Pulling the thread back after finally getting moved, settled in, back to work, etc...
Just a run-of-the-mill '85 360/12 in Jetglo, right? Well, yeah, I suppose...like Lennon's 325 was run-of-the-mill.
Here's one that came in quite awhile ago, but recently hit the bench and booth.
When it arrived, it had been toured extensively, used, and well-loved (that's a euphemism). It had been well-set-up and was very nice to play. Good sound, and very nice action. In other words, structurally and electronically very good. But it was a stage guitar, and due to the vagaries of touring and lots of steady use, its original Jetglo paintwork had grown dull and chipped.
So somebody (probably in the UK) painted in in black coach enamel, with a soft, wide brush. I suppose it looked OK on stage, but get within three feet and you could see brush marks and lots of dust in the coach paint. There were chunks of binding missing, and what was left of the body binding had been reglued with super glue, making it a bear to remove! The frets were very worn, and the fretboard had been brush-varnished, too.
A month ago, it rose to the top of the refinish pile, and I got to it part-time, stripping the paint and routing and chiseling off the remaining binding.
Three weeks ago, it was a stripped hulk, nicely-sanded and ready for some serious work. Two weeks ago, it was rebound both body and neck, refretted and sealed, after which it was it was sprayed in fresh JG with a lot of CV and allowed to shrink for a full week.
Last week, I color-sanded the CV, levelled the frets, polished up the chrome (pickups and tuning machines, which were very grungy), and carefully buffed it on my wheel. No matter what, though, every buffing job ends up being "hand-rubbed", mostly in the area of the neck heel, where the buffing wheels will not reach.
I don't do a lot of JG refinishes; most customers opt for bursts in unique colors or other solids. This customer wanted it "back to showroom new", so JG it was. And it came up a treat.
Ladies and gentlemen--may I present Dave Stewart's original '85 360/12. It will join him on tour as his main 12-string early next week. May he use it long and in good health!
Yeah, I know it's got an Epiphone case. I've got it well-padded out with bubble pack and diapers...
Next, I'll have shots of a MID Light Show 330 solid state conversion (I've done FGs and JGs but no MIDs until now), and the cleaned-up 206 console steel from (I believe) 1957. A whole batch of strippers are hitting the spray booth in the next few weeks, including basses, electrics and a few acoustics, too. Pics of all as they hatch.
