There are an almost limitless ways to finish a guitar: enamels, acrylics, stains, varnish, lacquers. One thing they all have in common is that dust is bad. It won’t affect the way the guitar plays or sounds, just the way it looks.
I don’t have access to an actual painting room with an exhaust vent and a jig to hold a guitar while I paint it. So I will have to improvise.
This is the first one I saw in an Oxford Supply video. It seems it’s only available for order on Reverb, and it’s $300 to $400. I do not plan to paint dozens of guitars, just one at a time, learn as I go.
There are several diy versions of a paint rig I found, this one gave me some inspiration.
I’m thinking I can build some like a cross between this DIY and the SpinTwist using PVC pipe, elbows and joints. I like that the SpinTwist sits the weight of the guitar over the center “spin” point. As you spin it, it won’t be thrown off balance. I would like to have it mesh with the guitar holders from StewMac, but I have to get one and they are currently backordered. I can come up with something I can use in a pinch.
I’ll also need a place to do the painting. I am concerned about over spray, so even if I take the cars out of the garage, there is everything else in there and I don’t want for paint to build up on everything else. And, there is still the problem of dust.
What I’m currently thinking is a pavillion type canopy tent with drop sides on 3 sides and a few of shower curtains for the entrance and to shore up the corners along with some duct tape to hold it all together. I can put down a ground cloth and could even rig up a push/pull fan system if need be.
It won’t be perfect, I know that. There will still be dust and debris. But, I don’t have access to perfect. I just need a place to spray some lacquer once in a while and keep things as clean as I can.