Tel: 01594 839261
Mob: 07773 801692
Nitro paintwork / guitar refinishing
All finish work is carried out exclusively with restoration grade nitrocellulose paints, lacquers and sealers. They are free from modern high content plasticising additives which means they feel, look, behave and age like the classic thin skin finishes of the '50's and '60's. A comprehensive range of colours, tints and gorgeous metallics are offered and we have been lucky enough over the years to have been able to match many early custom colours directly from vintage instruments that we have handled. There can be, as you may know, many varying shades of "standard" colours caused by fading and age yellowing. We are able to recreate these by blending paints and lacquers, or by adding tints to "colour adjust" our standard vintage paint range.
In addition to the information below, many more paintwork examples can been found in the "colours" galleries.
Aged finishes
Aged finishes are perfect for vintage restorations where it's important for the new paintwork to blend in with the overall look and condition of the rest of the instrument. They are also often chosen to replicate an old look on modern and new instruments. We don't cut corners, everything is painted "as new" before the ageing process takes place. For an authentic look we can make the paintwork appear a little faded but with the body contact areas remaining shiny and the areas under the pickguard and fittings remaining unfaded. Choose from aged not worn, or aged with light, medium or heavy wear as shown in the photos below.
'Factory Fresh' finishes
Where a brand new pristine look is requested, we can paint in a full range of authentic period and modern colours, or custom mix with either full gloss or semi gloss top-coats. As well as solid paint colours we also offer a full range of metallics which will be applied over appropriate base coats.
Naturals, tints & 'burst finishes
Our restoration grade nitrocellulose lacquers dry clear and greatly enhance the natural woodgrain and figuring. We add apropriate tints and stains when applying single colour see thrus and 2 or 3 tone sunbursts. A full range of colours is available, with walnut and mahogany tints being an excellent choice to create that light or dark-back look often found on Les Paul models.
For neck finishes our "tobacco stain" tint is a popular choice, givng a very natural effect which is particularly good for an aged appearance. Choose from light medium or dark tint with or without gradation on the back.
Restoration paintwork, before/after examples
The following photos are in pairs and show 4 guitars, before and after restoration and refinishing.
Whether you want your guitar restored to "as new", or painted with a period correct vintage look, we are always happy to oblige and advise.
Website © 2025 Guitar Angel. All rights reserved. Design by visual foundry