Guitar Finishing Step By Step

The definitive book for finishing guitars and fretted instruments.

Learn from the pros: materials, equipment and techniques, plus three dozen recipes for famous finishes. This book helps give you the confidence to finish new instruments, refinish old ones, and perform flawless touch-ups. 

The expanded 2nd edition features color stain mixing charts, a color gallery of vintage finishes, and detailed recipes for recreating them with professional results. Guitar Finishing Step-By-Step focuses on nitrocellulose lacquer, the most common guitar finish, but also includes addditional information on varnishes, oils and French polishing. Dan Erlewine's color-illustrated essay guides you through the steps of modern waterbase finishing, too. 188 pages, softcover. 

A partial list of contents:

Materials and tools
Abrasives • Solvents • Fillers • Colorants • Topcoats • Buffing materials and equipment 

Techniques
The basics of spray equipment • Sanding • Buffing • Basic finishing steps 

Recipes for popular finishes
Fender blond, sunbursts and solids • Gibson goldtop, cherry red and sunbursts • Basic Martin-style finish • Lots more! 

Color gallery
Stain mixing color charts • Examples of vintage finishes • Waterbase finishing steps