Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Almost there.

Needs a final buff and strings.

Wonderful stuff Curt! But now I have a couple philosophical questions:

How did you handle blending the old and new? In other words, were there sections of this guitar that you left original (e.g., back
of neck)? How does that look next to the refinished areas?

And how does it lwork when you have a highly-polished refin against slightly worn hardware (e.g., minor pitting on the tailpiece,
scruffy pickguard)? We all want to use the original hardware, but how does it "work" when it's attached to a shiny guitar?

These are things I'm thinking about as I decide how far to go with my own project (Rick bass resto)--cheap and cheerful, or full-on,
expensive refinish. Maybe do the refin and then relic it?

The blending isn't an issue, getting the clear tinted is where it's at. The goal is for everything to match, binding, back top sides and the inlays. I know that John wanted totally clear / white inlays but they needed to be toned down slightly for a smooth transition.

When dealing with where to stop or blend yon need to be using lacquer so the edge melts then after it dries you can sand and buff. It's difficult to put into words you need to keep your eyes open and ask yourself a lot of questions when your doing it. When you spray a blend it's important to focus your spray where you need color and with each coat go beyond the last edge, this will help to give you a natural featheredge.

If you look at the image of the back and side you can't see any color change but keep in mind about 2/3rds of that was down to bare wood from the acetone and the sanding.