Guitars are beautiful to look at in themselves, but if you want to make them even more interesting and original, you can learn various ways, more or less invasive, to decorate them with do-it-yourself methods. There are various tricks to tweak acoustic or electric guitars the right way!
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Make Small Changes
Step 1. Change the pickguard, or decorate it in some way
The simplest - and reversible - way to make your guitar more original, without damaging the instrument and without spending too much, is to change the pickguard and install a more colorful one, or a single color one to decorate with markers or paint.
- On most guitars the pickguard can be removed with a small Phillips screwdriver after removing the strings. To replace it, just place it in its place and screw it on. A pickguard can be purchased at most guitar or musical instrument stores.
- Acrylic paints and permanent markers are the best and easiest way to decorate a guitar pickguard or body. In the next section we will give you more information on how to paint a guitar.
Step 2. Hang something on the shovel
Jerry Garcia inserted a rose between the strings on the headstock of his guitar: various decorations hanging from the headstock, or even the bridge of the guitar, can embellish it a lot.
- Try getting shawls, scarves or scraps of fabric and wrapping them under the strings on the headstock, knotting them well.
- Wrap a few strings between the bridge and the shoulder strap to better secure the chosen decoration and keep it in place.
Step 3. Add stickers
Another very simple and very effective way to decorate your guitar is to use a variety of stickers to stick to the body of the guitar itself; you can do this with either an electric or an acoustic guitar. While some think that doing so negatively affects the sound quality, the difference is actually very difficult to notice, and is still irrelevant on inexpensive guitars. Here are some ideas for decorations:
- Music group stickers.
- Stickers with writings, the type that sticks on the bumpers of cars.
- Logos.
- Stickers on the frets of the guitar.
Step 4. Get a shoulder strap with bold colors
How about a leather shoulder bag with a psychedelic mandala? With lightning bolts? With a cartridge belt? A flashy and original shoulder strap can be just as effective as a decorated guitar to give you more “presence” on stage. Take a look at which ones you can find to buy, or try making your own.
- Adjust the shoulder strap at the right height for "rock n 'roll": low if you play in a punk band, or at nipple height if you play in an indie band.
- Attach badges of your favorite bands to the shoulder strap. The pins on the shoulder strap can also be a good way to advertise for independent record stores, book stores, tattoo artists or head shops in your area or city.
Step 5. Replace or modify the selector caps
Most electric guitars have plastic selector caps, and you can remove them to replace them with something more original and eye-catching. You can also leave the selectors without caps for a more punk or "industrial" look. Most knobs have an internal metal potentiometer that you can use while leaving it exposed, or embellish in whatever way you can think of.
Remove the volume knob on your guitar and glue a nut you have drilled a hole into in its place on the metal pot. Other highly effective options are clay balls, Lego men or medicine pill bottles
Step 6. Write a slogan on your guitar
Woodie Guthrie wrote "This machine kills fascists" on his guitar, and "Trigger", Willie Nelson's guitar, is signed in marker by hundreds of famous people. Just a few words can add a touch of originality to your guitar, whatever message you want to include.
Use permanent markers, and make sure the ink is dry before touching it, in order to avoid smudging
Method 2 of 2: Painting Guitars
Step 1. Use an appropriate guitar
A paint stripping and repainting job should only be done on old guitars. If you have an old guitar, of little value and much used, that you want to make a little "punk", this technique is for you! It is not usually a good idea to do this on the '66 Le Paul that your grandfather left you as an inheritance. If you want to change the color of an expensive guitar, order it the color you want, or let a professional do the work in a specialized workshop.
It is important to be aware that paint on wood can significantly alter the sound of the guitar. You have been warned
Step 2. Remove the strings and tuners
Before starting the work, it is good to prepare the guitar and prepare it for them modified. To remove the strings, loosen them as much as you can and slide them out of the tuners on the headstock. The tuners can usually be unscrewed from the headstock with a small Phillips screwdriver, and then pulled out of their housing by pulling them.
Step 3. Remove any elements of the guitar that you don't want to paint
If necessary, remove the pickguard and pickups, as well as selectors and knobs, if you don't want to paint them (whatever color you chose for your guitar). You can usually remove them by pulling them and then putting them back in place.
If a knob cap gets damaged in the process, you can always buy it back at a guitar store or online if your guitar is a standard model
Step 4. Remove the trim from the guitar
Depending on the type of finish, you will have to use different techniques to do it.
- Most acoustic guitars are colored with the "staining" technique (adding a little darker, but neutral color to the paint) and then finished, and you will have to scratch the wood with sandpaper before you start repainting them. In general, this is the best way to ruin a guitar, and should never be done. If you have a good quality guitar, it is best to opt for some decoration to add on top of the finish.
- The polyester finish of electric guitars must be removed with a heat gun. If the outermost layer of your guitar's body looks like it's made of plastic, it's a polyester finish, and you'll need to use a heat gun to melt and soften it before removing it with a putty knife.
- Alternatively, you can always take the “do-it-yourself punk” route and paint skulls, panthers, your band logo or whatever directly over the finish using acrylic paints or permanent markers. It won't look professional, but that's probably what you're trying to achieve.
Step 5. Apply a coat of primer and an even coat of base coat
The body of a guitar should be painted like any other wooden object, first using fine sandpaper to make the surface smooth and uniform, then applying a wood stain and finally covering with two layers of oil or latex paint, such as suitable for wood.
- In general, an enamel and glossy varnish, commonly used for guitars, is indicated. This type of paint also helps to cover any imperfections on the surface.
- Let each coat of paint dry completely before applying the next one.
- In general, it is better to avoid aerosol cans, which would give a poor quality appearance, unless this is exactly the effect you want to achieve.
Step 6. Apply additional decorations at the end if desired
When the base coat is dry, you can use brushes and acrylic paints to add additional details and ornaments if you like. Keep the details as simple as possible. Here are some ideas:
- Bent branches.
- Flowers.
- Cashmere decorations.
- Skulls.
- Rose.
- Stars.
- Your band logo.
Step 7. Apply a final protective coat
Using a guitar means exposing it to possible shocks, so it is important to apply a final protective polyester layer to keep it as intact as possible. This last layer provides a durable finish, similar to plastic.
