Refinishing a Maton 'Leaderman' Guitar.

The 'Leaderman' guitar was one of several different models built in the 60's by Bill May at Maton Guitars in Melbourne, Australia. The guitar was made from Queensland Mahogany and featured a glued on neck as was typical of many Maton guitars. Original finish was Nitrocellulose Lacquer. Two pickups were provided with a slightly out of phase sound when both were used.

What follows is a description of the steps I followed when refinishing a 'Leaderman' from bare wood back to original.

STEP 1
After all hardware had been removed the original finish was removed using paint stripper. The stripper was painted on and left to soften the lacquer, it was then scraped off with flat metal scrapers. An old tooth brush was used to assist in removing the softened lacquer. The stripper used was one which is neutralised with Metholated Spirits.

STEP 2
Once all old lacquer was removed the body was sanded with the grain using fine paper (240 or finer).

STEP 3
The fingerboard was masked with masking tape and the body and neck was sprayed with clear sanding sealer. Only one medium coat was used as the body was fairly smooth after initial sanding. Once dry the sanding sealer was resanded back to achieve a smooth surface free of blemishes or grain. (Any blemishes or grain showing at this stage will show through the final finish)

The finished guitar

STEP 4
A light coat of clear lacquer was sprayed on to the body and neck to seal the surface. Some yellow lacquer stain was then mixed in with the remaining lacquer and further coats were sprayed on the body until the required shade of yellow was achieved. Once thoroughly dry the body was lightly sanded with 600 grit paper to remove overspray and any dimpling of the finish.

STEP 5
Some dark Walnut stain was mixed in with a small amount of clear lacquer and the headstock, neck, and body sides were sprayed as shown in the photo. When spraying the edges I aimed the spraygun away from the centre of the guitar so dark overspray did not fall on the yellow areas. After a previous experience with a sunburst finish I did not sand back at this stage but went straight on to the finish coats.

STEP 6
Several clear coats were sprayed on including one fairly thick one. The last coat was followed immediately with a 'wet coat'. This was done by adding an equal amount of thinners to the last bit of lacquer in the spraygun and spraying one last coat. The extra thinners causes less overspray and gives a better finish to the previous coat.

STEP 7
The lacquer was allowed to dry for several days. It was then sanded smooth with 1200 grit sand paper and then polished to a shine with a cutting car polish.

After final coat

Some suggestions for anyone thinking of having a go at refinishing a guitar:

Try it on an old cheap guitar first
Hold the guitar by the neck while the body is sprayed then hang it while the neck and headstock are done.
Allow it to dry thoroughly between steps.
A coat of clear could be sprayed on and sanded smooth after Step 4 before spraying the darker edges. This should allow you to remove the darker stain with sandpaper if you mess up and want to start over with the sunburst.

Finally, don't take my advice only. Ask others and read what you can on the topic as well.

Back to Main Page

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page