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Semi-vintage beater. Refinish?


tomteriffic

Question

Posted

I have a line on a small-guard 1963 SG Junior that I can pick up at a livable price. It's pretty much like my first "good" electric guitar so I'll admit to some sentimentality. Still, it's a decent deal. It's all there (whammy has been taken off and the holes plugged but all the parts are there, not a bad thing in my book), everything works, it sounds rude and plays very well. Frets in good shape (probably a fairly recent refret), etc.

But

The finish on the body has been mauled. There's not that much that goes through to the wood, but loads of dings, scrapes, gouges and you name it. At some point, it looks like somebody went over the worst of the mess with a pretty close shade of red nail polish that shows up pink if you get the light right. The whole thing looks like some sort of 3-D topographic map. The back of the neck has been sanded but I can live with that. My old one had a bad case of "sticky neck" and I hated it anyway.

Anyway, you get the idea. It's a good player with a terrible finish. If I get it, I don't know that I'd be parting with it any time soon, (see sentimentality comment above), but if I were to get the body refinned, considering the shape it's in now, how much damage would I be doing to the value? No I'm not going into numbers, it's a price I can live with, all things considered.

Discuss.

TIA

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Posted

You would likely be improving it overall, and getting a swell guitar out of the project.

I'd do that in a heartbeat.

Posted

If somebody has already boogered it up as bad as you say, I'd refin it. Seriously. It'd be one thing if it was just worn and reliced, but if a clown tried to "fix it" and mauled it how would a refin be lowering its value?

Posted

I wanna see pictures!

Posted

It's only going to improve the value compared to what it is now. Unless you are paying over the odds to start with, of course. But you aren't, so it's not an issue.

The question is will you ever get back the price of the guitar + refin? No idea, but since you'll keep it it's not an issue either and it'll be worth it since till probably like the guitar a lot more for it.

Good luck making a decision.

I want to see pics too :)

Posted

If somebody has already boogered it up as bad as you say, I'd refin it. Seriously. It'd be one thing if it was just worn and reliced, but if a clown tried to "fix it" and mauled it how would a refin be lowering its value?

^^^^ This.

Are you thinking black and green polka dots like I am?

Posted

I was thinking something along the lines of this:

100_5835_zpseuzahkwg.jpg

No, wait, I already did that...

Hmmm, Anime? Archies? Warner Brothers?

Nope probably the same ol' cherry transparent.

Posted

probably the same ol' cherry transparent.

With sparkles?

Posted

Based on the description, I'd definitely reshoot it in a period-correct color, no question. My dilemma would be a.) typical (cherry) or rarer (that cardinal red color on old Firebirds); and b.) age-in-mind pro relic/aging or minty clean.

I'd probably go with the heritage cherry refin and well-played relic'ed, but I like guitars that look like they've been taken care of but played hard daily for 50 years.

Either way, good luck with the chase. I'd love to add a vintage LP or SG Junior to my stable.

Posted

Semi-vintage? Guys are calling 80's stuff vintage these days.

Another vote for a refin, though I would go with white because, well, Derek St. Hubbins.

Posted

I was thinking something along the lines of this:

100_5835_zpseuzahkwg.jpg

No, wait, I already did that...

Hmmm, Anime? Archies? Warner Brothers?

Nope probably the same ol' cherry transparent.

Speaking of graphics, although Pete played an SG Special, not a Junior, you might do something like this in homage:

tumblr_lg83zpcuAg1qa6xa3o1_400.gifwindmill-silhouette-vector-698815.jpg

... you might

Posted

Semi-vintage? Guys are calling 80's stuff vintage these days.

It's 52 years old, same year the Beatles hit America and the British Invasion and the rock group concept exploded.

Another vote for a refin, though I would go with white because, well, Derek St. Hubbins.

Now that's a good idea.

SpinalTap.jpg

Posted

Those little guitars are awesome. If it was mine, I'd refinish it Pelham Blue, or faded-to-green Pelham Blue.

Posted

Semi-vintage? Guys are calling 80's stuff vintage these days.

Another vote for a refin, though I would go with white because, well, Derek St. Hubbins.

With a little, tweensy Stonehenge painted someplace on it. :lol:

Posted

Semi-vintage? Guys are calling 80's stuff vintage these days.

Another vote for a refin, though I would go with white because, well, Derek St. Hubbins.

With a little, tweensy Stonehenge painted someplace on it. :lol:

White w/black pg & knobs, plus this:

Stonehenge+Silhouette.jpg?format=1000w

Posted

Another vote for stripping it and doing it with Tru-Oil. If the gouges are so deep you can't sand them out, you can always fill them, then stain it with a water-based dye and Tru-Oil finish over that. It's pretty hard to screw up a Tru-Oil finish.

And if you don't have time or want to bother, package it up and send it Jay at NTL. He did an awesome job on my '68 SG Junior refin, all at a very reasonable price point too.

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