Step 2: Stripping The Paint

This step is one of the harder steps in the process. However, with the right preparation this step can run a lot smoother. This step will get messy so lay down some old towels or drop cloth in order to keep the mess local.

First, start out by choosing one side of the body to work on (I started with the front). You will stay on this side until it is complete. When you have chosen which side you will be working on first, pour a liberal amount of paint stripper onto the center of the body. Take your paintbrush and spread the stripper around the body working in small areas at a time. I divided my body into quarters to give you a good idea of how big of an area to work with. Let the stripper soak into the paint for about 10 minutes. Then, take your plastic (not metal) scraper and scrape off the stripper. More likely than not, you will not be able to get all of the paint off in the first try. You will have to repeat the process a couple of times especially on some guitars which use a higher quality clear coat. Here is a (blurry,sorry) picture of what my guitar looked like before and after my 1st coat of stripper. 

Starting body

After 1st application of stripper

As you can see, I worked on small sections at a time. 

Continue this process until the paint is completely off the side you are working on. Use a screwdriver with an old t-shirt or towel wrapped around it to get into the pockets and hard to reach areas. Patience is the key in this step. Do your best to remove all of the paint. NOTE: When working close to the edge of the guitar, allow the paint stripper to run off the sides a bit. It will make it easier when you finish both faces and have to move on to the edge of the guitar. Be sure to keep your area clean throughout the process as this will make it much easier to work. When you are done with the side you are working on, clean your area and get it ready for the next side.

Next, flip the guitar over and repeat the above process to clear that side of paint. Continue this same process on all areas of the guitar until all the paint is off. Your guitar should look a little something like this:

Front face after paint is removed

Back face after paint is removed

When you have all the paint off the guitar, you are ready to move on to Step 3!

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