Members YEMandy Posted September 27, 2005 Members Share Posted September 27, 2005 I have an old Ensenada acoustic (all black with white binding and pick guard) I would like to completely strip and refinish. How hard would this be to do? Keep in my mind I have NEVER done any sort of guitar repair before. The guitar is pretty much a piece of crap, but it was my fathers from the 70's and it was the guitar I leaned on, so I don't want to completely destroy the thing. I found some websites on how to refinish a guitar, but those were all for electrics and they are a bit more solid/sturdy and straight forward. Any suggestions out there? here's a pic, it does not look the good in real life or up close, lots of scratches and stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted September 27, 2005 Members Share Posted September 27, 2005 When I got my 1932 Dobro it had been painted black (fortunately not the neck), the coverplate was caved in, cone crunched - owned by the daughter of the original owner. It was, however, as you say, a piece of (very old) crap. I took on as a project taking it completely apart, removing the neck from the body and stripping the black paint down to the original wood (the original finish came off too). I hand applied a seal coat, then a mild sunburst using stains from StewMac, and resprayed a lacquer finish that is pretty good (not quite as dark as modern bursts but looks correct for the period). I built a jig to straighten the cover plate, bought a new cone and saddle (the spider was slightly bent but I straightened it), replaced the tuners, and I've been playing that old 'bro for about 15 years. I would never consider refinishing a good guitar, but like yours, there wasn't anything to loose, so what the heck.. If you have a bolt on neck I would consider seperating it - and mask everything you can't remove. StewMac has all the supplies plus some pretty good instructional materials. Their rattle cans of nitro cellulose lacquer are pretty good if you don't have a spray booth and detail gun.StewMac finishing stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members YEMandy Posted September 28, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 great info Freeman. Did you do this sort of stuff before you started your project? I would love to learn how, and this guitar would be a good one to start on, I just don't want to ruin it you know? I'd like to keep it forever, and maybe someday give it to my son. I'm not sure what kind of neck it has, I have no idea how it would come off. There are no bolts on the inside, so I don't think its a bolt on. What about the binding? When I strip the guitar will the binding be messed up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tony Burns Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Yemandy - sometimes refinishing effects the instruments sound, lacquer which is on most guitars is usually applied by a sprayer, which is hardto do if your not set up for it. if your guitar is not exspensive and your just doing this for fun ( not worth much ) no harm- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 YEMandy - it is really no more or less difficult than refinishing an old piece of furnature - the steps are basically the same. In fact it might be really wise to take it someplace that restores antiques and get their advice. The steps are bascially to remove all the hardware - pick guards, tuners, saddle, etc. and mask everything that can't be removed. You will use chemical strippers which will remove the decal and may damage the binding and the rosette - try a tiny drop on it first to see if there will be a reaction (and try to mask it off). On a natural finished guitar the lacquer is probably sprayed over the binding so it should resist the solvents, but I don't know about your painted guitar. Once you get the old paint off, sand with really fine paper, mask and respray. Lacquer has some pretty nasty effects on other finishes so the more you can work with bare wood the better. I would not respray any lacquer over the binding or any old paint without testing it first. The StewMac stuff is mostly intended for the home craftsman finishing a new guitar but it will work for a refinish if you can get the old paint off. It's like repainting an old car - there are places that will mask the windows and chrome and shoot a coat of paint for 50 bucks and there are places the will remove the chrome, strip to bare metal and paint for 3000 - but neither will be as good as the factory. If keeping the decal is important you probably won't be able to strip and refinish the headstock (with my Dobro I didn't do the neck so the decal, binding and fingerboard are still original). The other issue is whether you are trying to make this playable (as I was with the 'bro) or you just want it to look better. Is the action aceptable and fingerboard and frets OK? While you have it apart for painting it would be a good time to get the neck angle correct and fix anything else that might be wrong. On the other hand, there might be a lot said for just cherishing your Dad's old Ensenada the way it is. Freeman oh, and yes, I had refinished a number of pieces of antique furniture before taking on the 'bro and I knew that it was history if I didn't try. Like finding that rusted old '32 in a barn - there was nothing to loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members YEMandy Posted September 28, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Thats really great info. Thanks again Freeman, I appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bjorn-fjord Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Chemical strippers (that actually work) generally will destroy plastic binding. Scrape and sand if you want to be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by bjorn-fjord Chemical strippers (that actually work) generally will destroy plastic binding. Yea, I had the hood (bonnet) of my Morgan (car, not guitar) chemically stripped. It disolved the aluminum pop rivets that held the catches on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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