ShortScale.org

Hey guys, can you give me any hints as to removing the finish before repainting a guitar body? I am having a heck of a time getting all the sunburst off of this Squier body I am working with.

You don't have to strip all the old paint off, just prepare a surface for the new paint. However, nitromors will dissolve seemingly everything except wood, and is probably your best bet.

stripping paint is the least fun you will ever have with a guitar.

I am glad to hear that, because it hasn't been that exciting so far! I am thinking pretty soon I am going to get sick of the sanding and the caustic paint stripping substances and just do a light sand and prime the damn thing.

I just did this on a Squier body the other week. Heat gun was useless as it just cracked the paint. Nitromors eventually ate through everything. I mean everything, including the sealer.

i've heard you can't buy nitromors or similar in the US... is that true? surely not...

I could only find it for purchase online on UK sites...so that might be true.

jasco epoxy remover is available in the states. it works on squiers.

Is that stuff different than other paint stripping substances? Because I've tried a couple of different things with only moderate success. What is the active ingredient(s)?

i don't know. alien blood maybe? it seems to eat through everything but wood and metal.
trust me, it works. i've used it to strip several squiers. it's hateful stuff, though. burns instantly on your skin.

What kind of finish are you planning on putting on the guitar? If it's poly or enamel you can just rough up the old finish a bit and spray over that. How durable do you need the finish to be?