Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
- ryverb
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Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
Hi All,
I recently acquired this stripped '58 Jazzmaster body with some original hardware (shielding tubs, pat pend vibrato, bridge thimbles). The body is in seemingly good condition, having been refinished in black many years ago and left in it's current stripped condition for decades. I was able to uncover the body date with very light wet sanding, 11/58! I was thinking about restoring the routes before sending off to Danocaster for a proper burst treatment. Has anyone ever had luck with this using light solvents? Is it worth it? Now that I've confirmed the body date I don't feel like it's really necessary but this would be my last chance before the new burst refin.
Anyways I'm committed to finding as many '58 -'59 correct components to restore this guitar to it's original specs, definitely need to find a proper era correct neck first and foremost! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I'll keep this thread updated on the progress of this project.
I recently acquired this stripped '58 Jazzmaster body with some original hardware (shielding tubs, pat pend vibrato, bridge thimbles). The body is in seemingly good condition, having been refinished in black many years ago and left in it's current stripped condition for decades. I was able to uncover the body date with very light wet sanding, 11/58! I was thinking about restoring the routes before sending off to Danocaster for a proper burst treatment. Has anyone ever had luck with this using light solvents? Is it worth it? Now that I've confirmed the body date I don't feel like it's really necessary but this would be my last chance before the new burst refin.
Anyways I'm committed to finding as many '58 -'59 correct components to restore this guitar to it's original specs, definitely need to find a proper era correct neck first and foremost! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I'll keep this thread updated on the progress of this project.
Last edited by ryverb on Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
- Jaguar018
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
ryverb wrote: definitely need to find a proper era correct neck first and foremost! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
My suggestion is to start saving up for the small fortune a vintage neck will cost you.
Cool guitar! Good luck!
- ryverb
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
Jaguar018 wrote:ryverb wrote: definitely need to find a proper era correct neck first and foremost! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
My suggestion is to start saving up for the small fortune a vintage neck will cost you.
Cool guitar! Good luck!
Oh thank you, yeah it'll be expensive for sure and probably take a while to find a proper match. I have a bit of waiting time though for the refin and not in a big rush, just excited for a cool project
- mcjt
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
wow! congrats! i don't see extra holes either. that's awesome!
This reminds me of my may 59 body. though it has lots of superficial scratching. and a couple of extra holes.
i used Polystripper with a scouring pad to lift the left-over white poly.
You can see that i had good luck in the pickup routs.
You have to figure out if it's lacquer or poly to then decide on the chemical to lift it.
This reminds me of my may 59 body. though it has lots of superficial scratching. and a couple of extra holes.
i used Polystripper with a scouring pad to lift the left-over white poly.
You can see that i had good luck in the pickup routs.
You have to figure out if it's lacquer or poly to then decide on the chemical to lift it.
- PorkyPrimeCut
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
Brings back memories of my '59 restoration.
The guy who did the eventual refin left the pickup cavities alone (full of black polyurethane paint) so I've never actually seen the pencil date. The pot codes & other parts matched though, along with other tell-tale signs.
I spent a fair amount of money on a '59 neck & single-line Klusons but it was worth every penny. When I last looked the asking price for pre-CBS, clay dot & slab necks hadn't even risen that much so you may still be able to get one for under a grand.
Have fun with it!
The guy who did the eventual refin left the pickup cavities alone (full of black polyurethane paint) so I've never actually seen the pencil date. The pot codes & other parts matched though, along with other tell-tale signs.
I spent a fair amount of money on a '59 neck & single-line Klusons but it was worth every penny. When I last looked the asking price for pre-CBS, clay dot & slab necks hadn't even risen that much so you may still be able to get one for under a grand.
Have fun with it!
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.
- ryverb
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
Oh very cool!! That's so great that you have the original pots, do you have OG pickguard too?PorkyPrimeCut wrote:Brings back memories of my '59 restoration.
The guy who did the eventual refin left the pickup cavities alone (full of black polyurethane paint) so I've never actually seen the pencil date. The pot codes & other parts matched though, along with other tell-tale signs.
I spent a fair amount of money on a '59 neck & single-line Klusons but it was worth every penny. When I last looked the asking price for pre-CBS, clay dot & slab necks hadn't even risen that much so you may still be able to get one for under a grand.
Have fun with it!
- ryverb
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
This looks so killer, is this a project that you're still working on?mcjt wrote:wow! congrats! i don't see extra holes either. that's awesome!
This reminds me of my may 59 body. though it has lots of superficial scratching. and a couple of extra holes.
i used Polystripper with a scouring pad to lift the left-over white poly.
You can see that i had good luck in the pickup routs.
You have to figure out if it's lacquer or poly to then decide on the chemical to lift it.
- PorkyPrimeCut
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
Nah, the tortoiseshell guard was long gone. I bought it originally with an old Squier Strat neck & black pickguard. I hunted around for an 11-hole tort guard in the end. A slightly different era to yours.ryverb wrote:Oh very cool!! That's so great that you have the original pots, do you have OG pickguard too?PorkyPrimeCut wrote:Brings back memories of my '59 restoration.
The guy who did the eventual refin left the pickup cavities alone (full of black polyurethane paint) so I've never actually seen the pencil date. The pot codes & other parts matched though, along with other tell-tale signs.
I spent a fair amount of money on a '59 neck & single-line Klusons but it was worth every penny. When I last looked the asking price for pre-CBS, clay dot & slab necks hadn't even risen that much so you may still be able to get one for under a grand.
Have fun with it!
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.
- mcjt
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
good guess!
it's in a box with its brass shields and gold guard, waiting for a project. i tried to sell it for a very reasonable amount on osg and no-one bit!
it's in a box with its brass shields and gold guard, waiting for a project. i tried to sell it for a very reasonable amount on osg and no-one bit!
ryverb wrote: This looks so killer, is this a project that you're still working on?
- ryverb
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
Amazing, well shoot! With the original gold guard? Drool...mcjt wrote:good guess!
it's in a box with its brass shields and gold guard, waiting for a project. i tried to sell it for a very reasonable amount on osg and no-one bit!
ryverb wrote: This looks so killer, is this a project that you're still working on?
- ryverb
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
Amazing that you found a '59 neck, gives me some hope!PorkyPrimeCut wrote:Nah, the tortoiseshell guard was long gone. I bought it originally with an old Squier Strat neck & black pickguard. I hunted around for an 11-hole tort guard in the end. A slightly different era to yours.ryverb wrote:Oh very cool!! That's so great that you have the original pots, do you have OG pickguard too?PorkyPrimeCut wrote:Brings back memories of my '59 restoration.
The guy who did the eventual refin left the pickup cavities alone (full of black polyurethane paint) so I've never actually seen the pencil date. The pot codes & other parts matched though, along with other tell-tale signs.
I spent a fair amount of money on a '59 neck & single-line Klusons but it was worth every penny. When I last looked the asking price for pre-CBS, clay dot & slab necks hadn't even risen that much so you may still be able to get one for under a grand.
Have fun with it!
- mcjt
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
Yeah, i have another 1959 vintage i can steal parts fromryverb wrote:Amazing, well shoot! With the original gold guard? Drool...mcjt wrote:good guess!
it's in a box with its brass shields and gold guard, waiting for a project. i tried to sell it for a very reasonable amount on osg and no-one bit!ryverb wrote: This looks so killer, is this a project that you're still working on?
gold Scot guard, 59 pickups, 1960 harness, pat pend tailpiece and either a real 1959 neck or a brazilian RW neck from Warmoth (in photo)
- ryverb
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
[/quote]Yeah, i have another 1959 vintage i can steal parts from
gold Scot guard, 59 pickups, 1960 harness, pat pend tailpiece and either a real 1959 neck or a brazilian RW neck from Warmoth (in photo)
WOW! That's amazing, dream projects!
- mcjt
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
i know! i guess i'll keep it and paint it pink!
- drmw93
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Re: Restoring a '58 Jazzmaster
checking in! any updates coming soon?