Sunburst Finish
The images and text below show you how easy it is to get a great sunburst effect using my nitrocelluilose lacquer aerosols
The first step is to mask off the top and the "faux binding" then to spray the back. Once dry,
carefully scrape the edge of the binding with a sharp blade to give a clean line. This is pretty much the same
process as for the gold top body elsewhere on my site.
Now mask off the sides. There is no need to be too accurate because the outer colour will cover the edges.
Spray several thin even coats. Spraying too thickly will cause unsightly runs which are very difficult to
correct on transparent finishes.
Here I have sprayed my base coat. I am aiming for a honeyburst so have used a deep yellow shade
(my amber yellow.) Before going any further, leave the base coat several hours and ideally
overnight to harden. Be patient!
I removed the masking and then remasked for the brown burst. Again, I haven't been too accurate with the masking as the
binding will be scraped to give a nice clean line.
I reccommend that you spray "inside out", i.e. angle your aerosol so that you spray from the centre of the guitar body towards the edge. This gives you better control over the edge of the darker colour and lessens the chance of overspray in the centre. I sprayed freehand without using any masking in the centre.
Here the binding has been scraped back ready for the clear coat. Once the binding has been scraped and you are happy with the colour you can spray the final clear coat.
This will cover the whole body including the "faux binding" and the top.
You'll find that the clearcoat will help soften the sunburst, blending everything in nicely.
Once enough clearcoats have been applied to level and edges, leave the whole body to harden for a few days.
Once the lacquer has cured you can rub out and polish to a high gloss.
Let's have a closer look at that flame! Remember, this whole sunbursting process was done with just aerosols!