My sentimental vintage Gibson electric refurb
 

In this thread I described my search and acquisition for a replacement of my first electric guitar.

Well It arrived today and I started the initial testing (all the electronics worked but had some age-related scratchiness).

I did the primary tear-down tonight.



Extremely nice and unexpected SKB hardshell flight case with TSA locks.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps9980053c.jpg

First view of my own Sonex in over twenty years !
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps7d8fcb16.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...psfadf42da.jpg

Lots of age-pitting on the chrome. I'll be polishing or replacing the hardware.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps727229dc.jpg

Super high output vintage Dirty Finger zebra humbuckers - best hard rock/ metal pickups Gibson ever made IMO.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps66057564.jpg

Nice low thin frets like I love. Much loess wear than I expected.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps35f329c6.jpg


The work begins:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps72649993.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...psfc8a50c0.jpg

Now comes the analysis portion

• Which parts can I save and clean/refinish?
• Which parts will I replace with used?
• Which parts will I replace with authentic OEM new parts?
• Which parts will I replace with after-market replacements?

Then the finishing questions

• How much refinishing do I want on the body and neck
• How much refinishing can *I* do on the body and neck
• What refinishing can I do to match whats there
• How much refinishing can I do and not touch the headstock logo

Then the electronics

• I want to replace the aftermarket switch
• All the same quesitons as H/W analysis

keep it original clean it up and play it....

I love that you are rescuing a guitar. FYI, Best Buy is closing out their Gibson parts online.

Bob

i vote this way too. a sonex in original condition is worth more then a refinished sonex. my 71' les paul custom looks far worse.

+1

If a shiny new finish is desired, a shiny new guitar can be purchased.

If the functionally suggests the guitar should be refinished (ie: if the finish on an acoustic guitar top has been removed through years of play), it can be valuable to re-finish to avoid the softwood soundboard from being damaged further due to pick-scratches and hand & finger dirt/grease/grime.

Solid-body electrics are a different breed - a chunk of wood with a neck, bridge, and pickups attached. Even if the wood was not finished at all, it wouldn't have significant impact on tone and longevity of the instrument.

On the other hand, if the process of refinishing interests you as a project by itself, then by all means refinishing is a fine decision.

If the damage is only to the clear coat you might consider buying a bottle of McGuiars Scratch-X2.0 and investing a few hours in rubbing out the damage by hand. I did it for a Les Paul Studio I bought off eBay that has a trashed clear coat and it looks very much like new now. Put on some great music and spend the time getting to know your instrument. I wrote up my experience HERE.

Oh, and there are places that will take a tracing and reproduce your pickguard, such as Terrapin.
Bob

Yes, I've decided I am not going to refinish the whole guitar. I was considering the StewMac-sold black Color Tone aerosol Nitrocellulose lacquer and redoing the whole guitar. But it would be a re-finish and not original and, mostly, I can't match the headstock and do not want to lose the mint condition headstock logo.

So, I bought a new pickguard today, a new toggle switch, new stop tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge, new strap buttons and a ton of new screws - mostly all OEM stuff.

I replenished my supply of micromesh and clear coat polish. I am going to try burn-in lacquer sticks to cover a couple wood-exposing dings, then polish the wood up, polish all the remaining hardware and start planning my reassembly.


Really enthused by this project.

polishing
 

Saving as much of the original hardware as I can, especially 100% of the electronics (the amazingly best part).

Here are some before and after pictures of the Tune-O-Matic bridge hardware. It was pretty rough when I started. It cleaned up nicely. As clean as new but still very vintage.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps4e152b24.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...psfbe61004.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps3e6c27f8.jpg

The pickups worked well, but were a mess from age and neglect
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps4717d4d7.jpg

Here is what one looks like when I'm done with it. Again, clean as new but 100% original and vintage
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps6e122c2c.jpg

Some of the worn spots (down to the wood) got worse by my polishing.

I am now awaiting responses from 4 refinishers and have a quote meeting next week to possibly drop my body and neck off.

I am also debating trying the Colortone (or Behlen's) rattle-can nitrocellulose. I've read a lot of good things. I spoke with a former vintage refinisher who told me the aerosols work well but take many more coats and patience. Apparently the aerosol cans have a lower solids to solvent ratio so it essentially goes on thinner.

I dislike the "relic" look. I don't want a museum quality. But I want something nice looking. Vintage and collectible quality isn't important for this one - its just sentimental.

I am thinking that a spray nitro touch up is not in my (patience-deprived) skillset :(

Yeah, one "splorch" from the spray can and you are hating yourself. ;) I spent hours one time taking a rattle-can black finish off a lovely Gretsch Corvette.

Bob

Hence, me looking at professional refinishers. I already made it worse. Then tried cleaning that up and made it worse still. Not sure if I am on "I made it worse" a second time or third time.

And its Winter in Buffalo NY so I won't be able to effectively spray anything out in the freezing humid garage.

While I love doing my own work, this one is sentimental and important to me so I am exploring my options. I have the body and neck fully disassembled, polished glass smooth (worked my way up to 3000 micromesh) and cleaned.

I am hoping that someone can touch up or respray the neck and body for a reasonable price, knowing I don't need new/museum quality and I am willing to do the final polishing if necessary.

I've seen quotes online from $85 to $485

And strangley, if you Google "guitar refinishers" , there is a barrage of search results all in the UK. Not sure why that is the hotbed of guitar refinishing.

There is a well-known luthier here in town who just finished Steve Vai's guitar for a local concert. I have an appointment with him next week.

I'd love to walk away for $200 with a light fret smoothing thrown in :D

I traveled to the U.K. a few years back. On the plane with me was a large group of auto painters, all from the Isle of Wight, who had traveled together to America to study American techniques, equipment, and paints and a symposium. Since cars and guitars share materials and techniques, I wonder if these guys are doing guitars on the side? :D

Bob

(Arg! darn photobucket shows the pic rotated properly but won't link it properly - so lookign at m,y own pics makes me dizzy)




I have an appointment with an authorized Gibson "A" rated repair guy - the second most well known guy around town. But I figure if I am going to have him do the refinish, I'll give a try myself first - that way he can fix it anyway if I mess it up.


I am using Colortone Gloss Black Nitrocellulose "Professional Guitar Lacquer" from Stew Mac, with the satin clear top coat.

I meticulously masked the neck.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps1bce70a3.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...psfcfa6048.jpg

Ready for it's first coat

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...psadc20edb.jpg

Following the instructions, I applied three light coats, curing 2-3 hours in between first coat(s) of black nitrocellulose lacquer applied to the neck.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...ps8dba086e.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...psf398025b.jpg


A little bit of orange peel to sand down and give one more overcoat to (I read that is normal for the aerosol version since it cures so fast.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...pse95edb1f.jpg

It's only midway. I still have to smooth and level, apply another black, then clear/clear, smooth/level, then clear.

So far, I am pleased. The masking was perfect and totally blends at the lines exactly with no awkward "tan" lines. The wear is completely hiddne. Now its just patience to get the smooth glassy satin finish I want.

Knowing I tend to be too impatient and aggressive, I intentionally started with the reverse finishing method:

Normally, I would progress :

• 320 grit paper
• 600 grit paper
• 1000 grit paper
• 3000 grit micro mesh
• polishing compound
• clarifying compound

But, I decided to see what the gentlest I could do and, if not giving strong enough results, increase the aggressiveness. So, to smooth out the orange peel I started with this:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...psd9c8a913.jpg

By the way, this works wonders for polishing all surfaces of a guitar, especially restoring super high glossiness with the least aggressiveness possible. I use it all over when refurbishing/restoring.

The results were terrific. The orange peel is almost gone. And no buyrn through on the nitro.

Tomorrow I might touch it one more time, before the satin clear coat(s) go on.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...pseaacbd3b.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...psa89893f8.jpg

I loved that write-up Bob. I've been having similar success with Turtle Wax paint clarifier. Once I do the body, I'll have better photo's (on a nice flat surface). That flamed LP is gorgeous.

I found a Sonex pickguard that matches the vintage style and ordered it. I am keeping all the original parts for "purists" in case I ever sell it.