Customize Your Guitar! New Style for Crap Guitars.

Got a ragged out guitar that still plays but looks awefull? Then this instructable is for you! I will show you how to quickly, easily, and cheaply customize your beat up old guitar. The examples I'm showing are more girly versions but you could easily alter the outcome and personalize yours in any way you want.

Here is a list of things you will need for this instructable...

1. Beat up, ragged out, kicked around, scratched, dented, and sorry guitar
2. Krylon outdoor spray paint
3. Sand paper, around 120 grit
4. 1 roll masking tape
5. StaZ-On Stamp pad (found at craft and hobby stores, i.e. Hobby Lobby)
6. Rubber Stamps or cut your own out of fun foam (found at craft stores)
7. Rub-Ons (found in the scrapbooking area of craft stores)
8. Rhinestones (I used Swarovski Crystal rhinestones)

Wash the guitar to remove any grit and grime. Loosen the strings and remove them and then remove the hardware by unscrewing the 4 tiny screws under each hardware set. (you will not touch the 3 larger screws as these are for tightening loose and rattling hardware) Be sure to save all the screws and hardware pieces to put them back onto your guitar, although now is a perfect opportunity to replace the hardware. If you find yourself having to tune and retune your guitar it could be because the hardware is worn out. New hardware is relatively inexpensive and can give your guitar a nice new look as well.

We will be painting the top of this guitar only, but you can paint the entire thing if you wish. If you have an old scratched up pick plate you can remove this now. Some pick plates like the one on this cheap guitar are stuck on with double stick adhesive and can just be pulled off with little effort, some need a lot of effort, and others will have screws that will remove the pick plate from the guitar. Get a new pick plate now or save this one to reuse later. I chose to leave it off entirely. Now that the pick plate is removed, "hand" sand the top of the guitar making sure to sand along with the grain NOT against it. You do not have to sand it to death, just enough to remove the top shiney coat making a nice dull finish that the spray paint can adhere to.

Use masking tape to cover all surfaces that you don't want sprayed. Make sure the tape is well adhered to all the edges so that the paint can't spray up under it. Spray several thin coats of spray paint over the parts you want painted making sure each coat is dry before you continue. Remove the masking tape and allow the paint to dry according to paint can instructions.

Now we will concentrate on decorating the guitar. This one is for my daughter so naturally it's going to be overly girly with swirls and bling. Using StazOn brand permanent ink pad stamp swirls all around the edge of the guitar. Then stamp other designs as well, I used some nice butterfly stamps over the swirls. Next you will add Rub-On transfers in different shapes and words wherever you think they look good. Now replace the hardware and put new strings on your guitar.

So now you need to add the rhinestones cause every rocker needs some bling! And you are done! Totally customized guitar that is all YOU. No one else will have one like it and you can hear all your friends brag about how cool it is. Keep on Rockin!