Paint over clear...

[erogenousjones17]

Before I built my first Warmoth, I had a vision of of a white Tele with a black/red/black pickguard, mini-humbucker or P90 in the neck and tele sc in the bridge, reverse headstock (maybe) and a custom graphic behind the bridge. I ended up building a yellow LPS with two P90s. Go figure. Anyway, I was thinking aloud about this with my girlfriend the other day and she said "why don't you build it?", which got me thinking that I should build it (and marry this girl).  :laughing7:

But I digress. My question is this: if I get a finished body from the showcase or the 'bay (I'll splurge on a W neck), can I simply shoot the graphic right on top of the clear then shoot more clear on top, or would I be better off getting an unfinished body and planning to do the graphic before the clear?

Thanks.

 

[pabloman]

If the existing finish is free from any defects then go for it. Just scuff it up with a scotch brite pad and some soapy water. This will help everything stick and the scratches will go away when you finisk over it. Good luck. And definately marry that one.

 

[-CB-]

Scotch brite or better yet, some 600 paper.  You might want to do some scraping of the old finish at tight places - if there's a recessed cover on the control cavity around HB pickup routes, that sort of thing, so parts will still fit after thickness build up.  Necks pockets taped please.

FWIW, Fender in the Leo days... and beyond, used to make up blond and sunburst bodies as "standard" colors, but would take those when needed, and shoot "custom colors" right over the old.  Often they'd have a burst that didn't look quite right, or the blond was not quite right.... no biggie, just shoot candy red or daphne blue or sherwood green over it... ya know?  Leo was a cheap ol' buzzard!

 

[Finch]

the only concern that i would have is that, depending on the thickness of the clear coat, the graphic may appear to be "hovering" over the guitar, which may or may not be desirable.

 

[swarfrat]

Leo was a cheap ol' buzzard!

It's a time honored way of making it in business.

 

[Cagey]

Leo was a cheap ol' buzzard!

Hehe! Yeah. I understand a lot of those old "vintage" finishes were simply surplus automotive paints he'd get for pennies on the dollar. That's why a lot of those old colors look like crap. They were crap. It was cast-off paint he could get in large quantities for nearly nothing. I mean, Seafoam Green? Coral Pink? Gimme a break. I've seen more attractive vomit. The most amazing thing, though, was that they used to put those colors on cars!

 

[AutoBat]

I'd drive 'em!

 

[Cagey]

I'd drive 'em!

Not this kid. Well, maybe once, just to say I did. But, those old cars were nightmares to drive. The brakes, suspensions and steering left a lot to be desired.

 

[erogenousjones17]

I'd drive 'em!

Not this kid. Well, maybe once, just to say I did. But, those old cars were nightmares to drive. The brakes, suspensions and steering left a lot to be desired.

But the cool factor more than makes up for that.  :laughing7:

Throw an old Gretsch on the back seat and I'm in.

 

[swarfrat]

You'd let your old gretschride  in the back with no seatbelt?

 

[erogenousjones17]

You'd let your old gretschride  in the back with no seatbelt?

Good point...

 

[pabloman]

I heard someplace that safety belts in old cars sometimes won't budge.

 

[Cagey]

I heard someplace that safety belts in old cars sometimes won't budge.

The original seatbelts were just that - belts. They were anchored at one end, and had a clasp at the other. Very crude. Adjusting them was a major league pain in the ass, so nobody did it. They either had them adjusted for themselves and nobody dared change them, or they didn't wear them at all because it was so much trouble. If you wore them unadjusted, you could get hurt. If you didn't wear them, you could get killed, but at least then you had nothing to worry about. It's been a constant battle since their introduction to make them easy enough to use that people would actually use them.

 

[pabloman]

Ya I'm a car guy first and foremost. I have an oldie and the belts aren't very difficult to operate. I don't imagine they would be very effective but oh well. Anyway It was just a Maybelline reference.

 

[swarfrat]

And it's not someplace, it's no particular place.

I've not seen them that I recall. I worked with a Realtor once with a 55 caddy (& factory power doorlocks I believe, but no seatbelts). They really couldn't be any worse than the airline seatbelts, right? I mean that design's not pretty but it's simple, effective, adjustable and its been around since people got the notion to fly airplanes upside down (which is shortly after they got the notion to fly them righstide up). 

 

[AutoBat]

And it's not someplace, it's no particular place.

I've not seen them that I recall. I worked with a Realtor once with a 55 caddy (& factory power doorlocks I believe, but no seatbelts). They really couldn't be any worse than the airline seatbelts, right? I mean that design's not pretty but it's simple, effective, adjustable and its been around since people got the notion to fly airplanes upside down (which is shortly after they got the notion to fly them righstide up). 

You can find the same style belts in a '63-66 Corvette. Not sure when they switched to a more 'modern' style, but those had 'em.

 

[pabloman]

And it's not someplace, it's no particular place.

????? :dontknow:?????

 

[swarfrat]

And it's not someplace, it's no particular place.

????? :dontknow:?????

Just continuing the smartaleck tangent man. No particular place can't possibly be Someplace, because you can point to Someplace.

 

[-CB-]

I'd drive 'em!

Oh hell yes!

 

[-CB-]

I've been there, there done that, on the seat belts.

Early belts were lap only.  First car I was ever in that had em was a 64 Chevelle.  They had a short strap on one side, a long one on the other, and had a "lift" clasp where you joined them, then tugged on the tail of the longer belt to snug it up.  The problem wasn't that they were hard to adjust, the problem was that you HAD to adjust them every time you used them.  Take it off...?  Then you'd have to loosen it so it could be clasped, then clasp it and snug it up again.  Not hard just not hand.  Some cars had seatbelts way early.  I remember my aunt's Ford Galaxie 500 from 63 had 'em.  My uncles 1960 Caddie had em (sort of a Sherwood Green big fin Coupe de Ville).  For a while they had "automatic" seat belts that came over yer head with a motor, that you'd adjust once and then the motor would tighten.  Some cars might still have that... dunno as I've been driving trucks since 1988.  Haven't owned or driven a car since then.  The new belts, with the semi rigid placement and self retracting/self tensioning mechanism are the best, but I never use 'em, disable the alarm, and thats that.