Guitar rebuild

[SH73]

Hi B-chatters,
This is my first, hopefully thorough guitar rebuild. I have attempted one decades ago, which turned out decent ish.
This time, I decided to re build my electric guitar, namely Cruzer ST-220/3TS Sunburst. I`ve had this guitar for about 5 years from new but I thought I `ll give it a complete make over. I`m not a fan of sunburst......

The plan is to insert a floating tremolo with lock nut, and new hardware. Also set of new pick ups with similar characteristics to dimarzio super distortion and samarium noiseless. All hardware will be black including pick ups.Initially, I wanted the guitar white but I`m thinking of marbleling painting method. Have yet to decide on the colour. White/blue with black hardware would look nice. BTW, any suggestions on new colour are welcome.

[SH73]

I started sanding the top guitar surface. It appears it is polyurethane. So I got the heat gun out and removed a small part but noticed there is some more plastic like underneath.The guitar body is apparently, according to internet search, made of basswood, but the body material seems to be something else. Could it be made of some hard plastic? This might make it difficult when it comes to routing the body to fit the floyd rose.
I have sanded of the guitar logo and sanded off the neck thickness. The neck felt comfortable as it was so I only gave a little sanding.

[LukeFRC]

I've had that on a japans squier - it was kinda this awful mess of bad basswood, coated in a plastic type outer that made it hard.
I picked the body up secondhand and someone had taken a chunk of the plastic type layer off already - I ended up buying a cheap replacement body.

My 2p if you haven't already taken it off - leave it and use the existing base to put your paint on - there's no need to take it back to the wood

[SH73]

New pick ups arrived from Iron Gear.

Edited July 15, 2017 by SH73

[SH73]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1500108305' post='3335637']
I've had that on a japans squier - it was kinda this awful mess of bad basswood, coated in a plastic type outer that made it hard.
I picked the body up secondhand and someone had taken a chunk of the plastic type layer off already - I ended up buying a cheap replacement body.

My 2p if you haven't already taken it off - leave it and use the existing base to put your paint on - there's no need to take it back to the wood
[/quote]
I only removed a small piece of outer coating. I filled the missing bit with a thin layer of Gorilla glue, so no major damage done. Thanks for advice

Edited July 15, 2017 by SH73

[Norris]

Certainly leave the undercoat on if you're refinishing it anyway. I've seen someone recently finish a guitar using magic marble paint on another forum - however it did take him several attempts to get it right, and levelling it out afterwards wasn't easy. (Magic marble is a paint that you float on water and then dip the guitar body into - you'll need a big plastic bin, enough to submerge the whole body if you're going that route)

I'm not sure if I'd use gorilla glue anywhere. Afaik it expands in contact with water, including natural humidity.

As far as removing the existing finish, you shouldn't need to. Just sand it all to provide a decent key

[SH73]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1500128312' post='3335795']
Certainly leave the undercoat on if you're refinishing it anyway. I've seen someone recently finish a guitar using magic marble paint on another forum - however it did take him several attempts to get it right, and levelling it out afterwards wasn't easy. (Magic marble is a paint that you float on water and then dip the guitar body into - you'll need a big plastic bin, enough to submerge the whole body if you're going that route)

I'm not sure if I'd use gorilla glue anywhere. Afaik it expands in contact with water, including natural humidity.

As far as removing the existing finish, you shouldn't need to. Just sand it all to provide a decent key
[/quote]

Thanks for advice much appreciated. The gorilla glue is 100 % once dried so should be fine for that missing flake of polyurethane.

[SH73]

Can't decide on colour. Thinking surf green with pearl white pickguard or white with pearl white pickguard.
Marbeling painting might be harder than it looks.
Any suggestions on colour?

[bartelby]

Surf Green red tort plate

[SH73]

Not sure about red tortoise pickguard on surf green.Looks like Jimmy Hendrix had one.

[Norris]

As you've already got a pearl white pickguard I'd probably go for a mid to dark tone that isn't in the usual Fender palette

[LukeFRC]

Holographic colour flip flake over black

[bartelby]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1500317207' post='3336908']
Not sure about red tortoise pickguard on surf green.Looks like Jimmy Hendrix had one.
[/quote]


I think it's a great combo. (not my guitar)

[SH73]

First two coats if primer applied.....so far so good

[SH73]

Basschat won`t allow me to attach more images?

[SH73]

Right, the work progress so far. I marked up the position for floyd rose and now it needs routing out.I've decided on colour. Once done I'll post the final picture.



https://1drv.ms/i/s!AnEgrPnQ1p8Ib7_nIY5SJwNFljY

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AnEgrPnQ1p8Icm8otMeLqv8GN18

Edited July 23, 2017 by SH73

[SH73]

 

Guitar routed for tremolo.

Edited May 23, 2018 by SH73
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[SH73]

Lock nut attached.

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by SH73
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[SH73]

The guitar has had few colours since August, but I was not happy with the job. The lack of experience with spraying  guitars cost me money and time but now I have decided on the colour scheme so the paint is left to cure before I apply another colour to match the pattern and hopefully I'll be ready to instal hardware , electronics from a basschat member before the Christmas.

[SH73]

The final colour scheme has been completed. Still needs lacquer.

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by SH73
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[Andyjr1515]

1 hour ago, SH73 said:

The final colour scheme has been completed. Still needs lacquer.

I like that a lot

[SH73]

Ran out of lacquer whilst finishing off the second rebuild.

[MoonBassAlpha]

I was hoping for a blue and white marbled finish that looked like a massive chunk of blue cheese!

What you've done looks nice too though

[SH73]

8 minutes ago, MoonBassAlpha said:

I was hoping for a blue and white marbled finish that looked like a massive chunk of blue cheese!

What you've done looks nice too though

Cheers mate. Disaster today, sprayed the lacquer on and the paint cracked.  Looks like will have to start all over again😣

[SH73]

Disaster stroke. The lacquer didnt like the base colour. So stripping off the paint and start all over again 🤣

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by SH73
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