strat project - need finishing advice

  • Thread starter Thread starter glassjaw7
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glassjaw7

glassjaw7

Well-known member
90's MIM strat. Cleaned it up last night and after a couple of hours it started looking alright. I stupidly and impatiently took some 0000 steel wool to a couple areas on the body and it took the clear coat completely off and left nasty swirls.


The original idea was to dull it down and then bring back a bit of the shine with some sort of rubbing compound for a sort of vintage vibe. I should've used a fine micromesh. Maybe I should just try to buff the swirls out and leave it alone?? Opinions?

Has anyone done this and is there a rubbing compound that will take the swirls out and do this on the cheap? Thanks!

Grease and grime


Cleaned up and steel wooled a bit :doh:
 
Hitting up Home Depot tonight and hoping to find something there..
 
The quick thing to do to make that Strat presentable is lose that pickguard.
 
Badronald":2txy5oda said:
The quick thing to do to make that Strat presentable is lose that pickguard.
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Believe me, first thing I did. :thumbsup: :lol: :LOL: That blue one is disgusting!

Ordered a white pearloid and might also grab an off-white/parchment one as well. I think I have some white knobs from an old squier somewhere and I need to replace the high E saddle with a proper American style saddle. (I put a cheaper one there for the time being)

Also looking for a Dimarzio FS-1 or Duncan SSL-5 for the bridge position. Pretty sure the neck and middle pups are custom shop, Texas specials maybe.. not sure but they have the custom shop stickers on the back. No initials or colored dots though.
 
Cool.
Consider the Injector at the bridge as well. Big, ballsy tone.
 
The Injector was originally in the running but I decided against it because I didn't know how it would match up with the other pups. If they are Texas specials they're around 6.2-6.5K. Also didn't know if the injector would still sound strat-like. This is my only strat so I thought I'd keep it somewhat "pure".

I am used to humbuckers though, so if the Injector is in the middle somewhere I might dig it.
 
ibenhad":1z0tk1bb said:
Since time is money and you should add that into the rubbing compound idea I say get this and be done with it...

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Satin-Finis ... 10134.html

It will be 25$ well spent and then you can relic that other body or sell it.
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No way I would trade an actual piece of alder for a mystery chinese wood piece that isn't even correctly shaped and has no guarantee that any of the holes or the neck joint are proper with a no return policy.
 
if you decide to take it down to bare wood, i would use formbys furniture refinisher.
 
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