Pimp a VM Jaguar

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Wed Apr 30, 2014 9:17 pm

Spitfire was interested in a VM Jaguar and wanted to modify it. I am going to be doing the paint work and he is going to be doing a guard for it. It is starting off as a Surf Green VM Jaguar and will be getting a greenish Lake Placid Blue finish with a matching headstock and new logo. Today my plan is to get it apart and maybe get some color on the headstock if I have enough time after putting kids to bed. Should be a fun build! Loads of pictures to come of course.

cur · Post by **cur** » Wed Apr 30, 2014 9:49 pm

Are you using you paint gun?

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Thu May 01, 2014 2:05 am

Nope. Normal method. I don't want to learn the gun on someone elses guitar.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Thu May 01, 2014 2:13 am

Progress report. I got the body taken apart, thimbles out, neck off, tuners off, bushings out, string tree off, taped off the neck and sprayed one coat of the paint on it.

IMG_6640 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6641 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6643 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6642 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6644 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6645 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6646 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6647 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

(After I dulled the finish for the paint to stick better.)

IMG_6648 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6649 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6650 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6651 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6653 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Thu May 01, 2014 2:24 am

Coat number two. In different light it looks different. More blue in brighter light. More green in darker light. Very much like aged (greened) Lake Placid Blue. (At least in my opinion.)

That will be all I get to for today. I have a decal order to ink before I head to bed.

IMG_6668 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6670 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6671 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6672 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6673 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

meltedbuzzbox · Post by **meltedbuzzbox** » Thu May 01, 2014 3:17 pm

awesome, I love a project build

That colour looks great!

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Thu May 01, 2014 5:17 pm

Thanks! He was looking for a LPB like color that is not as dark as what Fender currently does. More teal from the pictures he sent me. I used this color before on a build hoping to get a Sherwood green look to it and it was much more blue looking. I liked it ok, but it is not very green for being labeled as Pacific Green Metallic.

Should work great for this. It looks a lot like the color of my vintage competition blue Mustang that has greened with age.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Fri May 02, 2014 12:43 am

Progress report! We have body paint! I used steel wool to lightly scuff the finish for the paint. I put masking tape in the bottom of the shielded cavities. Hung it up and got to spraying. So far just one coat, but I will do a second one before bed.

IMG_6674 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6675 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6676 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

And then I got to spray.

IMG_6677 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6683 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6684 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6685 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6686 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Not solid yet because it was just the first coat, but it is looking pretty good!

I also did the last two coats on the headstock of color. I did them more of a light mist to try to make sure the metallic bits would scatter at different angles and look more pretty.

IMG_6687 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6691 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6693 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Some shots in the sunlight.

IMG_6694 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6695 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6696 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6697 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6698 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Lovely. <3

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Fri May 02, 2014 1:21 am

Took off the tape and paper towels. I need to let it cure until tomorrow. I will clean up the edge around and get rid of the little overspray. Looking super hot. At the angle you can see why I like to tape at the rosewood line so that the side line matches all around the neck. (If that makes sense.)

IMG_6702 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6701 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6700 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6699 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Fri May 02, 2014 1:48 am

Did round two of painting. Looking really nice! (It is hanging in my guitar room over night in case temps drop outside.)

Natural light.

IMG_6704 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6705 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6708 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6710 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6712 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

It looks more green with the flash.

IMG_6703 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6706 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6707 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6711 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Sat May 03, 2014 1:19 am

More progress!

I lightly sanded and cleaned up the color coat around the headstock to get it ready for clear.

IMG_6714 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6715 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6716 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6717 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Then I taped it off for clear.

IMG_6718 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6719 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6720 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6721 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6722 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Clear coat started!

IMG_6723 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6724 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Then I got to work on finishing the color coats on the body.

(With flash so it looks darker than real life, but you can see the sparkle better.)

IMG_6725 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6726 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6731 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6732 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

(No flash. More accurate color until clear goes on.)

IMG_6727 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6729 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6730 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6733 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6734 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Beau · Post by **Beau** » Sat May 03, 2014 1:28 am

That looks really nice, HNB.

What specifically is the method you are using?

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Sat May 03, 2014 2:11 am

Decal will go on tomorrow.

Clear is looking great!

IMG_6737 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6739 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

CLEAR ON THE BODY!! (Also looking good! The clear really helps make the metallic stand out.) Getting dark out here so the color isn't spot on, but still looking good.

IMG_6741 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6742 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Yowza.

IMG_6747 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Alex W · Post by **Alex W** » Sat May 03, 2014 2:55 am

Looks fantastic! What color pickguard are you planning to put on there?

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Sat May 03, 2014 3:36 am

Spitfire is going to make a tort guard for it.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Sat May 03, 2014 3:43 pm

I did the decal this morning. First I trimmed the decal.

IMG_6748 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Then I soaked it in water with Elmer's glue for about 20-30 seconds and set it on a paper towel to soak up excess water.

IMG_6749 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

I put decal set (water and vinegar) down on the headstock where I wanted to put the decal and put the decal down upside down.

IMG_6750 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Then I slid off the back showing this.

IMG_6751 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

I smoothed out any bubbles and then I brushed more decal set on the top to help thin the decal and make it set up better. Then I brushed it off lightly to get excess decal set off.

IMG_6752 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Repeated the same steps for the offset part. (This photo shows the decal set still wet. I hadn't blotted it dry gently yet.)

IMG_6753 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

BAM! Drying and then I will get to work putting clear over it.

IMG_6754 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6755 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sun May 04, 2014 12:45 am

I take that back. This green/blue is actually pretty awesome. It's like an aged LPB.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Sun May 04, 2014 3:18 am

Cool! That is what Spitfire wants it to look like.

Man this is looking hot.

IMG_6763 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_6773 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Next to my Japanese Jaguar

IMG_6775 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

I used a second can of clear on the body. I will probably do two or three more cans worth before I call it good.

meltedbuzzbox · Post by **meltedbuzzbox** » Sun May 04, 2014 6:24 am

That looks amazing. I can't see any runs or bubbles in the paint work and I am guessing you haven't sanded it?

You have skills sir.

JordanD · Post by **JordanD** » Sun May 04, 2014 10:50 am

I love that colour! You do really nice work.