Restoring a 60's Mustang...

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:45 pm

I bought a Mustang in parts, I'm missing the electronics (I've purchased some RI pickups) but everything else is present. The neck is a 66 with veneer fretboard, although that is currently still being held hostage at the post office. I'm probably going to have to wait until summer to do the refin, which will be Dakota Red as that's what it was originally.

I have a small problem, the pickguard is 2-3mm too small, which may be due to shrinkage. If I line it up with the neck pocket then there is a gap between the pickguard and the tremolo, the wood around the bridge thimbles is cracked anyway so I propose removing the thimbles, dowelling the holes and drilling them 3mm further towards the neck...this may then create intonation problems if I cannot move the saddles far enough back to make up for the bridge being moved forward. What are yor opinions? The holes near the neck pocket line up, but they go out of line the further back you go.

The only original parts that I do not have are the electronics and neck plate (I bought an aged one without engraved serial number instead).

See crack below and above:

Gap is about the same as between the control plate and pickguard, might look okay when painted:

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:49 pm

I say leave it. Will look fine when painted - the '65 RIs have got faux shrunken guards and they look hot.

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:54 pm

Thom wrote:I say leave it. Will look fine when painted - the '65 RIs have got faux shrunken guards and they look hot.

Ah, did not realise that the '65's were shrunken around the control plate and tremolo, I thought it was just around the control plate that they had a gap, I guess it'll look fine then. Wish this snow would piss off so I could go and strip the body.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:59 pm

i stuck a 60s guard on my compstang and there's a similar gap at the trem.

James · Post by **James** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 7:43 pm

Defintely leave it.

If you're going for an original-ish look, and I'm guessing you are with an original colour refin, then it will look wrong if you have a guard that fits. If you decide you want the guard to fit like it would have originally, then a new guard is a much better option than moving the bridge.

crofty · Post by **crofty** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:41 pm

sounds good.
kinda like the plans for my stang.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Sat Jan 09, 2010 1:06 am

Shrunk is good. Avoid drilling holes in vintage wood. Some old Strat guys actually look for shrunken guards.

If that finish is just harry homeowner urethane, THE best thing (and quickest) you can do is sand it. I love that stuff. You can even leave some in the pores as filler. Truly. It's not going to kill the tone.

Will · Post by **Will** » Sat Jan 09, 2010 1:17 am

You shouldn't even need to fix those cracks around the thimbles. It's not like that part is bearing serious string tension, just down pressure from the bridge. I think it would be fine as-is.

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Sat Jan 09, 2010 1:34 am

DGNR8 wrote:Shrunk is good. Avoid drilling holes in vintage wood. Some old Strat guys actually look for shrunken guards.

If that finish is just harry homeowner urethane, THE best thing (and quickest) you can do is sand it. I love that stuff. You can even leave some in the pores as filler. Truly. It's not going to kill the tone.

If I don't drill the wood I can't get the pickguard on, the screw holes closest to the bridge are not even close to matching up...

bassintom · Post by **bassintom** » Sat Jan 09, 2010 5:07 am

TheBurbz wrote:
DGNR8 wrote:Shrunk is good. Avoid drilling holes in vintage wood. Some old Strat guys actually look for shrunken guards.

If that finish is just harry homeowner urethane, THE best thing (and quickest) you can do is sand it. I love that stuff. You can even leave some in the pores as filler. Truly. It's not going to kill the tone.
If I don't drill the wood I can't get the pickguard on, the screw holes closest to the bridge are not even close to matching up...

If the PG covers the old holes I'd just make a couple new holes. It's refinned already.2 screw holes can be filled easily enough.

Post by **Mike** » Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:40 am

James wrote:Defintely leave it.

If you're going for an original-ish look, and I'm guessing you are with an original colour refin, then it will look wrong if you have a guard that fits. If you decide you want the guard to fit like it would have originally, then a new guard is a much better option than moving the bridge.

+1

It's perfect like that. Gap around the control plate + tremolo plate = HOT.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:44 pm

Oh, I see what you mean. Well, if you have to, you have to. I was thinking you meant for cosmetics. For cracks I would just drop in some superglue, It will hold.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 12:55 am

Gaps are cool mate. As for cracks and that if you refinish it starting with sanding sealer and sanding etc then they will not be visible unless you want them to be. With a vintage rennovation I think it's a tightrope walk between fixing totally broke stuff but retaining the history if that makes sense. As soon as I fix my pc I'll be updating my stang thread which might be useful to you. I'm likely to be refinishing a fellow scalers 66 stang this year too and that will be a thread of some sort - different mine in that he wants it refinished but wants to retain the cracks and dings etc.

TieDye · Post by **TieDye** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:22 pm

I say leave it original when you can. The old pickguards all shrink.