'66 Mustang restored by my g/f. Back to original Dakota Red.

IPLAYLOUD · Post by **IPLAYLOUD** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:20 am

This is a 9/66 Mustang that had the yellow paint DEEP into the wood, drover her crazy getting it out.
The owner bought an original guard, and a set of matched Lollar pickups were used. Luckily, all but 1 of the original screws were put back into the holes!
Dawn mixed the Dakota Red Nitro lacquer and sprayed it on thin after the correct base coat, just as Fender did in 1966.
The neck was fine...so after some fret polishing, cleaning, re-assembly and a good set-up, it was like new. The owner was VERY happy.

Here with my '69. This thing was really YELLOW!!

After the work.

NAKED BODY GUITARS on FB.
www.NakedBodyGuitars.com

Post by **Mike** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 10:03 am

Stunning work, you've returned that to it's considerable former glory. Amazing.

Always had a deep love for Dakota Red Mustangs.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 10:04 am

Exceedingly well done.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:19 pm

top notch job.

Paradigmforcosmos · Post by **Paradigmforcosmos** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:29 pm

I really liked the yellow colour, the pickguard on the yellow version was real ugly though. Nice job, the red looks real nice too.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 11:43 pm

bad ass

George · Post by **George** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 12:02 am

stewart wrote:top notch job.

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 12:27 am

Drastic improvement!

Zack · Post by **Zack** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 9:34 pm

I feel like I've seen that butchered pickguard before but I cant remember where. I can't really tell from the photos, the dakota red looks like a fine refinish, but that graffiti yellow looked pretty nice to me.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 9:35 pm

Nice work. I didn't mind the yellow, but that pickguard was a mess.

Much better now.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 9:54 pm

Good work! That really looks great, love Dakota Red.

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:13 pm

Your girl did a top notch job. Looks ace.

MMPicker · Post by **MMPicker** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 11:43 pm

Looks great.

I'm wondering, did it change the tone of the guitar?

My MMII has a lousy home-done refinish by a prior owner, it should really be refinished properly.
But a bandmate advised me not to do it, if I liked the way the guitar sounded now.
He said he had an expensive guitar refinished, and afterwards the guitar never sounded the same.He wound up selling it.

mixtape · Post by **mixtape** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 12:05 am

I'm a sucker for graffiti yellow, but that's a really nice restoration.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 12:15 am

She's a keeper

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:06 am

Punkacc9 wrote:She's a keeper

You mean the gf? I agree.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:08 am

gusman2x wrote:
Punkacc9 wrote:She's a keeper
You mean the gf? I agree.

Yeah. And the guitar.

61fury · Post by **61fury** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 12:09 am

the refin looks great but I still like the yellow version. Pearl buttons in the PG screw holes would have been nice too.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:51 pm

MMPicker wrote:He said he had an expensive guitar refinished, and afterwards the guitar never sounded the same.

I've heard people say this before, apparently it happened with Rory Gallagher's white Tele from his Taste days, and was the impoteus for Bill Nelson switching from an old Gibson semi to a Yamaha SG2000... but I think it pertains more to replacing a thin nitro finish with a thick poly one. Nitro never fully cures and poly is a thick plastic shell, so I guess I can kind of buy that some would find the instrument radically altered in some way.
On Fender guitars though, I've never perceived any kind of difference with body refinishing with Strats (or even different bodies in a couple cases). They all had poly finishes at all times, but different types and were even different body woods.
They say guitar players listen with the eye at times.