How to Refinish a Les Paul Studio

Gibson Les Paul Studio model guitar.

Refinishing an electric guitar and getting a professional result is a challenging project, especially in the case of an archtop, with its undulating body. With a Les Paul Studio model, the task is made far easier by the lack of the decorative binding found on the more expensive Standard and Custom models, which normally requires removal prior to any refinishing.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Wood scraper
• Hand or power sander
• Sandpaper (assorted grits)
• Masking tape
• Guitar paint, stain or lacquer
• Denatured alcohol
• Polyurethane
• Buffing cloth or buffing head for power buffer

Remove the Old Finish

1. Select a sturdy work table that is portable and can accommodate the entire length of the guitar. Cover the surface of the table with a thick towel or other form of padding to avoid marring either the body of the guitar or the work surface.

2. Remove all hardware, control plates and electronics from the body of the guitar and place the guitar face up on the work surface.

3. Mask off any areas of the neck that are in direct contact with the body using several layers of masking tape to avoid damaging the neck while removing the old finish.

4. Remove all of the old finish from the guitar using coarse 80-grit sandpaper and a hand or power sander. Be extremely careful to sand only down to the bare wood. Do not remove any of the underlying wood to avoid adversely affecting the fit of the hardware and the ability to properly tune the instrument.

5. Remove any traces of finish around corners and in tight spaces using a sharp wood scraper. When you are through, the body of the guitar should be completely devoid of any finish.

Prepping for the New Finish

1. Carefully sand the entire body smooth, starting first with 120-grit and working down to 800 grit.

2. Wipe down the body with a tack rag to remove all surface traces of sanding dust.

3. Rub down the entire surface of the body with denatured alcohol. Allow alcohol to dry completely before applying finish.

Applying Finish

1. Apply the selected finish---guitar paint, stain or lacquer---according to the manufacturer's instructions. Depending upon the type of finish selected, there will be different application techniques required.

2. When the finish is completely dry, which may take several days, depending upon the type of finish used, apply a polyurethane top coat according to the manufacturer's instructions.

3. When the polyurethane is completely dry, buff out the finish until shiny with a buffing cloth or power buffer with buffing head.

4. Remove the tape from the masked off area, removing any residue with a rag dampened with denatured alcohol.

5. Reinstall the hardware and electronics and retune.

Resources

• Project Guitar Electronics Tutorials