The 5 Best Paint For Guitar: Paints That Enhance Aesthetics And Last For Years 

There is no-one-color-fits-all while hunting for the best paint for your guitar, and luckily, there are a wide number of paints for guitar to choose from for different guitar types to repaint and refinish your guitar to give it a personal touch. Along with the best paint for guitar you have to know how to paint a guitar properly. I am Patric Byrne; your guitar buddy will help you get the best paint for your guitar!    

When one of my old guitar’s colors got faded and rusty, I thought of giving my vintage YAMAHA SJ-180 a whole new look. I was looking for the best paint for the guitar, started by asking my guitar buddies, and did some research. Along with some of my guitar buddies tried 38 guitar paints on our instruments. We have tested those colors based on their look, quality, longevity, and other practical aspects. In my tests, some paints performed impressive, while others were disappointing.   

As an outcome of my tests and trials, I narrowed down a list of the 5 best paint for guitar by considering the dry time, original texture, availability, price, and many more. In this post, I will share with you the list of best paint for guitar that have worked for different types of guitars. Let’s get started!

The 5 Best Paint For Guitar 

If you are confused among the numerous guitar paints on the market, here is a list of the 5 best paint for guitar. Take a look at the list and make your call. 

1. Krylon K01303007 Acrylic Spray: Best spray paint for guitars 

This spray paint from Krylon gives the best glossy finish that makes the instrument look like new as well as it adheres well to wooden guitar bodies. Krylon is not only aesthetically pleasing but also protects the underneath surface from moisture changes and lasts long on the instrument. These qualities make it the best acoustic guitar paint on the market. If you spray a light coating of this paint on the guitar, it’ll take only 10-15 minutes to fully dry to your touch and 2 hours to be ready to use. On top of it, the liquid form of the paint stays intact in the can for a long time.

2. Minwax 15200: Best gloss brushing lacquer spray 

Minwax 15200 is most appreciated because of its top-notch matte effect. It gives a clear and protective finish on both wood and metal surfaces but works better on wooden surfaces than metal. So, if you got a bare or strained wooden guitar body, Minwax 15200 is for you. As well as giving a smooth and long-lasting finish, this spray paint protects the wooden surfaces of your instrument from UV rays. Moreover, while Krylon K01303007 takes 2 hours to be ready to use, Minwax takes only 30 minutes.

3. ColorTone Aerosol Guitar Lacquer: Best electric guitar paint

ColorTone is a top-notch black matte spray paint and the best one for electric guitars available in the market. Like Krylon K01303007, it also gives an excellent glossy finish and a professional look to your guitar. With the hard and durable finish, it’s able to resist water as well as alcohol. The best part of ColorTone is you can use it anywhere, even on the string and cord.  

Tips: Put on multiple thin coats to get a long-lasting finish.

4. Krylon K01010A07: Best Metallic Spray Paint

Want a metallic finish on the guitar? Then, the result of this metallic spray paint from Krylon will amaze you. With a very smooth, high gloss finish, this metallic spray paint resembles actual metallic plating. Also, it adheres really well on wooden surfaces, which is long-lasting. Moreover, just like Krylon K01303007, Krylon K01010A07 is also dry to the touch in just 10 minutes.

5. Rust-Oleum 1906830: Best guitar lacquer paint 

Rust-Oleum 1906830 comes in three colors: black, white, clear, and with a single can, you can cover several guitars with multiple layers. Among the three types, the clear one provides a better glossy coating. Rust-Oleum stays vibrant for a long time on the instrument despite frequent use. If we talk about the drying time, the result is between Krylon and Minwax. It dries to the touch only in 20 minutes. 

Tips: For an ultra-gloss finish, use a sandpaper after the paint has dried completely. 

Can You Paint A Guitar? 

A guitarist may want to paint the guitar for various reasons. Like, he has bought a used guitar and wants it to have a different look or give the guitar a personal vibe. Whatever the reason is, the question is can you paint a guitar?   

The answer is yes, you can Painting guitars with brushes is a favorite hobby for some users. But spraying is the most preferred method among guitarists as it is easier and faster. Spray paints also produce a better smooth and even surface. 

What Kind of Paint To Use On A Guitar? 

When we think of refreshing the appearance of our guitar, the first thing that comes to mind is painting it. But if you want to paint a guitar, you must get guitar-specific paint. Here’s a quick breakdown of what kind of paint to use on the guitar. 

For Durable & Solid Finish: 

If you plan to use a solid color on the guitar, pick a paint that has polyurethane or nitrocellulose in it. When it comes to a long-lasting finish, the latter is the best option, but nitrocellulose takes longer to dry. The nitrocellulose guitar finish has to be applied multiple times, and the process takes several days.  

On the other hand, many people prefer polyurethane paints due to their tough and thick nature. But the only issue is that polyurethane isn’t easy and fast to apply as nitrocellulose. 

For Quick Dry Paint: 

Many guitarists might think of acrylic paint first when they think of painting the guitar as they are really easy and fast to apply. But you can’t count on acrylic paint’s durability. The only solution to protect the acrylic paint is to coat it with a clear lacquer. But remember to try the paint first on a piece of wood to see if it adheres. If it doesn’t, then coating won’t be beneficial for you. In that case, you shouldn’t go for that acrylic paint. 

Must-follow Tips To Correctly Spray Paint On Your Guitar: 

The preparation process for spraying the guitar takes longer than the actual application. So, follow the below steps carefully if you don’t want to ruin parts of your precious instrument. 

• Carefully apart every guitar component, like strings and other hardware. This will save the components from paint splash. 
• Spraying paint vertically on the guitar will result in drips, and you won’t have a good finish. The best way to paint the guitar surface is to lay it on the ground and paint it side-by-side. 
• Don’t spray too much paint. If you spray too much, the layer will be very thick, and the paint might crack. So, avoid unnecessary spraying. 
• Avoid spraying under the direct sun. This can lead the paint to dry before reaching the guitar’s surface. Try to paint at normal room temperature. 
• Always shake the paint can before spraying. Otherwise, the paint might lose the real shade or texture. 

How To Choose The Best Paint For Guitar? 

There are a lot of paints on the market today that will leave you with a lot of expectations to paint your guitars in the perfect color. But which one is the best paint for guitar, and how to choose the suitable one? Here I have outlined the most important factors you should consider before choosing the best paint for your guitar. 

1. Recommended Surface: 

Paints can be applied to various surfaces, including plastic, wood, metal, glass, and more. But there are some paints that are designed for particular surfaces. So, before buying the best paint for guitar, always check for the manufacturer’s recommended surface. You don’t want to use glass-specific paint on your guitar, right? 

2. Durability: 

We don’t want to paint the guitar frequently, as it’d be really tiring. So, choose a long-lasting paint. For that, check the ingredient list and see if it has nitrocellulose. Nitrocellulose gives your instrument a long-lasting finish. 

3. Longevity: 

Some paints, like acrylic paint, dry out quickly but don’t provide a long-lasting finish. On the other hand, some paints take time to dry but give a long-lasting finish, like paints with polyurethane. So, first, decide which one you want, quick dry time or better durability, then choose the paint. 

4. Easy To Apply: 

Paints that are easy to apply make transforming the guitar into a one-of-a-kind work of art much easier for you. Every kind of paint isn’t easy to apply. Instead of choosing a can of paint, you should go for spray paint as they don’t need a brush to apply; you just spray the paint on the guitar however you want. Spray paints also save you from the splash of paint on the guitar. 

5. Glossy or Matte: 

Every guitar paint comes with a specific finish. You can find it on the can of the paint that it gives a glossy finish or matte finish. There’s nothing like a glossy finish is good or matte is bad. It totally depends on your personal choice. 

Best Paint For Guitar: Conclusion 

The answer to the question of which best paint for guitar you should go for depends on the type of guitar, the desired finish, and of course, the budget. Just keep in mind one thing, always apply appropriate paint on your guitar, as different paint types work better on different surfaces. A guitar’s best look helps to have the optimal experience while playing. The right paint can help you with that. So, choose wisely, and achieve the look you want!