There are things that I feel must be done right. My coffee has to be just the right water temperature and extraction time. A good steak has to be aged just a certain way and seasoned without much fuss. My guitar has to be intonnated properly and it better play exactly how I expect.
Other things, just have to happen.
This is where people start fights, wars even. Everyone has their own version of what justifies perfection. Usually that coincides with whatever is easiest to flame people for online. So be it, I’m far past the age of caring about that crap.
I’m also far past the age of people caring how I finish my guitars.
Which brings me to the topic of the day. Paint. Now, I really appreciate a quality finish on a guitar. That’s evidenced by our dealings with a certain group of Aussie painting geniuses… But it doesn’t always have to be that way. Sometimes, you just need a blue guitar. It doesn’t matter how it gets there, it just needs to happen.
That happened the other day for me. I’ve been dealing with a sunburst guitar as my main ride for years. I hate sunbursts, but I loved the guitar. I never did anything about it because it’s a Tom Anderson and they cost a fortune and you don’t mess with that. Well, fuck it.
Here’s what happened, in chronological order:
Just a body. Last we’ll see of that stupid sunburst.
89? No clue.
Important safety tip.
Early in sanding – this is the worst part.
Primed. Once you do this, sand that shit real smooth.
Done!
Yeah, it’s not perfect. Yeah, I didn’t use “pro equipment.” Yeah, there’s a weird face on my pickguard. There has been for years. Got a problem with that? All that matters is I like the looks of this thing 50x better than I did a few days ago. That somehow translates to playing better. It’s worth the risk.