How to Customize Your Guitar
Paint your guitar., Add stickers or decals., Draw or write with pens., Add colorful binding or purfling.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Paint your guitar.
Disassemble your guitar carefully to paint the body of it with spray paint or another paint that is safe for guitars.
Add designs or repaint the whole surface, then top with a guitar lacquer for a shiny, professional finish.
It’s important to sand down the surface of the body before you paint, using sandpaper and a sanding block to smooth the surface and help the paint adhere to it.It’s a good idea to coat the body with a primer before adding paint.
Add several layers of each to get an even color in your desired shade.Note that painting, especially if you’re doing the entirety of the guitar body, is best done on a solid-body electric guitar.
Hollow-body guitars like acoustic guitars are more sensitive to changes to the wood and susceptible to getting the paint into the interior of the instrument. -
Step 2: Add stickers or decals.
Add any stickers or decals you want to the body of an electric or acoustic guitar for some extra character, color, or to make a statement.
Note that most typical stickers will leave a sticky residue behind or even pull up the lacquer or paint on your guitar.
Make sure you are happy with the stickers being there permanently before you apply them.
You can buy decals that look a little bit like giving your guitar a tattoo.
It’s best to spray a coat of lacquer over a decal for a shine consistent with the rest of your guitar., Sketch out your own freeform design or use a stencil to create patterns, pictures, or words on the body of your guitar with markers, pens, or paint pens.
Remember that most markers and pens are permanent.
Sketch out a design lightly with a pencil before you add color from a marker.
You may be able to remove some color with a little rubbing alcohol.Try adding your own signature to your guitar for an extra personal touch.
You can also add some sparkle to your designs by applying small gems or rhinestones using wood glue. , Choose a colored or patterned decal to easily change up the existing binding and purfling on the edges of your guitar, which are the thin plastic or wood pieces between any two edges of the instrument body.The binding piece on your guitar is usually white or neutral wood, but the purfling can come in a herringbone pattern or other colors and patterns. -
Step 3: Draw or write with pens.
-
Step 4: Add colorful binding or purfling.
Detailed Guide
Disassemble your guitar carefully to paint the body of it with spray paint or another paint that is safe for guitars.
Add designs or repaint the whole surface, then top with a guitar lacquer for a shiny, professional finish.
It’s important to sand down the surface of the body before you paint, using sandpaper and a sanding block to smooth the surface and help the paint adhere to it.It’s a good idea to coat the body with a primer before adding paint.
Add several layers of each to get an even color in your desired shade.Note that painting, especially if you’re doing the entirety of the guitar body, is best done on a solid-body electric guitar.
Hollow-body guitars like acoustic guitars are more sensitive to changes to the wood and susceptible to getting the paint into the interior of the instrument.
Add any stickers or decals you want to the body of an electric or acoustic guitar for some extra character, color, or to make a statement.
Note that most typical stickers will leave a sticky residue behind or even pull up the lacquer or paint on your guitar.
Make sure you are happy with the stickers being there permanently before you apply them.
You can buy decals that look a little bit like giving your guitar a tattoo.
It’s best to spray a coat of lacquer over a decal for a shine consistent with the rest of your guitar., Sketch out your own freeform design or use a stencil to create patterns, pictures, or words on the body of your guitar with markers, pens, or paint pens.
Remember that most markers and pens are permanent.
Sketch out a design lightly with a pencil before you add color from a marker.
You may be able to remove some color with a little rubbing alcohol.Try adding your own signature to your guitar for an extra personal touch.
You can also add some sparkle to your designs by applying small gems or rhinestones using wood glue. , Choose a colored or patterned decal to easily change up the existing binding and purfling on the edges of your guitar, which are the thin plastic or wood pieces between any two edges of the instrument body.The binding piece on your guitar is usually white or neutral wood, but the purfling can come in a herringbone pattern or other colors and patterns.
About the Author
Anna Cole
Brings years of experience writing about hobbies and related subjects.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: