Uss Missouri I NEED HELP!!!!! i want to finish

Yes, you should paint before put everything together, that way you can get a better
result. About your next ship, all of Tamyia 1:350 are great. I have one of each 4 battleships classes and also the Trumpeter 1:350 CV8 Hornet , all of them were painted before final assembly, especialy the small parts or parts with diferent colors.

i agree with painting as you go, but for some small parts, such as aa guns,. i biuld them then paint.i do recommend the yamato or possibly the uss oregon.i beleive the company was glencoe..that was a nice kit also.

Yes...you should paint as you build.Treat each superstructure and gun and everything else as if it were it's own little model.Build it and then paint it.And then when everything is ready to be put together, it will take you 1/4 of the time.
As far as your next kit...I agree that the Yamato would be an excelent model to have alongside your Missouri because the Yamato was the main reason that the Iowa class was built.

Check out the Trumpeter (or whatever company is doing it now) 1:350 scale Arizona. The Tamiya 1:350 Yamato is an absolutly gorgeous kit as well