A refinishing project

[otaypanky]

Once upon a time, in what feels like a past life, an ex-wife smashed my MIJ '54 Re-Issue Strat over a metal filing cabinet, split a wooden stool in half with it, then threw it down on a concrete floor.
It sustained some damage, but after a few tweaks it was quite playable. I thought about replacing the body, then realized this was some old school blues mojo earned the hard way. So I left it that way for 16 years.
Recently I got the bug to refinish it. I used Reranch lacquers, installed some Klein pick-ups, a Callaham bridge/tremelo, an RS wiring kit, and a Taipantone neck plate. I painted it last weekend and I was supposed to wait 30 days or so for the lacquer to cure. But when the rest of my parts arrived yesterday, I put it together and took it out to the local jam.
Sure glad I decided to do this little project, it sounds great and looks nice too ~ And the mojo is still in there

 

[otaypanky]

 

[Kodiak3D]

Nice work!

That's a pretty good story behind the guitar. You should write a song about it from the guitar's point of view.

 

[hubberjub]

Dang son. That looks great.

 

[MichaelE]

Very nice work. You'd never know that it looked like the before pictures.

Love the color too.

 

[Algonquin]

Looks as good as new :AOK: or better :bravo:
The colour is awesome, well done!
Cheers :beer:

 

[Kazz]

Great story...and the refinish turned out awesome.

 

[M29]

Looks great! Now it has even more mojo, you did the refinishing! Did you leave the neck as it was? It looks like it has a beautiful amber aging to it.

M

 

[otaypanky]

Hey, thanks all ~
It was a re-issue model so I think they tint the clearcoat on the necks on those

 

[duhvoodooman]

Whoa! Beautiful job there, dude! :AOK: :dude: :bravo: :master:

P.S. Afterthought on the mode of original damage: That b*tch!

P.P.S. Hoping after my last comment that you didn't remarry her... :rotflmao:

 

[Tig]

Wow, what stories that guitar can tell!

You did a pro level refinish. I love the color.

 

[kiteman]

I'm drooling. :beer:

 

[otaypanky]

Thanks a lot everyone. The color is called Daphne blue and is actually a bit richer than in the photos as they appear here on my laptop. If anyone is considering refinishing a guitar, I highly recommend it, it's fun! Check out the refinishing tips at the Reranch website and go for it. They are very good and pretty detailed. I used 1 can of sealer/sander, most of 2 cans of white primer, 2 cans of color, and most of 2 cans of clear. Besides some fine grades of sandpaper for in between sanding of some of the initial coats, I used Micro-Mesh for the later sanding, eventually handrubbing the finish clear coats to a nice lustre and gloss. Micro-Mesh is pretty cool stuff and the kit I bought at a local Woodcraft store ($45.) had 2 sheets each of nine grades, from 1500 through 12000. It lasts longer than sandpaper, is actually quite different and less likely to scratch, and is washable and reusable. By using the Reranch products and refinishing tips, along with the Micro-Mesh, I ended up with a finish that I would assume was a professionally applied finish if I didn't know better.
I'd like to give a 'tip of the hat' to Chris Klein from Texas, who wound the S-1 pickups I used. It was love at first note when I fired those puppies up. They really sound right to my ears.

 

[peachhead]

Wow, that looks gorgeous! Excellent work, I never would have known the whole story had I not read it. That color is great- to me even better than the original burst.

 

[luvmyshiner]

Very sweet Panky! And I think the whole story makes it that much sweeter.

 

[bigG]

Very nice, panky! :bravo:

Good back-story, and I guess, in the end, you showed her, eh! :bravo:

(I have three ex's, and I don't wanna think abt it, much less go into it! Suffice it to say that I lost pretty much everything I had in this life three times...gives me the shivers. This was back in the heavy "women's movement" time, when the hubby didn't stand a chance in court. That's enough of that! *clears and resets brain*)

 

[otaypanky]

hey bigG ~
believe it or not, me too ! LOL :beer:
I'm on #4 and it's wonderful. I knew it was possible, I just had to keep trying, like learning a tough lick on guitar : )
I went from hell to heaven. Together now 7 years and we've never even had a fight

 

[bigG]

I'm happy for ya, panky! But you have more guts (or are even crazier) than I.

Since my last divorce, I've often said: "unless heaven drops the perfect woman right in my lap, I'm not interested, and I'm sure not looking!" I just can't take the chance of going thru a fourth "dissolution" - it would surely either kill me (literally) or, worse yet, land me in one of those buildings w bars on the windows and padded cells! :rotflmao:

 

[syo]

That looks stunning. I was drooling over a Van Zandt the other day that looked just like it. That's no ordinary guitar you have there...

 

[FrankenFretter]

I've always loved the Daphne/Sonic blue, especially on Strats. Wouldn't want anything that wasn't a guitar that color, but it sure looks nice on your git. Great work! Two thumbs up!:AOK: :AOK:

 

[Trailer Park Casanova]

I'm happy for ya, panky! But you have more guts (or are even crazier) than I.

Since my last divorce, I've often said: "unless heaven drops the perfect woman right in my lap, I'm not interested, and I'm sure not looking!" I just can't take the chance of going thru a fourth "dissolution" - it would surely either kill me (literally) or, worse yet, land me in one of those buildings w bars on the windows and padded cells! :rotflmao:

Great thread, excellent work.

Theirs a country song here: " All my exe's drive a Lexus".

They ALL become impossible eventually.

 

[ShootTheGlass]

That looks wicked. The finish is always in the preparation, and it deffo shows that you took the time on it.

Cant beat guitars with character and a story behind them, they play better than normal ones

 

[mrmudcat]

Agreed.......:master:

 

[bigoldron]

Sweet... :AOK: :drool:

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Wow, that is gorgeous! Nice work!

 

[SuperSwede]

Theirs a country song here: " All my exe's drive a Lexus".