NGD To restore or not restore ...... Added video

[prsplayer86]

I've got a 1984 Gibson designer explorer! The neck feels great and the frets are in good shape. Torn on just playing the thing as is, or shelling the cash to have it professionally restored.

******Update 11/18/2015***** Great sounding guitar!
I was doing a bit of pre-pro and thought I'd set a camera up. Already had the cab mic'd up, so it wasn't to much hassle. I'm trading off between the Explorer and a Singlecut throughout the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0XU7l5986g <~~~~~~~~~~~~~video link

What would you guys do ?

 

[glip22]

I would remove the rest of the hardware, sand down the body and headstock. Grain fill, Seal, Stain and refinish in Nitro. If the dings are too deep and you cannot sand out you will have no choice but to fill them which will take away from the grain pattern.

 

[rottingcorpse]

Do it up like a Scott Ian murder weapon. Sand it down, take a torch and a chain to the body, splatter it with red paint, beat it like it owes you money.

I covered an explorer with Dalmatian print vinyl once. It looked bad ass to me. It was the 80's.

Or spend real money on fancy paint and baby it.

 

[prsplayer86]

Do it up like a Scott Ian murder weapon. Sand it down, take a torch and a chain to the body, splatter it with red paint, beat it like it owes you money.

I covered an explorer with Dalmatian print vinyl once. It looked bad ass to me. It was the 80's.

Or spend real money on fancy paint and baby it.

I don't think I'd baby it. I'd most likely play the snot out of it or take it to a guitar show and trade it off "if I refinished it". I'm great with staining and painting most wood projects, but set necks have always plagued me. I never can get the neck and fret board to feel natural. There's always a slight lips here the paint is slightly taller than the fret board when I paint them.

If it was a bolt on, I'd already have the first primer coat drying on the body.

 

[glip22]

Do it up like a Scott Ian murder weapon. Sand it down, take a torch and a chain to the body, splatter it with red paint, beat it like it owes you money.

I covered an explorer with Dalmatian print vinyl once. It looked bad ass to me. It was the 80's.

Or spend real money on fancy paint and baby it.

I don't think I'd baby it. I'd most likely play the snot out of it or take it to a guitar show and trade it off "if I refinished it". I'm great with staining and painting most wood projects, but set necks have always plagued me. I never can get the neck and fret board to feel natural. There's always a slight lips here the paint is slightly taller than the fret board when I paint them.

If it was a bolt on, I'd already have the first primer coat drying on the body.

I'm not sure what you mean by the paint being taller than the fret board. Just tape off the board with a nice staright line where it meeet the neck. I use a blade to cut my tape on each side of the fret to keep the tape tight to the board. I would sand the board with 600 following the grain after the lacquer was cured, wet sanded and buffed out. It's allot of work and takes time.

 

[neilli]

I think he means that when you mask the side of the fingerboard and then add paint to the neck, there's an 'edge' where the fingerboard is effectively narrower than the painted neck..

 

[jdel77]

I would restore it back to natural, with a nice gloss finish. Like a late 70's model. Black guard, pickup covers.
Explorers rule. Love mine.

 

[sytharnia1560]

I'd paint it like the General Lee ... no I would

easiest and cheapest thing to do would sand it down completely, seal it and clear coat it

 

[cardinal]

Don't they clear coat the side of the board on painted necks? I thought that was how they leveled the seem between the board and the rest of the neck.

In any event, I'd play it as is for now and if you still have the itch to refinishing it in a few months, go for it. But you may find that you like it as-is.

 

[prsplayer86]

Don't they clear coat the side of the board on painted necks? I thought that was how they leveled the seem between the board and the rest of the neck.

In any event, I'd play it as is for now and if you still have the itch to refinishing it in a few months, go for it. But you may find that you like it as-is.

I think I'm definitely leaning this way. Even as is, set up and playing there guitar still has value. Plus, these early 80's explorers are just tone monsters.

 

[sg guy]

-never paint wood-(unless it's some sort of gold top!!)-stain it

 

[Stumplegriltskin]

Man, people really beat guitars to shit. I understand people actually play out with them, unlike us cellar dwellers, but still you can play out and not beat an instrument to death.

I'd sand it and do it flat black.

 

[prsplayer86]

Man, people really beat guitars to shit. I understand people actually play out with them, unlike us cellar dwellers, but still you can play out and not beat an instrument to death.

I'd sand it and do it flat black.

I think this goes beyond the normal "beating" that guitars take from playing. I've had a RR1 and a RR24 that traveled a lot over a 4 year period and generally played 2-3 times a week. Never had anything like this. I think this was someone trying to "relic" a perfectly fine guitar. That or thought they'd re-paint it and got in over their head.

That said, I could easily play as is. Just curious what everyone else would do with it. I'm more eager to just have a 84 Explorer than I am to sell or trade. If I spent 500-800 at a professional shop, I'd probably not make my money back if I did sell it....But I'd have something that looked like it been underneath the bed for the last 30 years. Which would be cool.

I'm already ordering a new nut, cavity hole covers, pots and a jack... Most likely just going to play it as is and make some noise. Plus, Cardinal is dead on.. I can always restore it later on if I feel the need.

 

[messenger]

Looks like someone was trying to sand the finish off and gave up. I'd remove the rest of the finish and Tung Oil it.

 

[lester]

Refinish immediately, slap on some stainless and Plek it up while you're there.

Looks like some nice wood.

This may be a direction -

 

[voodooradio1]

You could always tape off the neck, and just paint the body, Then just seal the neck with some tongue oil or the like. That may look pretty cool.

 

[prsplayer86]

I decided to just play it! I picked up a set of Lace Fingerburners for a 100 bucks and replaced the nut and electronics. I went with two volume knobs and got a new bone nut cut for it. Plays freaking great. If having it professionally refinished would make it worth considerably more... than I think I'd go for it. But I'm fairly certain that I'd never get my money back out of it at that point.

Get to throw it in front of half stack tonight! Can't wait.

 

[Badronald]

That's awesome as is. I'd leave it.

 

[King Loudness]

Personally, I dig it. Suits the guitar, and it's a pretty unique style that's different from a lot of the more typical 80s "graphics." A nice candy pearl refin would look sweet, but then again it's that much more to get new paintwork done, and you'll erase the guitar's evidently storied visual history.

W.

 

[prsplayer86]

That's awesome as is. I'd leave it.

Thanks dude!