Awesome video. I’m just about to hydro dip a DIY guitar I’m building and this video helps heaps. I’ve practiced on some spare timber and it comes out clumpy so I’m glad I’ve found your video...I can see it’s probably because I’ve used cold water. Can you explain what the borax does?
Hi, Ryder Elliot! Sorry, for the delayed response. I've been very busy as of late. Anyway, I just watched your video. GREAT WORK! It looks neat. I think it is very awesome that your dad helped you do this project. He must be a pretty cool fella. For whatever reason, RU-vid wouldn't show me your link, so, I had to look for it. Luckily, I found it. I also appreciate the shoutout in the description. It nice to know that this video helped inspire your own project. I pinned this comment so that others can check out your channel and your work. I can only pin one comment at a time, so please do not be upset if someone else's work gets pinned down the road. I want to share they love. However, it will always remained, 'loved." You are welcome to try to edit your comment and include a link so others can see your result. Hopefully, RU-vid doesn't flag it. Anyway, great work, and great guitar playing. Rock on, my dude!
Thanks for the pin. That’s really cool. Your video really did help heaps. Here is a link to my tutorial ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Jz8uVBKFbDI.html
Magic marble paint is the easiest best paint it is specifically meant for hydro dipping you just put the paint in the bucket and thats it no extra steps
That’s one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen! You did a great job on that! The only tip for a next video is the font of the text because it was pretty hard to read. But overall a great video!
Hey, Vinnik! Thank you very much for the compliment! I understand what you mean about the text maybe being difficult to read. I try to keep my videos kind of themed, so I wanted my text to sort of mimic the swirl effect on the guitar, but I can certainly see where it may be difficult to read. I really appreciate the feedback, and I will keep that in mind for future videos! Thanks again for the kind words and watching the video!
I was expecting to hate the style but wanted to see the process. Blown away by the results and the style, very unique and the car polish and wax really added depth and shine. Great job and really appreciate the time. Great idea with the camera in the tank too.
I've been noodling around with a Peavey Millennium bass for a while now... cutting down the horns, adding an active "soap bar" pick up, a custom black diamond-plate pick-guard, and of course, a "whammy bar"! I now know what the next project will be! Thanks!!
Hi, Barry! It sounds like you've been pretty busy. Busy is very good, especially with what is going on. Sounds pretty baddass to me. I'd love to see pictures of your projects, and definitely would love to see how it turns out if you do it as well!
It's always crazy, the transformation. The swirl paint goes on kind of "gunky"--rough, crude looking. But the careful clear/level sanding, and then clear again really makes it pop. With the final polish? Gorgeous! I'm watching this vid and trying to learn--I built several guitar effect circuits and thought, cool circuits should be in enclosures that look cool. Doing them in a swirl paint with a high gloss finish would look cool along with the stainless/chrome hardware.
Hey, guys! Thank you so much for the support and great feedback so far! Please leave your comments, questions, and observations below. I will try my best to respond to each one! I am also open to new ideas. Let's try our best to keep a positive community here, so we can all learn from each other. Rock on, my peeps!
Hi, Jerald! It is tricky. My ES-335 video did not have a good finish, but I loved the paint on that one. I struggled with it initially, too. You are in good company lol
Hi, FD English! Thanks for the comment! I was very happy with the finish on this one. Much better than my ES-335 video. Although, I love the paint job on that one, the finish left a lot to be desired.
Thanks, Hasbro! I appreciate the kind words! I don't put out a lot of content, but I try to take my time and ensure what I put out is decent. Take care!
You are a true craftsman, and obviously a great person! I have been painting guitars using acrylic flow technique, and I love the way they look, but it is super difficult to get one right first time, as I can only paint one side at a time. Then it is a minimum of a month per side until the paint is dry enough to mask off to do the other side. I had considered hydro dipping as a way to reduce time involved per guitar, but up until I saw your project, never saw one that really impressed me enough to go for it. But your guitar is, in a word, luscious, and has convinced me to try! Thanks for a great video😉
Hey, Ken! Thanks a ton for the kind words! I really appreciate it! That is neat that you paint guitars as well. Is there a place I can check out your work? I hope you do a hydro-dip. It sounds like it is right up your alley. Let me know if you do, I would live to see the result. Thanks again, Ken!
@@JoeLewis14 you know, I have only been into this less than a year and still honing my chops. I have two that I am almost ready to finish. Like I said, doing one side at a time has been very trying, especially for someone who woke up one day and decided to start painting guitars. I just recently bought some gear to produce videos of my work as it progresses, so when I have something presentable, I will post it, and give you a heads up. But maybe you can relate, as you indicated that some personal stuff got in your way, just as I was gaining some steam, I was hit with neck surgery in October, and back surgery to follow probably mext month, so I may ne a little slow out of the blocks, but you can't keep a craftsman down, right? Anyway, glad to have found you, and your inspiration, and I'll let you know as soon as I get my two finished ☺
@@kenrussell1093 That is awesome, Ken! Sorry for the delayed response. The world is kinda crazy right now. I really respect anyone who steps out of their comfort zone, and tries to create something. You often see people criticizing, and critiquing other people for their choices, but rarely do people try to work on themselves. I respect you for that. It is easier to destroy, than create, so, keep it up, buddy. Send me some links to the final products of your guitars. I really want to check them out.
Really enjoyed your video...bought a cheap firefly and want to do this with it when it comes in as a gift for close friend. The step by step instructions and notes were great and realize it’s not an overnight project so...gave myself plenty of time since this is for Christmas 2020 as gift. Thanks again!
Hey, Cynthia! That is an awesome idea for a gift. I am sure your friend will love it! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I also appreciate the compliment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. If and when you decide to do this project, please send me links to pictures so I can see how it turns out! Any questions, be sure to ask.
my son is teaching me to play I picked up a 100 dollar squire at my local guitar shop and it looks rough so we are gonna do a dip can't wait to see how it turns out.
Awesome build and that Hydro Paint job came out RADICALLY COOL!!! Never seen this done b4 and I'd REALLY would like to try it out TOO!! Thanks For The Video, PEACE
Looks great 👍. I have the exact guitar. Even the base color. I used 120 grit sandpaper and the paint came off quickly. Then sanded with 220. And finally used 600 grit. Super smooth and ready for a dip. 👍
Hey, Mr. Smith! Thanks! That is awesome. Small world, eh? Yea, I wish I would have remember about my orbital during that step. Did you end up dipping it? Do you have any pictures of what you decided to do? Maybe the end result I can see?
you should of used sandpaper to get the paint off it would have been easier and it would of smoothed up the guitars surface instead of gouging into it like a putty knife will
Hi, SPRIRECRANBERRY! I did try to use sandpaper, but it was far too thick of coating. That may work on thinner laters, but it would have taken me probably twice as long as it did with stripper. Especially, sine I forgot I had a ROB during this step. The, "gouging," you are referring too was of minimal issue due to the consistency of the enamel, and the lacayer. Still, thank you for the feedback. I maybe should have mentioned why I didn't do that during that step. Thanks!
Absolutely stunning job only thing I would’ve done differently is added different coloured pickups and 3 different coloured knobs make it more vai(ish) … again really beautiful job ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I wonder about doing a good scuff job then primer over that. Use an adhesion promoter first? Save the stripping time and money. And all the gouging in the wood. Or, both sanding, to get through the majority of the original paint, then stripper, to relieve some of the effort and scratching and filling scratches. Just a thought. The water temp needs to be between 75°f and 90°f, closer to the 90, for sheet dipping, especially. I'm not sure about the colors (thats all subjective and personal taste) but the finish 👌 is spot on. Good job having patience because that is the key to a job like this.
Hi, Boomer! You certainly can paint over the original if you know the condition of the guitar. I bought this off of my buddy. It had been sitting in his garage for some time. I wanted to be sure there was no water damage, so I removed all the paint. That last thing you want to do is seal that in. Thanks for the tips as well!
This was awesome. I can't believe thats a squire. I have a warlock I tried to stain but the type of wood wouldn't take in the stain ended up doing some random spray paint but didn't like it and now its sitting in a closet but I might try this now. 🤘
Hey Ray! Thanks a lot for saying that! Hey, you never know if something will work until you try. Let me know if you decide to do something to your warlock. I'd love to see pictures!
Nice build. I like the look of maple fingerboards on a Strat. This video must have been a lot of work. I really liked the crisp macro shots and that underwater camera view was very cool.
Hi, Cratecruncher! Thank you so much for the kind words. This video was a ridiculous amount of work lol. Thank for noticing :) I am super happy with the result, though. Take care!
Hi, Whatever! Honestly, I just replaced it entirely. It would have been too much work for something that wouldn't cost that much to replace anyway. I didn't want to put something nasty like that on the final finish. Maybe, I should have annotated that. Still, the purpose of the video was primarily about the hydro-dip itself, so I guess it really isn't priority. Good eye!
Hey, TOXIC_COFFY! I'm really glad to hear it! I work really hard on my videos, so, it is really nice to know if someone enjoyed them. I checked out some of your videos. Great playin, mate! Keep up the good work, and keep rockin' on, my dude!
Great video. I’m glad to see that this technique works with enamel paint because that’s what I have bought. I am going to try dipping my guitar with the pickguard and back cover in place so the swirl flows over them. I hope the primer sticks!
Hey, Richard! That is a really good idea. It certainly may work. It may be a challenge preventing the paint from coming off of the pickguard, but please let me know how it turns out. Thanks for the compliment about the video as well!
Well the primer stuck fine to the pickguard but unfortunately the enamel paint ran a bit and spoiled the result. Different colours of enamel paint seem to have different viscosities. The white and blue were ok but the yellow didn’t work. I’ve got some Magic Marble paints, to I’ll strip the body with a heat gun once again and have another go.
@@richardhunt809 Hi again, Richard. Unfortunately, you are the first one I am aware of that has run into this issue, but I am glad you mentioned it. I did some reading, and the best substitute may be some sort of gelatin. I cannot comment from my own experience, but someone had the same issue as you, and asking about it on a forum. I posted it below. Hopefully this helps. Thanks! www.fixwins.com/getAnswers.php?Problem-Resolved=54669&q=+Borax+substitute+for+swirl+painting+
Great finish, but, as a professional sprayer may I give you some advice. It looked to me as if you had a lot of aeration in the lacquer at the end (little white dots) seems to me you need to leave longer time in between wet coats of lacquer to let all the air escape out of the gloss I tend to leave a few minutes after the first coat then double the time for second and double that time for the third and so forth
Hey, Jesey! That's great advice. I forgot mention that in the tutorial. It is absolutely true that time between layers is pertinent. It can cause cracking, or even clouding in more humid environment. Thanks for the feedback!
Amazing ! I have a project practically the same. A Squier strato of the 80s. I've already pickled it up and sanded it. I even gave him the base paint. But I've seen videos where they don't mix water with borate. I have no problem buying borate. But I would like to know if it is essential. What is the difference between immersing the piece in water alone, or in the water-borate solution... Thanks for the information. The guitar has been really beautiful !
Hi, Evil Empire! The Borax keeps the paint from mixing with the water and assist in the thinning of the surface tension on top. I've seen some videos done without it, but I would try to use it if I could.
@@JoeLewis14 I decided to paint the guitar with another technique. I'm going to do a kind of tribute to EVH. But in the future I don't rule out painting such a guitar. The finish is amazing. Thank you for your information. Best regards.
First, AMAZING build man! I enjoyed this video a lot. After you dipped the guitar you applied a clear coat, wax and then polish. Would there be any need to apply a final clear coat or lacquer to seal in or protect that awsome paint job or would that be unnecessary? I have zero experience in guitars or guitar building, I just enjoy seeing cool shit being created and I know if I had something that looked like that I would go crazy of it was damaged.
Hey, Bill! Thanks a lot for the compliment and taking the time to not only watch the video, but leave a comment as well! The clear coat I used was actually a lacquer. I used a lot of it because you are right, I would probably cry if it chipped or cracked. Luckily, I used enough to where I don't think this will be an issue. Just be sure if you did something similar (trust me, you could do this), just take your time adding several thin layers of lacquer to prevent it from "alligatoring". If you do it slow in small layers, it won't be a problem. Enamel paint and lacquer can be tricky. Thanks again, Bill!
Will acrylic markers get messed up if you sand it after the first clear coat has been sprayed Also can I use something similar to borax since I live in Sweden and don't have access to that.
Hey, BattleKau! Sorry, for the late response. Been very busy with work. I would steer away from sanding pain. It can smear and mess up the paint. I would clear coat first, then level sand. I'm not sure what a good substitute for Borax is, so, maybe you woule be able to order some online. Sorry, I couldn't be more helpful, there. Thanks for the question!
Incredible camera work! The dip came out pretty good too. I came here from that blue abomination you left a comment on. Btw, Eddie Van Halen, the godfather of the diy spraypaint guitar, would approve. Let me reprhase; that dip came out beautifully. The color choices were odd to me at first, but now I see it and it is really cool. I'd be proud to own this guitar.
Thing about squiers (especially the affinity stuff) the first layer of "wood" under the paint that sands into a really thin dust is actually fake and you should sand it real carefully. breathing in too much would be real bad. I wish I remembered what it was called but my luthier instructor made me sand it outside so everyone in the shop wouldn't need a respirator on all the time I was sanding.
Hi, Thomas! Thanks! I would recommend still using a primer to help the paint adhere. However, if you think the wood is in good condition underneath, there is no reason you couldn't just scuff up the current paint, and primer over it.
Yea, it was a bit of prep work. I tried dipping a couple small objects like incent burners. When I felt comfortable with trying it on my guitar, I went for the big try lol. I figured it didn't matter too much if it didn't work out as planned because it was a Squire. But if it was a Fender or something more high end, I may have tried on peices of wood as you mentionedm
wow, what a beauty, can tell me why borax, what does it do. I just cut some baby LP bodies on my CNC for practicing before i try it on a full size body. I only intend to make bodies. I don't play so I will leave the rest to the experts for now. I hope to learn a lot from you and be able to one day give back to others.
Hey, Michael Pollina! Thanks, mate! Good on you for trying to learn new things! It's not easy, but very rewarding. Borax prevents the paint from just mixing and just turning the water the paint colors. It also keeps the enamel paints on the surface. Hope this answers your question! Rock on, my dude!
What kind of water heater was used? Very glad I ran into your vid...prepping to dip a JEM kit. Crossing my fingers it comes out as awesome as your work! Great job! Amazing! ✌️😎🎸
It was nothing fancy. I just used a typical aquarium water heater and checked the temperature with a thermometer. You should be able to find something more finite on Amazon. They have controllers and such to ensure the temps are accurate.
Hey, Pablo! Thank you, sir! That is a great question. The truth is, I have never seen relic-ing done to any hydro-diped guitar before, but I am sure it is possible. Since the idea of relic-ing is to just take the guitar as is, and age it, then I would assume you do it anytime post lacquer. The polish and wax are only to bring out the shine, but you can still bring out the shine on a guitar that looks aged. You can always do the full project, then relic it, but I honestly don't think it wouldn't make much difference if you relic-ed it before, or after wax and polish. It would save you time if you just went ahead and did it after the lacquer. BUT maybe for a more authentic look, do the whole thing, then go back an relic it since that is how it would naturally age anyway. Still, I think anytime after lacquer will give you relatively the same result. Great question! Hopefully that helps a little.
...or buy a white guitar and start from there. The shot from the bottom of the tub was inspired - very cool when the guitar was dipped. Some Squier necks are quite excellent, right? The fret work on this one looks aces.
Hi, eJacob! You certainly can start anew. I just bought this guitar for $30 off a buddy and wanted to see what I could do with it. Thanks for the compliment! It certainly was a tough one to film and put together.
Hey, F.D. English! Thanks! I agree. I have seen some results with spray paints that create a bubbly slop. It looks bad in my humble opinion. Using pipettes and taking your time will create those defined lines, and prevent bubbles. Thanks for watching, mate!
Beautiful build and video! thanks so much. I was gonna paint my guitar just black but this changed my mind and I want a bit of a challenge. So let me get this right. You didn't buy hydrodip from the official sight but made your own solution using heated water the borax and the colors were enamel paint? sorry new to this trying to understand what I need specifically for the hydrodrip. I read the description but am just clarifying
Hi TheArcticKitten. You are 100% correct. If you follow each section step by step, and TAKE YOUR TIME, you will not be dissapointed! Good luck. I hope it goes well!
@@JoeLewis14 I went through with it and it came out awesome! one thing ill add for anyone else reading is make sure u dissolve as much borax as u can in ur solution and stir well. I didn't on my first go ahead and all my pink paint fell to the bottom
I am thinking about doing this to a vintage white kramer baretta special in the future. If the body is already white, is it efficient to skip scraping the paint or no?
Hi, Joshua! I'm assuming it has a clear coat/lacquer. I would at least try to remove that, or sand it down really well. The reason why I removed everything, is because this is an old guitar, and had been sitting in a garage for a while. I wanted to ensure the would was in good condition. Hope this helps.
I don't know if its already been said, but if this had a poly finish, paint stripper just makes for an unnecessary nightmare. A heatgun and putty knife will take the whole guitar down to bare wood in 20 minutes without the mess.
Hi, Connor! Yea, I tried with the heat gun and putty knife at first. Unfortunately, it wasn't effective at all. Not sure why. The paint stripper was also a pain. Maybe I retry the heat gun again for the next one. Thanks for the suggestion!
I tried My first Hydro dip on old Peavey Foundation Bass. Gray base coat. Used Majic Marble paints and, well needless to say, Back to the drawing board. Didn't get full coverage and the magic marble bubbled. Any suggestions? Did bubbling occur due to water temp?
Hi, David! Sorry to hear it didn't go super great on your first run. Yes, some bubbling did occur. I recommend letting the Borax dissolve completely for about an hour (I suspect some of the bubbles is caused by this). Also, I would be sure to pipette the paint in. Pouring it in can also cause bubbles. Hope this helps.. Let me know how the next one goes!
Alrightt great video, defo gonna be using this for when I try to hydro dip. Just bought a basic DIY guitar kit from gear4music so should be a good thing to start on. Only thing about this vid is the font but you probably got that comment a hundred times lol. Thanks though.
Hi, Jacob! Thanks for checking out the video! How did it go?! I'm curious as to the result. Hope it went well. I understand the point about the font. I went for the swirl theme over legibility, and it was a mistake. Live and learn.
Hi, giannis! Hi to Greece from the USA! Sending peace and love. I think they were gloss paints. Honestly, the sheen doesn't matter because the Lacquer will make all of them seem glossy. Hope this helps!
Is it absolutely essential to get all the paint off it first? Or would it work with a guitar that already had paint and a finish on it? Would it still work it you just primed it with white paint?
No, there is no need to strip the paint off, he created a lot of extra work for himself. Just need to scuff sand the original paint and prime over the top. The finished product looks great though!
Hi, James! It is not essential if it is a newer guitar, or you know the condition it is in. In my case, I bought this guitar off of a buddy, and it had been in a garage. I wanted to strip it and check for water damage or anything along those lines. The last thing you want to do is seal in moisture. Hope this helps!
Love the build! Was it absolutely required to remove the old paint down to the wood? Could you have just lightly sanded an already painted body and dipped over it?
Hey, Kel Rob! Thanks, mate. Good question. It may not be necessary to remove the old paint, but I decided to because I wanted to be sure the wood was in good condition underneath. It is personal preference. I bought this guitar off of a buddy for $40, and it had been sitting in his garage for some time. If you go ahead and just paint on top, you are putting faith in that fact that there guitar has remained properly sealed. It would be a shame to put in all of this work, only for the factory coated primer to peel up. Painting over the original coat will also make the guitar a bit heavier than if you removed the old paint as well. Hope this helps!
Thanks, Garzael! In general or for this project? Automotive polish is something I read about for guitar applications, and wanted to give it a try. I am now a believer and will use it every time, now. I did 2 to 3 runs with it for this one. Maybe bounce between polish and a wax. Just be sure you don't polish through the clear coats. Hope this helps!
