How to repaint my old Ibanez RD300?

[KornoKreep]

Repaint my old Ibanez RD300. I had loads of stickers on it, and a two are stubborn and won't come off. And I want to paint it a nice Candy Apple red. So if anyone could help me out it'd be nice.

[Scott in Dallas]

orange oil based cleaners are great for dissolving the adhesive in stickers. That will save you a little bit of the sanding work.

[62bass]

I've always been able to remove stickers with mineral spirits (paint thinner). You need to keep it wet and let it soak in a bit to dissolve the adhesive. The orange based cleaners also work well.

[KornoKreep]

Thank you both. But after that. What paints are best to use and how much should I sand it?

[62bass]

Originally Posted by KornoKreep

Thank you both. But after that. What paints are best to use and how much should I sand it?

There are so many different types of paints that I don't know where to start. You could get an acceptable finish using spray cans of a good enamel paint. You have to sand the surface of the wood very smooth so there are no imperfections. That can be a lot of work and you may have to do some work with a filler. When I varnish hardwood I sand down to a 22o grit on hardwood, wipe off all the dust and then fix any imperfections and sand again. The key to any good finish is the preparation. Any blemishes will magnify in the finish coat.

I think you need to read up on applying finishes to wood. There is good data in books and booklets from Stewart MacDonald. ReRanch tells you a lot about nitrocellulose finishes. Fine Woodworking magazine has a book out now that's a compilation of articles on wood finishing. There's a good article in there about achieving a flawless paint finish. It's available in a lot of magazine stands.

I think you need to do some homework first. Practice on some scrap wood until you've got it together.

[HELLonWheels187]

Originally Posted by KornoKreep

Thank you both. But after that. What paints are best to use and how much should I sand it?

there isn't a best or worse its more like what do you have access to and what results are you looking for? My suggestion is to sand the body yourself down to the wood then take the bass to to an autobody shop and ask them to paint it(cars and guitars both use polyurathane paint which is highly toxic so you can't really do it at home).

[KornoKreep]

Originally Posted by HELLonWheels187

there isn't a best or worse its more like what do you have access to and what results are you looking for? My suggestion is to sand the body yourself down to the wood then take the bass to to an autobody shop and ask them to paint it(cars and guitars both use polyurathane paint which is highly toxic so you can't really do it at home).

How much would that cost me? I want it a really dark candy apple red. With my nickname in cursive(Can't spell sorry) in black above the E string. Could they do that and how much would it cost?

[KornoKreep]

Also where could I find out on how to remove the pick ups and such?

[62bass]

Originally Posted by KornoKreep

Also where could I find out on how to remove the pick ups and such?

I'd check the Stew Mac site for booklets, or videos showing how to do mods on a bass or guitar. I know they have a lot of them. If you're mechanically inclined and have some basic screwdrivers it's easy enough to take these things apart. You'll need to de-solder the pickups. Make a diagram of where the pickup leads are connected so you can connect them up again.

I don't know what an auto body shop would charge for a spray job. Go to a couple in person and ask. As far as doing the logo thing, you may have to make up a stencil yourself. I doubt the auto body shop would be into that. You can discuss that with them. Candy Apple finishes are a bit more difficult than a standard solid colour.

I really do think you need to do some studying from books so you get a better idea of what to do and what paints to use and what prep work is needed for a good finish. If you know what you're doing, then you can ask intelligent questions when you go to the auto body paint guys. Otherwise you're just sort of floundering around.

[bass_butcher]

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