How to Paint Stripes on Your Guitar

Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat has a distinct painted stripe pattern.

Stripes can be added to a guitar for a unique look. Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat is the most well known striped guitar. The method used for painting stripes on guitars in counterintuitive. The entire guitar body is initially painted the same color as the guitar stripes. Tape is placed over the guitar body where the stripes will be. Then the actual body color is painted over the entire guitar body. Removing the tape from the guitar body reveals the stripes.

Things You'll Need

• Spray paint
• Painter's tape of different widths
• Sandpaper

Instructions

1. Remove the strings, pickups, control knobs, strap pins and any other hardware on the guitar body.

2. Remove the neck from the body, if possible. Tape a sheet over the neck if it is not removable to protect it from paint.

3. Sand off the paint from the guitar body.

4. Paint the entire guitar body the color of the stripes.

5. Place painter's tape over where the stripes will be. The tape will block the stripes from being painted over when the body color paint is added.

6. Paint the entire guitar body with the body color. The tape will protect the first paint color you put on for the stripes.

7. Remove all of the tape from the guitar body to reveal the stripes.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the tape is placed flat over the guitar body. This will prevent the body color paint from seeping under the tape into the stripes.

References

• Building a Van Halen Clone!
• Van Halen 5150 Project Guitar