Bassassin]

Easy job - I have refin'd a few headstocks & it's dead easy to get a pro-level finish, even using cheap rattle can paint. If you're going for natural, black or white I recommend Screwfix own brand spray paint / lacquer.

First, I roughen/flatten the original surface with light sandpaper, say 600 grit, then mask off the edges & nut/fretboard. Next I build up successive light coats of my base colour until it's completely opaque. I dry each coat with a hairdryer, which means the process is quite quick. This would be the point to apply a decal if you're using one. Then build up successive coats of lacquer in the same way, hairdryering between each coat. I tend to spray about 10 - 15 coats, because it's going to need some cutting back to get a good finish. The boring bit's next - put your neck in a safe place and leave it there for 10 days or so.

You'll have a fairly rough, orange-peely surface to your lacquer, so next, gently sand it with very light paper - I use 1200 grit for this. Once it looks smooth & even all over, break out the T-Cut until you can see your face in it.

This is my old Grabber copy (which I wish I hadn't sold!) which got a refin because the original brand (whatever it was) had been sanded off, & someone had attempted to draw a Gibson logo on in marker pen - which of course had sunk deep into the grain of the wood. Everyone loves a genius!

[attachment=35744:grabberhead.jpg]

Jon.

[rapscallion]

Any tips for staining a headstock Bassassin?

[Bassassin]

[quote name='rapscallion' post='645889' date='Nov 5 2009, 12:17 AM']Any tips for staining a headstock Bassassin?[/quote]

Sorry, never done that - but I'd be interested in how to replicate an age-darkened maple look if anyone else knows.

J.

[waynepunkdude]

Very, very helpful, Jon.

[bigjohn]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='646026' date='Nov 5 2009, 10:08 AM']Sorry, never done that - but I'd be interested in how to replicate an age-darkened maple look if anyone else knows.

J.[/quote]


I've not done it but I've been told [url="http://www.behlen.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=B103-021&Category_Code=AERFINISHING"]Behlen[/url] by the fella's here that this stuff has a sort of amber, aged quality stuff to it.

The gloss less so.

[bh2]

Tan shoe polish. No really!

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='646026' date='Nov 5 2009, 10:08 AM']Sorry, never done that - but I'd be interested in how to replicate an age-darkened maple look if anyone else knows.[/quote]
Amber tinted gloss nitro available on this page:

[url="http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/lacquer.html"]http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/lacquer.html[/url]

Works fine, but steady hand and multiple light passes needed to get even colour distribution. Spray item [i]slightly[/i] lighter than you eventually want it to look, as the topcoat seems to bring up the underlying colour.

And clear nitro over the top. Can't use poly over nitro, apparently.

Edited November 5, 2009 by skankdelvar