Wesminster Mustang Competition MIJ 1978 : headstock OK

Bringing your older offset back to life.
User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Wesminster Mustang Competition MIJ 1978 : headstock OK

Post by tubart » Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:25 am

Hi everybody !

I've just bought what can be called a guitar, in a sad state... Seller told me it is a japanese matsumoku made for the brand "Westminster".

Last owner has re-finished it in some sort of seafoam green with black repaint pickguard, but it's far from well done...

Let's see what it look like...

Image
Image

As you can see, the pickup covers have been removed, I will buy some new ones, but have to wait to decide if I choose black or white ones.

Image
Image

The bad surprise was the fretboard... Sold to be "used", it is in fact savagely scalloped...

Image

The headstock had been savagely sanded too...

Image

The back :

Image

"Matsumoku Made in japan" engraved neck plate :

Image

And the standard two parts headstock, which is often the case on japanese fender's copies

Image

Well. I really enjoy fender colors like surf green/seafoam etc... But I find this mustang a bit sad, and I don't like black pickguards with light greens.

Look at this tiny part of red paint... A bit of hope... But I'm not sure to know what I will find under this horrible green layer...

Image
Last edited by tubart on Tue Mar 08, 2016 1:00 pm, edited 5 times in total.

User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Re: Mustang made in japan Restoration (Westminster)

Post by tubart » Sun Apr 06, 2014 1:00 pm

Well... The fretboard is really awfully "relic"... Some sort of scaloped work... I don't like the scaloped fretboards, especially when it's so savagely done !

Image
Image

I'll have to level the headstock too, which has some sort of swimming pool at the old logo's place...

Image

Unscrewing the neck, the neck pocket is paint in green..

Image
Image
Image

Mustang bridge, exactly like the US ones

Image
Image

The tremolo doesn't have any engraved logo or brand...

Image
Image

Details of the body :

Image

Even the bridges inserts have been painted...

Image
Last edited by tubart on Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Re: Mustang made in japan Restoration (Westminster)

Post by tubart » Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:11 pm

The pickups :

Image
Image

Switches :

Image

Controls :

Image
Image

Well, the body is now naked, so I can start so remove the green paint, and see what's hidden beneath...

Image
Image

A small red paint appears in a dig at guitar's back, let's hope that...

Image

The neck :

Image

The "relic" work is really badly done, that's sad for this vintage mustang...

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

And the headstock is in the same condition :

Image
Image
Image

Hopefully the rear is great ! :D

Image
Image
Image

User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Re: Mustang made in japan Restoration (Westminster)

Post by tubart » Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:22 pm

Well, now, stop laughing, remove painting !

I'm glad to find some sort of olympic white finish under the layer of green paint ! The previous owner (or at least the one who's painted it in green) did not sand properly the guitar so I've found the original finish under the last painting green layer :)

Image
Image

Have you seen this? Smells rrreeeaaalllll good... Can't wait to rmove the whole green paint !!!

Image

User avatar
Pacafeliz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 18518
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:34 pm
Location: Cococologne, Germany

Re: 1978 Mustang MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by Pacafeliz » Mon Apr 07, 2014 8:34 am

MIJ comp'stang!!! :w00t:

cool, fun and (hopefully) rewarding project!!!
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Re: 1978 Mustang MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by tubart » Mon Apr 07, 2014 12:50 pm

Pacafeliz wrote:MIJ comp'stang!!!

cool, fun and (hopefully) rewarding project!!!
Well, the guitar plays fine, the problem is just the scaloped fretboard... But I think it is cool to show the vintage 70's japanese copies of US offsets.

Once the restoration finished, the guitar must be really great !

User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Re: 1978 Mustang MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by tubart » Mon Apr 07, 2014 1:15 pm

So now... The revelation !!! I'm glad, nice surprise !

Image

Even the neck pocket reveals some matsumoku's employee annotation

Image

A photo, just for fun... But I don't like the black pickguard aspect...

Image

So let's remove the awful black paint layer and see what's hidden behind...

Image

a few minutes of scrapper work later

Image
Image

And... A nice white pearl pickguard !!!

Image
Image

Now, I will sand till 2500 the body and the pickguard, and start working on the neck.

User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Re: 1978 Mustang Competition MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by tubart » Tue Apr 08, 2014 3:56 am

Today I start to sand the body and pickguard, starting with 600 grit till 1200.

Before I start :

Image

User avatar
arghdedamned
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:58 am
Location: France

Re: 1978 Mustang Competition MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by arghdedamned » Tue Apr 08, 2014 6:54 am

it looks better .... ;)

User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Re: 1978 Mustang Competition MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by tubart » Wed Apr 09, 2014 6:39 am

arghdedamned wrote:it looks better ....
Far better ;) ; Today I've mounted the guitar after polishing it, to try it live, rehearsal tonight and concert next saturday.

I will level the fretboard after this concert.

I really like this little japanese mustang, looks great :)

Image

User avatar
justinc
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 117
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:34 pm
Location: annapolis,MD

Re: 1978 Mustang Competition MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by justinc » Wed Apr 09, 2014 1:43 pm

great work! good luck with the fretboard

User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Re: 1978 Mustang Competition MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by tubart » Thu Apr 10, 2014 12:16 am

justinc wrote:great work! good luck with the fretboard
Thanks a lot !
tubart wrote:Image
When trying to tune the strings yesterday evening, it was difficult... Then I've realised that I've mounted the bridge backwards... :wacko: ;D

User avatar
stratdragon92
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 4:59 pm

Re: 1978 Mustang Competition MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by stratdragon92 » Sat Apr 19, 2014 6:07 am

Excellent work.

User avatar
tubart
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:07 pm
Location: France, French County

Re: 1978 Mustang Competition MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by tubart » Tue May 06, 2014 6:18 am

No work today so I take a few time to remove the frets from the destroyed fingerboard using two cutters blades, one under the fret, the other on the fingerboard to avoid other damages. A small part of maple removed from the neck when I removed the nut :wacko: ... I've cut the varnish with a blade on each side of the nut, but it wasn't enough... But well, it is pretty "well broken", so it might not be to difficult to repair.

Il faut que je replanifie la tête, car en lieu et place de l'ancien logo j'ai une sorte de cuvette de presque 1,5mm de profondeur... :roll: , et il faut que je confectionne une cale à radius appropriée, pour la finition de la touche après rabotage.

I will plane the headstock too, because there is a level diffrence of nearly 1,5mm between the general original level and the ancient decal place... :derp:

Image
Image
Image

that's really awful... :k

Image

User avatar
MattK
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3569
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Hobart, Australia

Re: 1978 Mustang Competition MIJ Restoration (Westminster)

Post by MattK » Wed May 07, 2014 4:26 am

You're a brave guy!
One suggestion - use oxalic acid solution on the "dirty" parts of the scalloping. It should bleach the wood back to its natural colour. That way you can sand it less before refretting.

Post Reply