The painting step is where things start looking vibrant. And it's a step that required a lot of experience, handwork and patience to get it right.
Most of our popular colors are our own blends—a subtle way of standing out on stage. We use a very thin layer of polyurethane lacquer. The key here is thin as this allows the guitar to resonate properly while maintaining durability and consistency.
All our necks are finished in thin satin lacquer.
We love how this feels like a well-played guitar from the moment you first pick it up. The inspiration to this comes from our Custom Shop where we often use oil instead of lacquer to give this well-known and worn-in feeling. And the satin-finish is the closest we've come for this feeling in our Original Series and VEGA Series.
The painting process in 4 steps.
1. The painting process for guitars begins with surface preparation, where the wood is sanded smooth and, if necessary, filled to even out open pores. A primer or sealer coat is then applied to create a uniform base and prevent paint absorption. Once the primer has cured, the surface is lightly sanded to eliminate imperfections and prepare for the color.
2. Next comes the base color or finish layer, which is sprayed on in multiple thin coats. This could be a solid color, metallic color, burst, or transparent finish, depending on our design.
3. After the color is set, thin layers of clear coat or lacquer are applied to protect the finish and add depth. These coats are allowed to cure thoroughly - ranging from days to weeks.
4. Once fully cured, the finish is smoothened and the guitar is buffed and polished using compounds and wheels to achieve a high-gloss and shiny look.
The result is a vibrant Baum body and a smooth Baum neck ready to rock.
