Is this a refin?

[billboneys]

I was told this was a refin when I bought it but after looking at others this age I'm starting to wonder if it's the original finish. Is there a definite way to tell? Thanks for any info. This is a 1966 Duo Sonic II.

[Tree's]

Look at the neck pocket for paint stick mark, look at the shielding for overspray. Nothing definitive in the pictures, crazy checking , must have been stored in some extreme conditions to turn that thick finish into a puzzle.

[andrewaward]

I'd say refin, but as mentioned above if you show a pick of the neck pocket that should confirm

[Maulden7]

Looks like a candy apple red colour, & it is my understanding that the Duo Sonic was not available in that paint as a stock colour.

It would of course have been possible to have a special order colour produced, but it seems unlikely that a buyer of a Duo Sonic would have gone to this additional expense.

In all my many, many years of looking at CAR Fenders I have never seen or heard of an original factory Duo Sonic in this colour, but I learned a long time ago with Fender stuff ... "never say never"!!

Without more info / pics it is not possible to be certain, but looking at what there is shown, & from previous understanding of colour availability, I would vote for an old refin.

[s_mcsleazy]

it looks like dakota red but the issue is i see no primer under the red. i have read of some cases where red primer and red paint can kinda merge and blend together. to me, it honestly looks like a very very old refin.

[billboneys]

The neck pocket does not have the paint stick mark and I wasn't sure if that applied to these. It's definitely not a candy finish. I thought it was Dakota red as well. I found a shot of the neck pocket and I am confused by the yellow. Looks like they only came in white, blue and red.

[andrewaward]

100% refin

[will]

I dunno - it reminds me of some of the early poly experimental weirdness I've seen in some guitars from late 66 or 67 - thick finishes that were pretty brittle like the one in the pictures (my example was a Daphne Blue MM/DS body.)

[Kurpak]

That finish is thick! The first pic almost looks like a layer of play-doh

[zip73]

That finish is thick! The first pic almost looks like a layer of play-doh

Yah when you need to use the word “chunks” to describe the checked paint that has chipped off what should be a lacquer finish, it’s a refin.

[spacecadet]

It looks exactly like my 100% original 1966 Mustang, though, but maybe with a different top coat. (Or maybe not.) Mine hasn't flaked off like that, but it has checked like that, and it's thick like that. It's also the exact same color, and it has color in all the same places.

[andrewaward]

The neck pocket shows its 100% a refin

[billboneys]

It looks exactly like my 100% original 1966 Mustang, though, but maybe with a different top coat. (Or maybe not.) Mine hasn't flaked off like that, but it has checked like that, and it's thick like that. It's also the exact same color, and it has color in all the same places.

Yes I thought I saw another one with this thick coat in this color. Do you have any pics of yours to post? What does your neck pocket look like?

[PixMix]

I too thinks this is a refin.

[aliendawg]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah this cracking gives me the heebie-jeebies