Yes, refinishing a guitar is a lot of work.

[deacon Mark]

Just for kicks I throw this out. I am going to refinish my Kitchen Cabinets they need it after 25 years. I am not even going to remove them from the walls but take doors and all hardware off. Then going out to do the search for what I need. The paint, not cheap, degreaser to clean, more sandpaper, and then a lot of time. Clean, sand, mask and paint carefully.

This is a lot of work for my lazy butt and reminds me why refinishing a guitar is so difficult. The guitar is much more valuable than the cabinet and needs a whole much more sanding and time to get finish perfect assuming you are going for traditional nitro finish. I am telling myself this as a motivation tool to get through the project. The cost of a tradition nitro finish on something like an L5 must be pretty pricey these days. Anyone done had the work done recently would be curious about the cost.

[Heybopper]

I was quoted £1000 for a refinish on a guitar that was already stripped. That was from a semi pro luthier. There is a guy in the area who specialises on Gibsons but he would probably charge £2000-£3000. Ive tried to do it myself on three guitars but ive always ruined it.
Stripping is a lot of work but it's doable as is the long hours of sanding ( probably 4 hours a day) for a week. going through the grades up to 1200 or finer. Being careful if is a laminate.
What is almost next to impossible is the finish. I think you definitely need a spray system. Air powered or electric. You won't get an even finish from a can you will just get the orange peel effect.
Ive tried oils but I couldn't get the glossy finish.
Id love to be able to stain a guitar wine red and finish it but I think it's just a dream. Ive seen people doing wonderful finishes on wood using oils and dyes but I don't have the skills. I am not Roger Borys ( I have to remind myself of that every time I see a guitar for sale that I think would look better in a different finish)

[Jimmy blue note]

Scrape don't sand. Sanding is slow and when you're working the boundary between finished and raw wood, you will remove wood MUCH faster than the finish.
Cabinet scrapers. Whatever you do, don't use an orbital sander. Half of your cabinets or guitar will be gone before you even check your progress.
Hey isn't Mark Campellone on this forum? He does amazing finishing. I don't know about refinishes, but if he's done one he'll tell you it's MUCH easier to put it on than to take it off, especially if you don't want to change the nature of your guitar... or that really nice surface of your cabinets.

I had an apprenticeshop in an old victorian house. Part of my work payment was working on refinishing floors and fittings, windows and walls. I learned a lot and I became a luthier but gosh, it was some of the hardest work I've ever done. To this day, refinishes are among the top jobs I'll pass on to someone else.

[deacon Mark]

Yes, they are scraped with cabinet scrappers and remove only the finish no real wood then sand. I remember in about 1982 in Bill Barker's shop he was refinishing Fred Rundquist D'angelico New Yorker a 17-inch johnny smith spec. I scraped the finish off that guitar and actually that was not so difficult I had all types and varieties of cabinet scrapers. Barker could put an edge on one and the proper burnishing and the finish came of easy. When the guitar was finished Barker had matched the old D'angelico sunburst and the guitar look beautiful.

[GuyBoden]

I'm thinking of using thinned Shellac on an unfinished guitar. (The guitar has an unfinished spruce top and maple back/sides.)

I'm taking this woodworker's advice:

[Jimmy blue note]

I'm thinking of using thinned Shellac on an unfinished guitar. (The guitar has an unfinished spruce top and maple back/sides.)

Go for it. But personally, I wouldn't. I've finished classical guitars with French Polish and in a way it's necessary for a vibrating surface that's as sensitive as a nylon driven flat top. That's not as crucial on a steel flat top, and very much not a priority with an archtop where issues like durability and just sheer protection are of greater consideration than acoustic transparancy that is very vulnerable to damage.
Finishing a piece of furniture has a different set of pro's and cons than a vibrating and uniquely demanding wear and tear of a constantly used musical instrument. There's overlap in finish types but considerations of use should be taken into account.
That's my opinion only though. In my apprenticeship I was well versed in finishes, to the degree that we boiled our own shellac from pine pitch and applied French polish with alcohol and cheese cloth. It was beautiful and very good from an acoustic standpoint but it dented, crazed, chipped, wore through and in some cases could be reactive to perspiration to a degree lacquer (applied by brush or spray) could protect. Actually, one of my favourite guitar finishes was a furniture finish, McClosky's OLD FORMULA brush on lacquer, but when they reformulated it so be less toxic to the environment, it looked the same but it didn't work nearly as well on acoustic instruments. That's how fine the differences between guitar and stool can be. Again, that's just one opinion.
It'll be cool. Let us know how it comes out. And do be mindful if you're taking it on a gig.

[benhatchins]

I'm thinking of using thinned Shellac on an unfinished guitar. (The guitar has an unfinished spruce top and maple back/sides.)

I'm taking this woodworker's advice:

There’s truly something magical about that job—it just seems so fulfilling and full of purpose. I often catch myself daydreaming about doing something like that instead of what I’m stuck with now. Unfortunately, things at my current workplace have been going downhill for a while. The environment has become increasingly toxic, and it’s gotten to the point where I’ve had to start drafting a hostile work environment letter. It’s not something I ever imagined I’d have to do, but it keeps getting worse, and I can’t keep putting my mental health on the line. Hoping for a fresh start soon—ideally doing something I actually love.

[Doctor Jeff]

I’m a woodworker and have refinished a guitar or 2–solid bodies. I’d be hesitant to take on an archtop.

I use all kinds of finished with woodworking and really love Danish oil for high quality wood. I also use shellac a lot, but as noted heat and water take a toll on the finish (fairly easily fixed if you know what you’re doing).

I stripped an ash telecaster (painted) down to bare wood. I started out with a non-toxic finish remover, but that went too slowly, so I went with a belt sander. I didn’t realize the back was a veneer until I had sanded through part of it, and ended up just removing the entire veneer. For what I was doing it didn’t matter if the back was highly figured.

I applied some blue water-based stain—can’t remember if it was Color Tone (sold by Stew Mac) or just a regular craft stain. I think I diluted it with denatured alcohol. A little stain goes a long way. I think I just used 0.5 mL or so in a 100 mL of alcohol. And applied with a foam brush. Pretty foolproof really.

I applied instrument lacquer with a brush. As I recall it was Mohawk, formerly Behrens. I sanded in between coats, applied about 10 coats. Final sanding was wet sanding, working through various grits.

It “mostly” went well. On both the guitars I finished myself (I also finished a classical guitar years ago), I had some small areas where the lacquer didn’t cure properly, which were a bitch to deal with. Overall I was pleased with the result.

Cost of products has gone way up. It would cost $150-200 or so to finish an instrument with spray lacquer using aerosol cans.

A bit of an aside—have you bought paint at a hardware store recently? Get prepared for your jaw to drop.

Anyway, here’s the Blue Tele I refinished.

Original state—prior owner’s relic project:



The bride stripped bare:



Refinished guitar on the left, new build (GFS—body with factory finish) on the right. I sold them both at auction for a fundraiser for my old high school. The new build brought $600, the refin only $200. Oh well. It was fun doing it, and for a good cause. I only paid $150 for the Tele I refinished originally. Great playing guitar.





You can see the blemished area on the bottom left. It looked worse in the photo than in real life, where it was barely noticeable.

[lammie200]

I just finished a couple of 8/4 basswood pieces for the sides of a new medicine cabinet. I was going to use poplar, but found a basswood piece at the hardwood yard and decided it would work better because it was lighter and more clear grained than the poplar. I cut the pieces with my table saw and radial arm saw and started sanding. Went through all the grits with my palm sander and started applying a dark stain to match the vanity cabinet. The stain wasn’t matching and I could see zig-sag sanding marks. So, the first attempt worked as a guide coat and I got it perfect the second time. I cleared it with wipe-on poly. I guess my point is that I agree with the OP about finishing being a bee-otch.