Brian's Guitar from Conception to Birth or How to Build a Guitar in 62 Easy Steps!

51 Sand Some More

Now that you’ve got a solid blanket of shellac, and it looks all pretty and shiny, it’s time to scuff it all up. Using a brand new piece of 320 grit sandpaper, lightly sand all of the surfaces. I said, “lightly.” You do not want to sand all the way through your shellac and color coat back down to bare wood. The idea is to simply knock down any little nubs that are sticking up and to give the following coats some tooth to grab on to. You’re looking for a fine coat of dust to appear on the surface of the guitar as in the photos. Flick off any build up on the sandpaper frequently. When you’ve finished sanding, vacuum off the dust, wipe the entire guitar down with naptha or mineral spirits on a clean rag, then follow that up with a thorough wiping with a tack cloth. The surface will appear dull; that’s alright, you just scratched it all up. We’ll be adding on the shiny stuff next.