I will (68 Mustang)

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:40 am

Clear coat the body.
Get a pickguard.
Replace all the electronics and get the pick ups working.
Possibly replace the frets and nuts.
Remove all rust.
Play like a mad man!

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:42 am

please leave the finish alone.
and try to salvage the electronics if they're original.

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:47 am

There used to be a how-to for cleaning the old switches and pots (might have been deleted when the board crashed, though).
Keep as much original as you can, including the finish. Maybe some polish and elbow grease would improve the situation? It looks mostly like tobacco dinge.

Jagermeister · Post by **Jagermeister** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:54 am

why clearcoat?

what's wrong with rust?

looks great.

light rail coyote · Post by **light rail coyote** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:58 am

yeah dude, cleaning that shit would just remove mojo. That thingg rocks as is and only needs a PG

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:11 am

Maybe take the rust off the bridge saddles just so yr not busting a string every 20 minutes.

Soak them in lighter fluid or WD40 overnight, then polish with steal wool, followed by some polishing compound.

and get some covers for the PUPs so the windings don't break.

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:25 am

DuoSonicBoy wrote:Maybe take the rust off the bridge saddles just so yr not busting a string every 20 minutes.

Soak them in lighter fluid or WD40 overnight, then polish with steal wool, followed by some polishing compound.

and get some covers for the PUPs so the windings don't break.

Hell yea! Jus the info I needed. The only parts I'm missing are the PG and PUCovers. So, I'll definitely be gettin' those, since they (quite literally) fell to pieces before I could even think about salvaging them. If you guys think I can keep the rust, I'll believe you. I jus want the paint to be preserved, tho. I'm not gonna sand anything, and I'm sure as hell not gonna remove the paint. If I can get the electronics workin', then I will. But, the switches are messed up. I know there's definitely somethin' wrong in the circuit, from the jack to the pickups, since I get no sound unless I touch somethin', but no string sounds.... I will figure it out. If anyone has the knowledge for me to figure out what's wrong, I'm more than happy to hear it.

I might also replace the springs, since I have no idea if they're rusted or not yet. I keep forgetting to check.

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:50 am

Overspraying would be a good way to kill the resale value - I'm glad yr not gonna sand it, though.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:17 am

watch out when trying to re-fret vintage fender necks, they shot the frets in the side so when removing them via the top with clippers will re-sult in a fucked up fretboard.
that thing has major mojo tho, post up some more pics!

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:49 pm

If I redo anything havin' to do wit the neck, I'd take it to a pro. No reason for me to even mess around like that.

Post by **Hurb** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:55 pm

dont do any of that stuff.
check the electrics with a multi meter and fins out what is not working. then once found the problem if it is just rust then you clean it,

paint LEAVE IT THE HELL ALONE if you wanna throw away money is sugest burning some cash in a bin instead
rust can be cleaned off. do not replace the springs and again throw away money.
get it setup and playing before you attack the neck like a chump.

seriously if you want a clean stang sell that one to someone else and buy a jap reissue.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:48 pm

There is a spray you can get at Radio Shack called Caig's that cleans circuitry. Start there. Buy a vintage guard, or a new one and let it get beat up. If you don't have screws, get some new ones and soak them in salt for a week or two so they will rust (to match). Otherwise I might wipe the thing off and that's about it. The original finish has been working for all this time. Spraying clear will actually soften it, and as everyone has said, wreck the value. I know it's counterintuitive because we are all taught to take care of our things. But you have yourself a perfect specimen as is. Make it playable, of course. but there is nothing you can do to improve it otherwise. If you are not happy with it after that you can sell it for a nice chunk of change.

iCEByTes · Post by **iCEByTes** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:51 pm

its vintage dude , respect it

if you want do mods , do new guitar

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:33 pm

Ya'll are understanding me wrong. The clear coat would be to keep the paint on the guitar. It's literally flaking off. Don't act like it'll hold, since it isn't holding now anyways. And I've said before, I'm gonna keep it vintage, unless I can't restore the parts.

Justin · Post by **Justin** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:59 pm

But if the clear coat binds to the paint, it will just come off when the paint does.

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:03 pm

So, if you know how to preserve the paint, that would be the helpful information.

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:33 pm

even small chunks of lacquer desperately clinging onto the body of the guitar is more valuable than all the lacquer oversprayed.

light rail coyote · Post by **light rail coyote** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:48 am

Just don't pick at the paint it'll be fine. My stang looks about the same as that, and slowly flakes off bit by bit. The clear coat will just make it look weird

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:46 am

light rail coyote wrote:Just don't pick at the paint it'll be fine. My stang looks about the same as that, and slowly flakes off bit by bit. The clear coat will just make it look weird

It doesn't come off on it's own, though, does it? I'm fairly sure this will just fall off until it's all gone. It makes no difference to me, tho, I mean, I want it vintage, and I want that vintage sound especially, but I'm not looking to ever sell this to anyone. I know that's an odd statement, I'd definitely find a better guitar than this, but I think I'll keep it for ever and ever... Or at least until I'm poor and need money for food.

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:11 am

Ok, so here's what I'm thinking'... The switches and pots are dead... So, I'ma get new electronics for them. The pups are probly good, but I still need to get the hot-wire diagram from ya'll. I'm thinking' I get new pick guard and new electronics for it, just so that I can play it. And I would obviously keep the original vintage stuff, just in a box some where, so that my guitar is functional. And, when I find a vintage pick guard to put on it for a good price, I'll buy that and put it on there. Same for when I find vintage electronics that work.

Is it even possible to really fix the pots and switches, while still keeping them vintage? Let me know.