66 Mustang - What to Do?

Bringing your older offset back to life.
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DB
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66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by DB » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:10 pm

Weird story.  I'm totally into offsets, as most of you know. Kurt, a friend who works with me, had seen my 66 Bass V before I sent it off to consignment.  He remembered the Fender name, and that he had a Fender guitar at home, and he says he'll bring it in for me to look at.  I'm thinking it's probably a 70s Strat or Tele, beat to shit, and not worth much.  So I'm a little shocked when he leaves this on my desk!  What are the odds it would be a cool offset?!?!? 

The story is that his wife had loaned $100 in the 70s to her boyfriend - he wanted to give her something of value as collateral.  Obviously, he never paid off the loan (typical musician!).  Long story short, some 30 years later my friend Kurt brings this to work to have me check it out:

Image

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Image

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Many more photos can be found here:

http://www.pbase.com/dbasica/66_mustang

It's a '66 Mustang.  Refin'd in poo brown stain.  Pickup covers removed, and the bridge PU has loose windings. 

What's the best approach here? 

Sell it as is? 

Fix the obvious problems and sell it? 

Refin it back to Dakota Red (original color - see photo, nice shim in the neck pocket!) and try to make a few bucks on it? 

It is obviously worn, but the neck is straight and it played well with the four strings that were on it.  The neck PU switch is broken.  The decal seems to be missing the gold ink.  There's corrosion on the electronics, bridge, and most screws.  The neck is worn but nice, as is the perloid guard (Hmmm...aged perloid looks REALLY nice!).  Everything else looks like it will clean up nicely with some brute force.  Most likely one or both PUs will need to be rewound (I'm sure the dork who once owned this thought it sounded better with the PU covers removed -- even IF the windings would be exposed -- DOH!).

I'm all ears as to what you guys and gals think I should do with this one!  Remember, it's not mine -- I want to help a friend out to make a few bucks.

DB

P.S.  And yes, I photograhped it on another weird rug (weird drugs!) in my house.  So kill me!  And yes again, I've thought about getting it for myself, but I do NOT need another guitar, let alone a short scale (I have big hands).
Last edited by DB on Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JazzBlaster
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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by JazzBlaster » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:28 pm

I'd say let it go as is, I don't think mustangs bring the money that other fenders would to make it worth your time to do some restoration. I guess it depends on how you go about restoring it. I would at least get it playable before selling it tho. slap some cheap pups in there and string it up. That's just my opinion, I'm not a mustang guy.

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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by the older brother » Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:56 am

I'd say restore it!

As JazzBlaster said the Mustang doesn't bring that much money yet, but they do begin to raise in price.

-Still you can get a original vintage pup (or two) and covers on the bay for not that much money. (tops $100-150?)

-A refin (if you do it yourself) don't cost that much either (it's the time that cost when you pay a luthier to do it) - paint cost $100 I would guess, and a opaque, non metallic colour refin is even hard to fail...

and it's fun to restore too!

:)
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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by jagermeister » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:15 am

love my 66 :D Mustangs are IMO perfected strats: Better trem, fret access, fatter while more percussive tone... 66 is also my favorite Fender year, as they used the super-low yet wide fret profile, and my 66 has the nicest neck of any guitar I've ever played...

picspam here for encouragement  :)

Image

Image

And a before...

Image
Last edited by jagermeister on Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by theworkoffire » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:26 am

Christ! How's that for encouragement! Though it's one thing restoring for yourself and another doing it for someone else to sell...

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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by Superfuzz » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:44 am

If you don't want to spend to much, replace the broken PU and keep it as is..sometimes total restoring it's not necessary (IMO)
Otherwise, if really don't know what to do with it give it me for free!! ;D
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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by the older brother » Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:48 am

I find I need to add a comment to my previous post.

Leave as is; BUY IT FROM HIM; then restore!  :D
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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by theworkoffire » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:00 am

the older brother wrote: I find I need to add a comment to my previous post.

Leave as is; BUY IT FROM HIM; then restore!  :D
Very good call.  :D

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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by DB » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:56 pm

theworkoffire wrote:
the older brother wrote: I find I need to add a comment to my previous post.

Leave as is; BUY IT FROM HIM; then restore!  :D
Very good call.  :D
You guys aren't helping. ;) :D  Yes...it would be a fun project.

DB
Last edited by DB on Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by aen » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:08 pm

I'd sell it as is, I dont think youd wuite make your money back on a refin, and pickups are such a players choice...
I prefer their older stuff.

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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by rickenmetal » Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:10 pm

I think it looks cool with that stain, but with a finish you might be able to sell of for more. You definitely need a cover for the one working pickup, unless you want it to become like the other one.

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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by astro » Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:00 pm

This thing is crying out for a refin... DEW IT!

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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by fenderjapan » Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:32 am

astro wrote: This thing is crying out for a refin... DEW IT!
+1
And refin it in Dakota Red :?

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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by rickenmetal » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:21 am

I keep looking at it and it looks so hot with the wood finish and that pickguard, and I imagine it with black pickups. :-* :-* :-*

I almost want to trade you for my red one, but of course I won't do it, mine is in better condition. I hate the way those pickguards look on any solid color, I replaced the one on mine (although I can put it back on), but on the wood finish it is incredible.

Since they go for quite a lot now, I'll probably end up selling mine as well sometime and making one from parts (non-Fender-I already have the pickguard, tuners, strap buttons and jack + a few screws and a blank neckplate).
Last edited by rickenmetal on Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 66 Mustang - What to Do?

Post by Stratelejazzuar » Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:11 pm

i think you should keep the poo brown, but get some new pickups and a tort guard...

then get a trem arm, bend it on a funny angle for more give, to get that "spy" sound...

and then it'll be like and elvis costello-styled mustang!  :D

;)

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