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

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

Overview

Hey there everyone! Here's a How-To on painting the all-famous Frankenstrat Guitar by Eddie Van Halen. I am going to show you a step-by-step on how to get the classic red, white, and black striped look for about $200. All the pictures I post are my personal pictures taken from my replica that I painted. With a little effort and care you can have your own replica of Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat Guitar.

Click here for the next step!

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