How to Paint a Checkerboard on a Guitar
- 1). Detach the guitar strings.
- 2). Promote adhesion by abrading the guitar. Gently sand the surface with 400-grit sandpaper. Stop sanding when the surface feels slightly rough to your fingers.
- 3). Wipe down the guitar with a tack cloth.
- 4). Protect the components of the guitar you don't want painted with blue painter's tape. Work meticulously to cover each part, and cut the tape with scissors to make it conform to smaller components.
- 5). Place the guitar on a drop cloth.
- 6). Spray on a thin coat of primer. Do not apply in a steady stream as this may lead to runs and sagging in the finish coat. Spray in brief, intermittent bursts, instead.
- 7). Allow the primer to dry for one full day.
- 8). Cover the entire surface of the guitar with the lighter color of the two high-gloss spray acrylic paints. Apply in the same manner as you did the primer. Wait two hours, and then apply an additional coat.
- 9). Wait a full day for the paint to dry and cure.
- 10
Use a ruler and a chalk pencil to outline your checkerboard on the guitar. Cover all of the squares you want colored in the lighter paint with blue painter's tape. Use scissors to cut the tape. Measure and cut meticulously to ensure that all of your edges are straight. - 11
Cover the exposed squares on the guitar with the darker spray paint. Apply in the same manner as you did the primer. Wait two hours, and then apply an additional coat. - 12
Wait two hours, and then remove all of the blue painter's tape. Wipe away the chalk outline with a damp cloth.
Source...