Magic in a Can!
photos courtesy of John Gleneicki
by Ryan Ackerman
posted 2006-05-20
Ryan - Would you even bother painting a cheap $100 blue-light-special (LOL!) guitar or spend the money on a quality body?
John - Believe it or not, I have a Plywood Les Paul body that has EMGs in it and it sounds GOOD. Is it the pickups making it sound so good?
Probably. Still, it's a heavy piece of wood, so that may also play a role in the tone. Having said that, I recommend that people who want to paint their own guitar start with something that sounds good and plays well. No plywood bodies. get something that's real wood.
A Yosemite Sam custom job.
Ryan - When building a custom guitar what would be your neck preference?
John - I like a maple neck, maple fretboard. Jumbo frets.
Ryan - What bridge/tremolo hardware do you prefer?
John - If it's a strat-style guitar, I'm so used to having a Floyd Rose on a guitar that I'd say, it has to have a Floyd on it. Although I have Les Paul-style guitars, I can only play them sitting down.
Ryan - What pickup configuration do you prefer? Double or single coil?
John - I'm a humbucker guy, but I have so many guitars, some of them are equipped with single coils.
Ryan - Have you ever configured a guitar with a Floyd Rose Speed loader system with a peg-less neck (which I have)?
John - No, I haven't. It's very odd to look at a guitar without tuning pegs. Do you like it?
Ryan - Yeah, it's pretty cool, the guitar feels much lighter than most and the speedloader system is awesome!
Ryan - So, what make of guitar do you prefer to work on? Which body style?
John - I'm so used to all of them that I don't even know if I have a preference anymore. The first time I painted a Les Paul style guitar, I had a harder time because of the arched top. Now, it doesn't really faze me - I've painted so many of them.
A No Bozos custom job.
Ryan - Do you think it would be better to airbrush a graphic or use your method with the graphite paper?
John - It depends what the design is. Some designs call for hard masking like Zakk Wylde's bulls eye design. If someone wanted to use an airbrush, and the design they wanted to do called for crisp lines, they'd have to mask off the design. An airbrush without masking is going to give you a softer look than something masked off.
Ryan - Are you going to publish more books in the near future?
John - Actually, it'll be a combination of books and DVDs. I've already begun filming on the first 2 DVDs.
Thanks John for spending the time with me to answer these questions. I can't wait to pick myself up one of these books just as soon as I get a chance...
For more information or questions about painting your own guitar, visit John's website at www.paintyourownguitar.com.
