I'm glad some folks are groovin' on the "Sparkle Strat". I've seen a few over the years, and am aware that the Fender Custom Shop uses some glitter on a few pieces. In a recent visit to "Glitter Gulch" I was surprised to notice that the infamous Ed Roman's of Las Vegas had quite a number of glittered guitars.
There seem to be two types of sparkle axes, one style seems to go for a retro look, similar to that originally offered by Gretsch as far back as the early 60's, I think. This style incorporates large particles, usually silver or gold, very similar to what is more commonly used on sparkle drum kits. The second type uses a solid, metallic-colored, finer-sized polyester glitter dispersed within a clear base and shot over the colored base coat. A final coat of clear is shot over the top to encapsulate the glitter coat smoothly.
It kinda' made me feel a little funny inside to go for the glitter guitar, but hey, I figured if I didn't like it I would give it to my twelve-year-old daughter. I kept it.
So, for the body, I used an iridescent, multi-colored, polyester, 100 micron sized glitter dispersion mixed with micronic glass beads for depth of color. It was painted with a spray gun by a pro. The headstock and pick guard I did in my basement by mixing maybe 5% Royal Blue Polyester Glitter with 95% Silver Hologram Polyester Glitter, sprinkling it over a wet layer of Clear Acrylic, and then coating maybe 10 or 12 layers of clear acrylic over the top. It took a few days to wait for a layer to dry, lightly sand and spray again, then repeat.
It was kinda' goofy, but I like it. To tell you the truth, the photo doesn't do it justice. The thing really sparkles prismatically in the right light.
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