How to Paint a Guitar Camo
- 1). Draw uneven and random splotches with irregular borders on transparency sheets to make stencils. Designate one sheet per color you are using, but not for the basecoat. For example, if painting urban camo, use one sheet for black and one for white. Cut the splotch shapes out of only one sheet using a utility knife.
- 2). Remove the guitar's strings and set them aside or discard. Heat up a soldering iron; in the meantime, unscrew the hardware on the body: the bridge, knobs (use an Allen wrench if necessary), jack plate, strap pins and front or rear control plate. Once the soldering iron is ready, heat the appropriate pickup/pot joints and carefully remove the pickups from their cavities. Set aside.
- 3). Remove the neck bolts on the rear of the guitar, provided the guitar has a bolt-on neck. If it's a neck-through, you'll have to tape around the bottom of the fingerboard to prevent paint from bleeding onto the neck (if so, skip this step for now). After removing all hardware components, use a heat gun to heat small patches of paint, then use the putty knife to strip away the old paint. Work slowly.
- 4). Use sandpaper to remove any remaining splotches or remnants of paint. Wipe away any dust and debris. Insert toothpicks into the appropriate holes (strap pins, knobs) to prevent paint from obstructing the holes during reassembly. Tape the bottom of the fingerboard if the guitar is a neck-through.
- 5). Decide what camouflage scheme you prefer: choose olive green, light brown and black for traditional camo; use heather grey, white and black for the urban camo scheme. Use either green or grey to paint the basecoat. Make several passes with the spray can, holding it roughly 7 inches from the surface to prevent dripping. Once completely painted, set aside and allow ample dry time (roughly 24 hours).
- 6). Begin painting the camouflage markings on the guitar by laying a stencil over the guitar body, then spraying the splotches onto the surface and set aside. Use brown or white, as desired. Once dry, place a transparency sheet over the guitar's body and trace new splotches for the black paint application. Paint as you did before.
- 7). Allow to dry for 24 hours, then apply the clear coat to protect the finish. Allow another 24 hours to dry. Reassemble the guitar, following the steps in the reverse order (i.e. re-solder the pickups, pressing them back into the cavities, etc.). Restring the guitar and tune to pitch, but leave the guitar out of its case or gig bag to allow all the paint fumes to dissipate.
