The only way to get the finish off is to sand it. I tried everything else. Get a block and some 60 grit and go to town. Then go to a lighter grit when you get close to the wood. Also if you are doing any transparent colors you may need to bleach the wood. The fiesta red sinks in deep. Check out the guitar reranch site. They have all the steps and supplies. I just finished the same project you are starting, and mine turned out great. It was also my first build. My pics are in the jagstang project thread. I also listed all the hardware I went with. I also suggest, if money is no object, going with EMG pickups. They are the most versitile, and can be switched out without soldering. Also you can get the battery under the jackplate without routing the body. Shoot me a message if you have any questions.
