Step 4: Primer Base Coat

 STEP 4: FINALLY APPLYING SOME PAINT!

      At this point, your newly sanded guitar body is AS SMOOTH AS YOU CAN PHYSICALLY GET IT. Right guys??? Like I said before, the better of a job you do on this initial prep steps, the better your end product will be!

      What you will want to do now is one of the easier steps: apply the primer base coat. Not much to it but follow these tips to get the best result, especially when using spray cans. The end result of this step should look like the following:

Front View

Rear View

Notice that I do have some slight bumps and uneven body finish. I took these pictures before my finished primer coat. Because I failed to get a PERFECTLY smooth body, I had to buildup quite a bit of primer layers and sand smooth. Throughout the rest of the tutorial, you will see those dings start to fade. But this is a great example of what any dings in the body will look like once painted, which is why I STRESS, STRESS, and STRESS that you take your time in the beginning steps and foundation. 
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 1. Apply multiple, thin, light coast rather than one heavy coat. I know, I know, you put all this work into prepping your body and you just want to put some damn paint on already! But again, trust me. There is nothing worse than having to put all that work of taking paint OFF just to spray on thick and have to remove THAT layer as well. So, spray on one light coat. Your guitar will probably look half gray, half wood at this point. That's fine. Wait about 15 minutes to dry. Return and spray on another coat about the same density. Let dry. Spray on another coat. Let dry. Rinse and repeat this process until you get a good coverage over your entire body. You don't need a thick layer but be advised you will be sanding this coat lightly. So be sure to get enough primer base to ensure you won't sand to the wood.

 2. Be patient! Be patient! Be patient! Let the paint dry and put light coats on!

 3. When you spray the first coat, start with a horizontal spray from left to right, right to left, in a snake pattern down the guitar body.

 4. When spraying each row, start your spray off the edge of the guitar and move your arm (and inherently, the spray) onto the body of the guitar. This will ensure that you don't end up with a "starter" blob of paint that will drip.

 5. End each row by releasing the trigger off the other edge of the guitar. Start the next horizontal row but repeating the above. Do not continue to hold the spray trigger as you move row to row down the body of the guitar. Doing so will give the guitar uneven coverage and make it more likely to end up with paint dripping.

 6. On the second layer, repeat the above spray technique. However, instead of going in a horizontal pattern, use a vertical pattern. Some paint sprayers have a nozzle that can turn to adjust the flat side of the spray. If so, utilize this. If not, it may be easier for you to turn the guitar sideways (rotate 90 degrees).

     When you finish with applying a good, evenly covered coat, let the guitar dry and cure for AT LEAST 48 hours! Paint, especially from a can, will tend to do some shifting while drying and curing. Now normally this is not a big deal and usually isn't noticeable on other project you may use spray paint on. However, due to the multiple layers of paints and lacquers we will be using, we want to do our best to ensure that everything on the base layers is good and ready for other layer to go on top.

So with that being said, go find a bag of Doritos, a couple good movies, and WAIT for your baby to dry!
Of course you guitar players could be practicing also... But don't worry. Nobody is watching.  :)

After that, STEP 5!

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