Specialty
Refinishing a guitar body
Lots of grits. Light pressure. Worth every minute.
Stripping and re-finishing a guitar body is a meticulous climb. The wood is thin, the contours are subtle, and the eye catches every imperfection in the final lacquer.
The climb
The exact sequence, in order.
- 1 80
Strip the existing finish
ROS at low speed. Stop the moment you reach raw wood.
Reach for
Mirka Gold 5-inch Hook & Loop Disc Assortment
- 2 150
Level the surface
ROS, then hand-sand the contours.
Reach for
Mirka Gold 5-inch Hook & Loop Disc Assortment
- 3 220
Prep for grain filler or sealer
Hand sand with the grain. Pay attention to where the contour meets the flat.
Reach for
Indasa Plusline 220-Grit 9×11 Sheets (50-pack)
- 4 320
After grain filler / between sealer coats
Hand, light pressure, with the grain.
Reach for
3M Pro Grade Precision Assorted Pack
- 5 800
Between lacquer coats
Wet sand with a small block.
Reach for
3M Wetordry Assorted Pack — 600 to 1500 Grit
- 6 2000
- 7 3000
Last grit before buffing wheel
Wet. Surface should already look glossy.
Reach for
3M Wetordry — 3000 Grit
Watch out for
The things that quietly ruin the job.
- · Never sand across the grain on a guitar top. It will show through every coat of lacquer.
- · Round contours need hand-sanding. Even the best ROS rounds the edges if you machine-sand them.
- · Mask the headstock, neck pocket, and electronics cavities before you start. Cleanup later is brutal.
Questions people ask
The practical part.
Nitrocellulose vs polyurethane lacquer?
Different cure times, different sanding windows. Read your lacquer's technical sheet for the recoat and final sanding window.
Keep going
Adjacent jobs.
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