Sounds like a primer or filler of sorts. I'd keep going till I just pass it as it's probably the thickest.

The black (sometimes white) is just a colour coat to hide the wood grain and provide an even colour as a base for the metallic. The clear coat under that is the sealer.

I usually prefer to go down to bare wood, but that creates a lot of work as you have to prepare the wood properly and apply a new sealer coat, both of which take a little skill and practice.

You can stop sanding once you reach the sealer if you want - it's designed as an all-in-one grain filler, sealer and primer and will make getting a decent finish on top relatively easy. However, production line sealers are usually applied very thickly to level the surface instead of levelling the wood properly first (which takes much more time and skill). This is the main reason factory finishes are usually way too thick, and choke body tone. Sometimes you want a less resonant body though (particularly for guitars designed for high gain). The (usually) polyester sealers also help protect softer woods like basswood from knocks and make the guitar brighter.

Ok,so the black is just normal paint?
And, would it be okay if i kept the clear coat sealer then and primered over it,or would it be better to go to the wood?im not looking to change the tone or anything like that,its just a respray.and i like the idea of having a thick sealer for bumps and nicks...

mity88 wrote: Ok,so the black is just normal paint?

Yup.

And, would it be okay if i kept the clear coat sealer then and primered over it

Yes, but you won't even need a primer, just colour coats and/or clear topcoats.

Thanks Alan, youve just saved me ALOT of time, lol, so for now its back to sanding...yay!...i will post pics when im done