I have a gold sparkle arch-top PM-20 and would like to add a little of my own touch to it. I was wondering if I just took a paint pen or even a permenant pen and did what I wanted to if I could use something like an enamel to preserve it? The design would be very small and near the butt of the guitar. Sugestions??

Well, you can do what ever you want to your guitar with paint brushes, marker, etc. If you want to make it look like it was done when the guitar was built, just get a little lacquer in a spray can (The Prevel Sprayer from Stew-Mac works great). You need to know the type of finish your guitar currently has. It is probably either a nitro-cellulose lacquer or water based lacquer. You aer going to want to match the lacquer type so it can melt in properly. Yes, it doesn't really matter, but I have found that if you match the lacquer types, your burn in will look much better and be easier to to match the existing lacquer. If done properly, you won't be able to tell that it was done as an after-thought. Good Luck!

The specs online say it has a Polyurethane finish. So just buy a can of Polyurethane finish ink on my design and spray'er on?? I would prefer not to take off any hardwear other then knobs. If I tape it up well will that be enough??

I must say that Poly touch-ups are one of the hardest to do to make it "look like new". If you put on a couple thin coats of poly over your artwork, you might be able to finish sand, buff, and polish it up to look pretty close to new. I have done some Poly repairs at my shop and they turned out good, but it was much more difficult than lacquer. If you run into any problems, you know where to find me! Good Luck!

I could just put the finish on in a shape like a star or something so it looked like I meant it to be that way. Is there a brand of polyfinish I should use?? and can I just buy it in a spray can @ Wal-mart or something?

You could pick up Poly (any brand) at any paint center, including Wal-Mart. I am not particular to any brand of poly... just yet anyway. As for the star idea, you'll have to let me know how it turns out. Sound like an interesting idea.

Hey, just reading your thread. If you don't mind, I'll toss in my 2¢...

The poly finish is kind of tricky because, unlike lacquer that melts into the previous layer, poly doesn't do that. Which is why you shouldn't apply a poly finish to a glossy, lacquered paint... it doesn't dry properly and sometimes remains gummy.

You didn't say that you were removing any finish to "add your touches," so I'm assuming you're doing it on top of the old finish. I'd suggest, before you start, use a 400 grit sandpaper to rough up the area your going to paint. Then, do your thing. One caveat, though, most paints/paint pens are lacquer based paints (see paragraph above). If you're not covering a large area, this might not pose too much of a problem.

Min-Wax makes a decent poly gloss finish that's not too expensive. If you want the good stuff, look for a two-part poly like Aero-Max (about $40 a can and you'll have to be finished spraying within 24 hours before the hardener locks up the can).

When you spray, hold the can about a foot and a half away and do 4 dusting coats (very lite coats) and leave about a half hour of drying time in between. Then, from about 10 inches away, apply 20 more coats, again... lite coats!!, waiting the recommened time the can says between coats... usually about 2 hours. This may seem like a lot, but 20 coats from an aerosal can is equal to about 5 coats from a pro sprayer. When you're done with the spraying, let the guitar sit for about 3 days to harden sufficiently.

You'll notice you'll have a bit of an "orange peel" effect (bumpy/pitted finish). That's to be expected. You'll want to sand the area now, starting with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper (dry), and even out the finish. Once the finish is even, continue on with 600, 800, 1000, 1200, and 1500 grit (all wet... let your wet/dry sandpaper soak in water for a least an hour before using it). Sand in a swirling motion. What you're doing with each grit is removing the scratch marks from the previous grit. When you start sanding with a new grit, you'll hear a scratching sound... when the scratching mellows out, move on to the next grit.

You'll find that when you get to 1200 and 1500, you're basically polishing the guitar. After you've finished with the 1500, use an automotive swirl remover, like McGuire's or 3M, and a soft cotton rag (diapers or t-shirts work well), and a little elbow grease to buff it up.

Hope that helps



[Edited on 1/31/2007 by UncleWaldo]

well said!

Dude 2 cents?? That was a wee bit more then 2 cents. Thanx now that I know how much works it is I'm not sure when I'll have the time to do it. But if I do u'll be the firsts to know. Thanks again.

eh... so, call it a nickel's worth then

Yeah, it's not so quick and easy as most people think... I can do a good poly finish in about 2 weeks... a nitro lacquer finish, about 4-6 months! (a lot of curing for the lacquer).

If you do go for (I hope you do), definetly show us some pics, would love to see it.

one word, stickers, they come off again.

mick c

stickers errrrr nah... Just my opinion