ST-1 Custom experiement

[lunaticds]

Hi,
I've just ordered this:

It's an ST-1 Custom that PitBull had returned.
I'm going to have 2 kits on the go at once - a TB-4 Bass and this.

This build is going to be experimental. I have a bag of stickers that I'd really like to cover a guitar in then clear coat it to a nice smooth and shiny surface, and I needed a candidate. I had been chasing a cheap secondhand Squier, but that hasn't panned out, so a cheap kit guitar that doesn't have much in the way of inspiring timber under it is a reasonable candidate.
I have upgraded to some black Grovers. I'm too old for cheap tuners.

Everything else is what's in the kit.

The plan:
Coat it in Dingotone Blackstump - I should have enough left over from the TB-4 build. Once it's gone through the intensifying layer, I'm going to cover it in stickers. Obviously there will be some gaps between the stickers as I don't want to be layering the stickers on top of each other too much. The plan is to then hit it with a few coats of Cabot's Cabothane gloss, bring it back to a smooth finish then hit it again.

Being a hater of pickguards.. especially white ones, I'm debating spraying this one black, covering it in stickers as well and seeing if the Cabots would stick to it. This should help blend it in. The white humbuckers might annoy me, but I'll live. If it turns out OK, those humbuckers will probably get upgraded - my Epiphone Les Paul is long overdue for a pickup upgrade, so it might make a good donor.

The white knobs will go. I'll replace them with something. Probably black, and probably not strat style.

Pics when it gets here.

[FrankenWashie]

Sounds like a good plan! Look forward to seeing how it goes.
I resprayed a pick guard on an SV-1 kit a while back, it was pearloid white and I wanted it to be black, if you prep it well and use an appropriate paint it should work fine.

[McCreed]

Someone here recently posted a guitar completely covered in postage stamps (can't remember where I saw it) so it should be doable!

I resprayed a pick guard on an SV-1 kit a while back, it was pearloid white and I wanted it to be black, if you prep it well and use an appropriate paint it should work fine.

Yeah, I have successfully sprayed Fender Vintage Noiseless pickup covers. If you use an acrylic paint that is made to go on plastics (like Krylon) it will stick. I think I primed them first IIRC (it's been a while).

[lunaticds]

Sounds like a good plan! Look forward to seeing how it goes.
I resprayed a pick guard on an SV-1 kit a while back, it was pearloid white and I wanted it to be black, if you prep it well and use an appropriate paint it should work fine.

What kind of paint did you use on the pick guard? If they weren't so big, I'd just print one on the 3D printer.
I'm calling it the Jurassicaster so you can guess the theme.

[FrankenWashie]

What kind of paint did you use on the pick guard? If they weren't so big, I'd just print one on the 3D printer.
I'm calling it the Jurassicaster so you can guess the theme.

I used Rustoleum, but any decent quality aerosol should do, I’ve switched to Supercheap Auto acrylic since.
As long as you scuff the pick guard surface with 240/320 to give the paint some tooth to bind to, you should be okay.

[lunaticds]

I used Rustoleum, but any decent quality aerosol should do, I’ve switched to Supercheap Auto acrylic since.
As long as you scuff the pick guard surface with 240/320 to give the paint some tooth to bind to, you should be okay.

Excellent thank you.

I've been putting some thought into the headstock decal - looks like it'll be a clear waterslide job, so I'll be keeping the face of the head stock natural.
I'm in 2 minds about whether or not I stain the back of the neck and back of the headstock with black stump or just coat it in Tru-oil. Not real sure yet.

I'll run by Bunnings at some point and see what I can find in black acrylic sprays and some Cabothane as a clear coat.
I probably need to consider rigging up something of a spray booth in the garage. I've got a couple of big heavy cardboard boxes floating around. I might be able to make something work with that.

[Simon Barden]

The Ikea 'spray booth' has been used by quite a few people here

https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/vuku-wa...hite-10339331/

Screw an eye into the end of the guitar body where the strap button goes, then suspend it from the rail with S-hooks, string or wire, and you've got a decent spray-containment setup.

[lunaticds]

The Ikea idea looks pretty cool and budget friendly enough. Might be something to look into. Cheers for that suggestion. I might order one in a week or two. I'll need that long to dig my way through the garage to get to a wall that I can hang it from. :P

[lunaticds]

In the interests of trying to keep my costs under control, I printed some stuff on the 3D printer:

The humbucker covers are pretty fragile, but apparently should fit on with some effort. Not great, but that'll do until I get around to funding some new pickups in the Les Paul to swap.

The knobs.. these ones go to 11. Pretty ugly on account of the printer but will be functional until I decide what I actually want to put on here.

[Simon Barden]

Sand the tops down, fill in the knob numbers with paint and they should look fine.