Okay... I'm taking a deep, cleansing breath...
First things first: I ordered a BKP Painkiller 7 to put in my basswood M-207 (replacing the Duncan Designed JB7)! 2 or so weeks, and I'll be installing this compact tool of sharp-edged destruction in my guitar!
So... I got to thinking... the body of my dear 7 is, well, pretty banged up, apparently the previous owner thought "basswood" meant "beat-the-hell-out-of-it-wood"; the pickup rings have always been cracked and need replacing; and, well, I could really use a new set of strings! I've thought about this for many months, but I've decided... it's time!
I'm going to take the time I've got before the Painkiller arrives to strip the finish, evaluate the wood, and either leave it natural or put a brand new finish on it. It's a race, to see who finishes first, Tim@BKP/Zim@TheAxePalace/whomever does the shipping... or me!
I went out and blew cash I'm not sure I had on a sander and some other small necessities... tomorrow will be the beginning! I'll grab some pics of the current state in the morning and add them here, and then update as I reach certain milestones (or just need a break, or just for the heck of it ).
Honestly, the very idea of doing this has me feeling like throwing up... I've never done anything like this before, and I'm not the type of guy to just dive into something new. I've been reading (and re-reading!) the "How to Strip a Guitar Body (Time Honored Sanding)" tutorial here, and, well... we'll see how it goes!
I've got two weeks... wish me luck!!