Folkway's Mark Stutman has found a super unusual 00028 Martin...

[Kerry Krishna]

  He is asking what Facebook friends think should be done. It is (he thinks) poly paint... How would you strip this guitar if you decided to do it?

[Ned Knepp]

Well it was a shot in the dark. I will say that I've never seen a guitar that was painted with something of this quality but there are a lot of amateur  painters in the world so at least some of them should be good. 

[Andrew]

Lots of professional artists too. You'd think there would be more guitars painted nicely, considering. I might have me ma do a solid body sometime. Just not sure how the finish over top would go if it would be hi gloss nitro.

[Allen L Wall]

I would leave it alone, vintage or not.

[Ed Minch]

That doesn't look like a 1937 paint job.  If it is a 1937 instrument it might be worth getting it back.  I know they can take varnish off of a 400 year old oil painting without harming the original paint, so with a little exploration, there may be a way to just get that layer off leaving the original finish.  Does it look like the area at the pick guard might have been in bad shape so that the colored paint was on raw wood?  Can you tell in other areas if there is any damage to the original finish?

Good luck

[Andrew]

I guess if he wants to remove the painting then it would be a good idea to talk to an art conservationist. I imagine museums have contacts for such people.

[Kerry Krishna]

The guitar is not being stripped, and is tentatively sold. 

[Ned Knepp]

Kerry, did you ever find out how much the paint really effected the sound of the guitar? I didn't notice any pick marks in the picture  you posted. Has it been played?