NGD: the StripperStang

[andy_tchp]

A1! Just needs metalflake/sparkle refinish.

[Embenny]

A1! Just needs metalflake/sparkle refinish.

Oh really? You'd lean into the glitteriness?

I'm wavering back and forth between leaving as-is, restorting it faithfully to olympic white, and going bananas with a crazy refin like the sparkle you suggest.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying it. That flamed B-width neck was worth the price of admission.

[Singlebladepickup]

sparkle/flake would be awesome. just get a normal looking guard or de-glitter that one.

Edit: It would be super cool to get a metallic finish with sparkle/flake comp stripe.

[Embenny]

sparkle/flake would be awesome. just get a normal looking guard or de-glitter that one.

Edit: It would be super cool to get a metallic finish with sparkle/flake comp stripe.

I have a spare vintage pearloid guard, so I could always use that if the de-glittering goes poorly.

I've always fancied having a dark forest green Fender. Like a few shades darker than the AVRI Sherwood. Maybe I'll check out my local paint stores.

We're exiting "outdoor spraying" weather here in Canada, so it'll probably be a project for the spring if I do go ahead.

Or, I might still chicken out and go white/restore it.

[Singlebladepickup]

dark forest greeeen! do it.

[s_mcsleazy]

i like the natural look but i do think maybe loose the glitter on the pickguard or even sell the pickguard to someone who can de-glitter it and put on a tasteful guard like black or dark tort

[andy]

Leave it as it is. It’s perfect.

[dylanafghjkl]

oh my god i love it!!! even (especially) the glitter guard

*cough* if you ever want to move that guard on let me know *cough*

[andy_tchp]

A1! Just needs metalflake/sparkle refinish.

Oh really? You'd lean into the glitteriness?

I'm wavering back and forth between leaving as-is, restorting it faithfully to olympic white, and going bananas with a crazy refin like the sparkle you suggest.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying it. That flamed B-width neck was worth the price of admission.

Yes, but I'm not too wrapped up with vintage correctness or ludicrously out there finishes (like my hot pink JM) as it's not my guitar

Having said that, Olympic White + a real tort pickguard is a classic look on a Mustang. Otherwise it's hard to go wrong with any classic pastel colour + mint (vintage, not the vomit green reissue style) pickguard...

[aaronstrumpel]

I kinda love the sparkles...of course, my main guitar for a few years was tele with a red mother of toilet seat top! Just picked up a refinished-to-white '66 Mustang with a pearloid pick guard - unfortunately none-original pickups, but love it a ton!

[Embenny]

Bumping this to the top because after a year, I'm reaching a crossroads with this guitar.

My dilemma is that all I did to it so far was fix the switches, and it sounds pretty much identical to my all-original '65 dakota red Mustang, which was my first vintage Fender and is a lifer guitar for me. I'm trying to cut down on tonal redundancy in my guitars, and I don't think I have the heart to swap the perfectly awesome vintage pickups out of this thing.

So here are the choices of what I can do with it:

1) Sell it as-is. Can probably get my money back if anyone is as ok with the looks as I was.

2) Restore to sell. I'll never get a perfectly smooth finish because someone sanded the finish off by hand without a block and without removing the vibrato. I could get a respectable white finish on it though and sand off the nailpolish from the pickguard and get refin-type money for it.

3) Go whole-hog with the mods. Leave the sparkly tort and do something like a Kandy Orange or orange metalflake on it, and swap out the pickups for something different. Maybe put my Burns mini-trisonics in it for something equally flashy looking and to make it sound totally different from my '65. The paint job wouldn't detract from the value, but unlike a restoration, it probably wouldn't add to the value (but would probably make it easier to sell).

4) Part it out. The amazing, flamed neck would easily find a home on any of my Jag projects, and I could probably make my money back just selling the remaining parts and case. Would take the most effort but I'd basically get my money back and have a nice vintage neck for my trouble. I feel a bit dodgy ethically parting something out when it's just a dozen hours of labour away from being a restored original, but this route was basically my justification for buying it when I did - "man that's ugly as sin and sounds terrible because the switches are shot, but it's got some nice parts and I can flip them while keeping some good stuff for myself."

So, big-time First World Problem, I know, but what would you guys do with it in my position? It's not getting much playtime with its prettier older sibling around.

[Danley]

I'd sell as-is. There are people who might try to veneer it etc. prior to restoration, I'd say leave the rest of the work to whoever has time and energy. If you refinish it to the best of your patience, it might just get removed by the next buyer anyway. I have ethical concerns in this particular instance over part-out or mod - Not like. Important, medical ethics ) But ethics in any case.

[Embenny]

I'd sell as-is. There are people who might try to veneer it etc. prior to restoration, I'd say leave the rest of the work to whoever has time and energy. If you refinish it to the best of your patience, it might just get removed by the next buyer anyway. I have ethical concerns in this particular instance over part-out or mod - Not like. Important, medical ethics ) But ethics in any case.

Yeah, I totally get it. I feel the same way. That's kind of why I sat on it for a year without picking a direction to go. There are lots of theoretical directions to go, but many of them are ones that make me slightly queasy. Which is silly, in a way, but I have strong feelings about preserving these guitars.

[BoringPostcards]

Mod it into something unique and save the original pickups as backups for your DAK red one.
Throw some gold foils on it or some mini hums.

[gishuk]

Leave it as it is. It’s perfect.

I kind of love it how it is too, the back is a bit of a mess but who cares the front is perfect!