Step 1: Materials

 To start out you will some materials. If you are a modern weekend warrior, you should have most of the materials on hand. However, here is a complete list of everything you will need. Read through all my instructions on how to create this guitar to familiarize yourself with the process. You might find out that you can substitute some materials with others if you would like to do so. Also, there are two different methods of removing the paint. I did the chemical stripping way however you can sand down the paint if you would like to. And here's the list:

1. Krylon Primer (Interior/Exterior; #1318)
2. Krylon Spray Paint (Glossy White, Glossy Red, Glossy Black, and Crystal Clear Gloss)
3. Wet/Dry Sandpaper (3-4 sheets each of 220-, 320-, 400-, 600-, and 1200- or 1500-grit)
4. 1-2 sheets each of coarse, medium, and fine sandpaper
5. Sanding Blocks (you can make your own. Try to get one large one for large surfaces and one smaller one for the final sanding)
6. 3M Rubbing Compound (I suggest the 3M brand is it has never failed me where others have. Here's a link! 3M Rubbing Compund If link doesn't work just Google "3M Rubbing Compound")
7. Old T-Shirts (or new if you want to buy some)
8. Guitar Hanger (used to hang guitar while drying. Grab a 2x1stick and attach screw or bike hanger to other end. I will go over the process later in detail)
9. Painters/Masking Tape (get the GOOD QUALITY stuff. No $.99 stuff. This could possibly make or break you. 3M has some green tape that works well. You want some stuff that will leave a straight line when lifted.)
10. X-Acto Knife or Fine Blide (used to cut masking tape)
11. Bondo (used for filling in holes and dents/dings in the body of your guitar)
12. Spray Sanding Sealer (provides a good canvas to paint on)
13. Protective Surface for Paint Stripper (I didn't use this as I have an old table I used and I put some old towels down however Styrofoam works great)
14. Paint Stripper (I used Jasco and it was the only thing that would take off my old finish)
15. Plastic Scrapers - Try to get a 2" wide scraper, not the big ones. (NO METAL!!!! It will ding the wood! Use plastic!)
16. Fender Stratocaster! - You can always piece together parts from Ebay if you are knowledgeable with that sort of thing. Keep in mind, guitar parts will run your cost up. I bought my guitar from Ebay in all different parts and pieced it together. My total cost for my parts was about $100 ($40 for body, $30 for neck, $30 for pots, tuning pegs, switches, etc. I already had pickups I wanted. Guitarfetish.com has these pickups and they sound AMAZING!!!

Like I said above, these are just guidelines. Some of you may be more knowledgeable about materials than me so if you believe you would be able to use something that is better or feel you can substitute some of these items for other items, feel free!

So without further ado, let's get to working! Click here to go to Step 2!

Step Links: 
-Overview
-Step 1: Materials
-Step 2: Stripping the Paint
-Step 3: Filling Holes and Dings
-Step 4: Primer Base Coat
-Step 5: Applying First Color Coat