There are a lot of different ways to finish your guitar project and how you go about it depends on the results your after. For my latest electric guitar build, I wanted to stain the wood in order to bring out the figure in both the Maple and the Bubinga. Then, I wanted to give it a shiny gloss top coat.

As you may already know, I have been experimenting with Hydrocoat Resisthane Plus as a water-based lacquer. In the past, I used nitrocellulose lacquer. However, in my quest to go green, I decided to switch. And boy am I glad I did.

In the end, the only advantage nitro has over water-based is that nitro turns yellow over time which warms up the appearance of a guitar. But as far as ease of application, durability and clean-up, you just can’t beat Hydrocoat’s product.

I’ve used it on two guitars so far and the method I found that works best for applying it is as follows:

1. Sand the guitar to 220 grit, making sure there are no scratches or dings remaining.

2. Stain the wood with your favorite color stain. Water-based stain is best, but oil will work as long as you perform step 3.

3. After the stain has dried, wipe down the guitar with a lint-free rag moistened with denatured alcohol, especially if you used an oil-based stain.

4. Within 10 minutes of wiping down the guitar, spray on the first layer of Hydrocoat. It’s easier if you hang the guitar from the ceiling of your work area. Make sure you spray it on thin and light. Too much and it will run.

5. After an hour or so, rub down the guitar with some medium synthetic steel wool. It has to be synthetic since real steel with leave particles that will rust under a water-based top coat. Finish by wiping off the guitar with a clean, lint-free rag to remove any dust.

6. Spray on another thin and light coat of Hydrocoat.

7. Wait an hour or more and rub it down again, but with fine synthetic steel wool instead of medium and wipe it off with your clean rag.

8. Spray on a third thin and light coat of Hydrocoat.

9. Wait another hour or so and repeat steps 7 and 8.

10. After applying 4 thin and light coats, rub down the top of the body and headstock with fine synthetic steel wool and wipe it off with your clean rag.

11. With the guitar lying flat and level—top side up—spray on a thick layer of Hydrocoat onto the body and headstock. If the headstock is angled, you’ll need to wait for the body to dry so you can prop up the headstock until it’s level before you spray it. Make sure you don’t overdo the thick coat along the edges of the body or the headstock, otherwise you’ll get runs down the sides.

12. Repeat steps 10 and 11, to get two thick and smooth coats. Applying these thick coats helps to achieve a smoother surface that is easier to wet sand later.

13. After the guitar has dried at least a couple of hours, flip it over and repeat steps 10-12 on the back of the body and headstock. Don’t worry about the neck itself. If you apply a thick coat on the neck, the Hydrocoat will run down the sides. Once again, if the headstock is angled, you’ll have to wait for the back of the body to dry so you can prop it up and level the back of the headstock before spraying on the thick top coat.

14. Repeat step 13 for a second thick coat on the back of the body and headstock.

15. Wait a couple of hours and begin wet sanding. Start with 600 grit wet/dry paper soaked in water with a drop or two of liquid dish soap added for lubrication. The goal is to flatten and dull the surface. Once that has been achieved, proceed to 1,000 grit, then 1,500 and finally 2,000 grit. The last three grits should be done lightly and just long enough to remove the scratched from the previous grit.

16. To bring out the shine, polish the guitar with rubbing compound. I use 3M Finesse It rubbing compound. That stuff is miraculous.

17. Finish off with some automotive scratch and swirl remover.

Wow, 17 steps to finishing an electric guitar! That may seem like a lot, but with a water-based approach, it goes very quickly. I’d plan on two full days, start to finish. That’s nothing compared to nitrocellulose. After all, with nitro, you have to let the topcoats cure for a month before you wet sand. And don’t get me started on the solvents you’ll need for cleanup or the respirator you’ll need to wear or the explosion proof spray booth you’ll need to build!