Like any guitarist, you are not the only one to wonder about the way to relic your strat. Basically, the relicing process of the Strat is not different, but there are some points that you also need to stay focused on in all major steps as well. This is the time to find the answers to the question: “How to Relic a Guitar?” of how to relic your Strat!
Things you need to prepare for starting
In general, you can prepare some standard things like replacing a guitar is not a bad idea at all.
- A brush
- Hand gloves
- High-quality paint
- A knife or something like that to remove the old coat
How to relic your strat smoothly
When you have a new Strat and you are excited about how beautiful the finish is, you want to play it immediately.
Step 1: Dissemble some parts of your Strat
Yeah, there is no doubt that you have this feeling. However, if you want to relic your Strat, you should disassemble all pieces of your instrument first.
Fortunately, the Strat is one of the easiest guitars that everyone can take apart because the electronics are attached to the pickguard. Furthermore, you can remove all serial numbers and production stickers found in the body or in the neck pocket.
Step 2: Scrap the body of the Strat
To remove the body of your Strat, you should use a can of Klean Strip from Home Hardware. It requires a few applications as many as you can take out of the can.
Also, the lacquer is not easy to pierce. Thus, you need to scrap the body carefully with a low speed only till most of the hard logo is gone.
Moreover, you should dip the wool into lacquer thinner to take the body down to nearly bare wood. This process is dirty but it is vital.
Step 3: Start to use the sanding sealer and a primer coat
If you are not sure what kind of Strat paint to the relic, you should come to a PPG paint shop and ask them to advise you. They probably consult a sanding sealer and primer on the bare wood.
The PPG product is suitable for the complete coat which will be nitrocellulose lacquer. This is a similar finish that came from the Road Worn series guitar and the original Strats in the 1950s.
Also, the PPG product works on the wood drain and acts as a primer coat. This dries quickly and it also has little tolerance with a brush when you want to come across all areas again when it gets wet.
Please keep in mind that you should not use an electric sander because it may get dangerous for you, other people, and others around conditions.
Step 4: Remove the old coat
It is simple to understand the reason why you need to get rid of the old coat of your instrument. It is like changing new clothes only!
In addition, you can have an opportunity to find a minor problem when removing the old coat.
You enable to have 3 different cans of Acrylic to remove the coat around the Strat. Because it is a road-worn project, you should do a test piece of wood with the sanding sealer or the primer.
Then, you need to add the Surf color and coat 3 strips with each product which are Srylon Super gloss, Krylon clear coat, and Triple Thick clear gloss or Design master.
Step 5: Apply a color that you want to
You can add the red color or the white color that you love. In my guitar, I choose the green one to change new clothes for my Strat.
I choose a spray can of Nitrocellulose lacquer from a local guitar shop. They create the right replica colors found on the old Fender’s. Not only the Strat or any guitar I use it but also I add this to paint my model cars or auto-body touch-up.
Additionally, you should know that it also has a downside to your Strat. It probably has a thick dust and drifts to other colors. In other words, you need to consider the amount of paint before opening the can.
Well, you enable to use a light brush and put the paint on the Strat. Adjust the speed to apply the color so that you do not have a big excuse when it totally dries.
Step 6: Wear the coat again
You should rub the lacquer thinner around the areas to be worn using a box or a can and sometimes it can be used with paper towels. This process requires more effort and exactness than you may identify.
Extra tips: How to relic a guitar with a polyester finish?
Most of the paint for the body of the Strat is not Nitrocellulose lacquer. Most guitar finishes are attached polyester based or urethane.
Also, they do not wear or age like nitro on ancient instruments. Polyester has the same point as fiberglass resin whereas urethane is more flexible and softer. You will get the nitro coat if you use lacquer thinner or other liquid.
In theory, it is not difficult to relic a Strat. However, you need to practice this process with many steps as mentioned earlier to master it.
Do not miss out on the neck and other parts of your Strat can be undertaken the relicing process like its body. Also, you should remove the old coat carefully to prevent scratch marks in each part of your Strat.
Conclusion
How to relic your strat? Imagine that you would paint a wall or a picture like a child paint a picture. Similarly, you enable to decorate your house again by checking each room condition and determining major tasks before starting the mission.
Find out an experienced guitarist or anyone who master this instrument to help you how to do that and guide you.
Of course, you will save many bucks if you do not take your Strat to a local guitar shop. After all, you will have a new taste when undertaking it.
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