Guitar Gear Forum

I have had this guitar since 1992...It is the first "real" guitar I ever owned. It is has been used, abused, and used some more, then abused again and again and etc etc...Decided to give her a little love. Got the whole thing torn down. I am going to strip the finish off and sand this thing smooth. I assume I have to seal the wood somehow but I want a natural wood look. As it is it looks like a dining room table. I couldn't even tell you what kind of wood it is - any of it - well, the fretboard is rosewood. While I am at it I need to address a few areas that have been damaged - although nothing major I don't think. Anywho, been rocking the original EMG Selects (8.10 ohms neck / 8.55 ohms bridge) because honestly they don't sound THAT bad, IMO.

I already cleaned and soaked the trem in some decent oil and have it cleaned and shiny looking. I also think, having never done a proper set up, that the blocks for the strings, whatever the hell you want to call those things, were in the wrong order. I didn't really pay attention but I am almost 99% sure that maybe two were possibly in the wrong spots. Either way, better now. I am going to replace all the electronics as well - pots, switches, all that shit. I even grabbed a cheap set of pick ups to try in this thing since I have never had the EMG's out of it. I believe they listed the neck at around 9 ohms and the bridge at 14 or 15, so it should scream. Maybe? I dunno - again, never tried anything else in there.

Is there any benefit in going from 500k pots to 1M, or should I stick with 500k? Is replacing all the electronics a good idea? I don't care about it being original or the value - it is mine until I'm dead. Is there a benefit to using the 23 year old parts that are in there now?

The neck is another piece of work. No idea what the shit is going with this hot mess other than it has a rosewood fretboard. It is made of at least 3 pieces of wood, possibly 4, and it is laminated? The frets are in bad shape so I plan on addressing that as well. The neck has this section, maybe 4 or 5 inches long, where it looks like the thing was not sanded down far enough and still has a thin layer of bark on it. I have played it enough that I have worn the finish down and can feel it now. Would like to possibly sand it away. I know this would make the neck a little thinner. Benefits? Drawbacks? Good idea? Yay, nay?

I think I have touch on most of the main points. I have done some amp modding but never a guitar...This being my first time, any and all help is greatly appreciated. I didn't think of it or start taking pics until I was a bit into the process and this thread would be useless without some pics so...









You can see the several pieces that make up the headstock. Next pic is a side shot where you can see this weird wedge of wood in there...There is some next level shit going on in this thing I swear...

Due to the overwhelming response to this thread I feel the need to bring you guys an update.

I tried a chemical stripper on the finish and it didn't even make it dull...but I know a guy who knows a guy and he owns a cabinet shop with all kinds of goodies. Ran the body though a planer / sander thing. Set the height and let it go. Turns out the coating on this thing is a fiberglass resin. This shit is nasty. Anyway, got the front and back flat surfaces sanded nice and smooth and flat and purdy. I started on the sides with my hand sander at home and it is pretty slow going because of this fiberglass shit. It really gums up sandpaper. I have done about all I can do with the hand sander and now I will have to attack the rest by hand.

So I am looking at this thing, partially sanded and I like the way the bevels in the wood look with the dark finish still on them. I started sanding most of it and it is too scuffed up to salvage what's there. I may sand it smooth and finish those areas with something to make the shape of the wood pop. It isn't just a square cut chunk of lumber. My pics really don't do it justice. It is a 3 piece body, made of ash maybe? I don't even know. I has these cool beveled areas you can see now because of the way it is sanded.











Also, if anyone has anything to offer that may help, like answers to some of the questions in my first post, and is too ashamed to post in this thread you can PM me. I won't tell anyone.

Fully sanded. Test fit...

The body and neck look really good!

It's actually extremely common to add 'wings' of wood to create headstock shapes - I'd say most guitars are built that way


I love Mockingbirds

I like it

Thanks guys. Next part of this mess is going to be addressing the neck. It has this ugly bark strip or something in the middle of it for about 5 inches of the length of the neck. I need to sand this down as well but leave the face of the headstock alone. Also, any idea what kind of wood this is? What kind of finish can I put on here to retain the look it has now but still seal the wood? I can't just sand it smooth and let it ride, right? Thanks again. I like it too

I'd put Tru-Oil on it, then apply a satin, urethane over that. ;-)
Or possibly a nice, trans-blue stain. That would look awesome.
I love Mockingbirds too! :-)

Meelocheck wrote:Is there any benefit in going from 500k pots to 1M, or should I stick with 500k? Is replacing all the electronics a good idea? I don't care about it being original or the value - it is mine until I'm dead. Is there a benefit to using the 23 year old parts that are in there now?

A 1meg pot will let more high end through. Personally I would just stick with a 500k. I would replace the electronics, alpha makes good stuff.

Meelocheck wrote: The neck has this section, maybe 4 or 5 inches long, where it looks like the thing was not sanded down far enough and still has a thin layer of bark on it. I have played it enough that I have worn the finish down and can feel it now. Would like to possibly sand it away. I know this would make the neck a little thinner. Benefits? Drawbacks? Good idea? Yay, nay?

A lot of necks are laminated, that's not a bad sign or anything. That is absolutely not bark dude. Just some weird grain. I would be surprised if you could sand it away without going very deep into the neck. I would leave the neck as is.

As for finishing, what I would do is a rub on tru-oil. Super easy to do and gives you a nice semi gross. Thats how I finished my Jazzmaster. No need to put any other finish over the tru-oil.



Or you could just do a miniwax rub on poly. Again super super easy to do. Thats how I finished my other Jazzmaster

Nice. I dunno about making it a certain color...I want to keep it the way it looks now, just seal it somehow. I'm thinking a satin urethane, which does make sense...Don't want a lot of shine. Tung oil is def an option if I can get that finish. And thanks for the tips on the neck and electronics. Will probably sand it a lightly to smooth it out and leave it at that. I really like the sound of this guitar so I am going to stick with the values that are in it. No sense in messing with it if it works. With the weather here getting warm, fast, I have been busy and slammed at work...Hopefully I will have time to sand it down one last time and throw something on it so I can get it back together and