Worth refinishing/respraying a Squier? Like putting flash alloys on a Ford Fiesta?

Creed_Clicks

Nothing wrong with Ford Fiestas but you get what I mean.
I'm about to acquire a Deryck WHibley telecaster, with the intention of sticking a new pickup in it, and possibly some other minor mods.
There's a god awful red X on the body, and on the pickguard. There's painted on too / part of the finish.
This is the only thing turning me off the guitar!
Would it not be worth the money to ask someone to just paint over the big X. I guess that would require a respray which requires time and effort = £££ $$$ €€€
Is it ever worth respraying a Squier?!!
Other option is to try and get another body, but a single humbucker tele body would be hard to come by...

munckee

Depends how far you want to go.  I sanded the top of a squier standard, spray painted it surf green and sprayed poly over and it looked fine.  Had I had my time again I would have stripped all the original poly off and nitro'd it but you can go as simple or as complicated as you like.

You could always take the poly and paint off and wax it natural wood if it doesn't look awful under whats there.

Creed_Clicks

It would be simple. The guitar is only costing me €150. I don't have the skills to refinish, so would be paying someone to do it...

munckee

Creed_Clicks said:

It would be simple. The guitar is only costing me €150. I don't have the skills to refinish, so would be paying someone to do it...

Depends on how perfect a finish, I sprayed mine with tin cans and made a cardboard 3 sided spray booth and did it in a garage with the door open wearing a mask.

https://i.imgur.com/reuIDya.jpg

Creed_Clicks

That looks pretty cool!

Henrytwang

I’d just live with it if I didn’t feel up to doing it myself. I don’t think that it’s worth paying someone to refinish a cheap guitar .

Creed_Clicks

Henrytwang said:

I’d just live with it if I didn’t feel up to doing it myself. I don’t think that it’s worth paying someone to refinish a cheap guitar .

very true

munckee

Creed_Clicks said:

Henrytwang said:

I’d just live with it if I didn’t feel up to doing it myself. I don’t think that it’s worth paying someone to refinish a cheap guitar .

very true

Worst could happen is you strip it and wax it if you don't like the paint job. 

Creed_Clicks

munckee said:

Creed_Clicks said:

Henrytwang said:

I’d just live with it if I didn’t feel up to doing it myself. I don’t think that it’s worth paying someone to refinish a cheap guitar .

very true

Worst could happen is you strip it and wax it if you don't like the paint job. 

yeah, wonder if I stripped it altogether...

SNAKEBITE

Don't have the skills to do it?

Learn!

It's as easy or as hard as you want to make it. Whilst it may not be a professional finish, it'll be something you've done and I guarantee you'll be chuffed with the results.

I did a Tele body years ago, wasn't perfect but I loved it and was proud of what I had done.

munckee

SNAKEBITE said:

Don't have the skills to do it?

Learn!

It's as easy or as hard as you want to make it. Whilst it may not be a professional finish, it'll be something you've done and I guarantee you'll be chuffed with the results.

I did a Tele body years ago, wasn't perfect but I loved it and was proud of what I had done.

Agree with this my respray was first time I have spray painted anything (apart from a church wall many years ago but that's a different story!) turned out fine, sold the guitar on for a small profit!

dazzajl

Absolutely do it if you like the guitar. The name at the top is pretty irrelevant, if it floats your boat then it’s worth the time and effort. 

I think the only thing that lets Squiers down sometimes is the down to a budget, thick and plasticy feeling finishes. There’s quite possibly a stunning guitar in there waiting to be let out. 

victorludorum

You might find that sanding off a coat or 2 takes away the cross, but leaves the rest of the black intact. Then it's just a case of polishing the shit out of it to get the gloss back (or a quick coat of lacquer + polish). It's a risk, but I imagine that the cross was added on after the black at the factory.

baldy

I had a Yamaha RGX, which is not an expensive guitar, re-finished by @lamf68 from this very parish as I liked the guitar.
It turned out stunning.
Either get somebody to do it or have a go with a rattle can yourself.
I am shortly going to do another RGX I have myself with a rattle can, I just completely stripped the guitar this morning ready.
If you like the guitar why not.

clarkefan

As a matter of interest what paint stripper would you guys recommend?  

I ask because I did exactly this 30 years ago with my Squier, used stripper which worked well on some parts of the body but I had to really lay into other spots, so that when I stained the body those parts sucked up more stain than others, leaving a very patchy finish.

Maybe it was the type of finish, it was a glossy black coat, some of it was a bugger to shift.  Just thought I'd ask in case OP decides to go for it.

dilbert

Creed_Clicks said:

It would be simple. The guitar is only costing me €150. I don't have the skills to refinish, so would be paying someone to do it...

Skills or experience?. Both can be acquired with practice, alacrity  and a little patience.

dilbert

clarkefan said:

As a matter of interest what paint stripper would you guys recommend?  

In my day, it was known as a blowlamp 

rossi

If you want a nice nitro finish on your Squier just rough the paint up a little then rattle can away .it looks great and you get your colour choice as long as its a solid colour  I am not a great believer in thick or thin layers of paint . A colour over a burst body works a treat and relics really well but much slower  than you would think .

ewal

I've refinished a couple of guitars using nitro spray cans. I stripped one back using a heat gun. The other I just oversprayed after a bit of sanding. Both look great. So I would think long and hard before stripping back.

And if I can get a good finish, anyone can.

Creed_Clicks

Abandoned the idea in the end. I'm going to look at a partscaster this year.

merciful-evans

Its only worth doing if you love it. I put a new bridge and pickups on my Squier and I intend to keep it.

This is it pre-mod