refinishing an 80's artist

blake · Sea Monkey Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 10

NOT worried about collectors value. black all over, dot inlays, push-push knobs, tremola, dark ivory-colored binding on body and neck.

tuning machines, tremola bridge are pitted badly. also, finish is pretty rough with BAD buckle rash. am thinking of refinishing with color on the top but natural or stained back/sides. how tough is it to strip the original finish? also, are there good replacement parts for the hardware that duplicate the originals.

i really like the binding, can i refinish it while preserving the binding?

one thing i would change are the frets, these are fine but i'd like to put some jumbos on it. worthwhile or butchery?

LGM Guitars · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2003 2:59 am Post subject:

If you want to preserve the binding, your best bet in stripping the guitar will be good old fashioned sandpaper and elbow grease. Chemical strippers, or heat stripping will likely damage the binding as it's usually just plastic. If you want to replace the binding during your restoration, chemical strippers are ok (though I don't like them, they can sometimes contaminate or stain the wood) or the easiest method, is using a heat gun. Regardless of the method you choose, be sure to wear a decent mask and have good ventilation. Go slow and be patient, you'll have a finish you can be proud of! Very Happy

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LGM Guitars · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2003 3:00 am Post subject:

oh, oops, as far as your frets go, if it's a guitar for you, and you want jumbo's, put them in, if you love the guitar, I would recommend getting a cheap neck to learn on first. Or, take the neck to a respected luthier, or tech you TRUST, to have it done. Frets can and will make or break a guitar.
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blake · Sea Monkey Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 10

hey, thanks for the info! i may just replace the binding if it expedites the process. i was just kinda fond of the almost caramel color it had aged to. if only the rest of the guitar had aged so gracefully. lol

regarding re-fretting...i've heard horror stories about some botched jobs so i wasn't sure if it was worth the risk since the frets as is are fine, just smaller than my preference.

regarding a natural finish on the back and sides...has anyone stripped an early 80's artist? i'm wondering how many peices the body and neck are and how good are the seams?

LGM Guitars · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2003 5:44 pm Post subject:

I had an old 80's artist 12 string many years ago, it was a trans red finish. I believe it was Mahogany, and only 2 pieces. In the early 80's, wood was easier to find in bigger pieces, so you are likely to have a 2 piece body. And I think they were all mahogany in the artist series, though I won't swear to that. Worst case scenario, you want to refinish, so strip it, if you don't like the wood, redo a solid color Wink

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