haighy1000 Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 Hi, I have just brought a Japanease Fender Strat '68 Reisssue. I'm trying to clean it up a bit but I have got stuck on how to sort out a few problems? I hope this is the correct place to post this question. 1. The frets seem to have had some sort of coating (brass or something) on them that has peeled away. How do I get the frets shinny again? Do I need to pick all the bits of and then re polish them? Also the guitar has what looks like a polished maple neck. How do I clean it? I assume leamon oil would tarnish the polish?!?! http://guitarphotos.blogspot.com 1st picture 2. There looks to be some tarnish on the body is the best thinkg to polish it out or can I not get rid of it? http://guitarphotos.blogspot.com 2nd picture 3. The metal work onthe tremelo and the pickups has got tarnished and a little rusty. Is it possible to make it shiney again? http://guitarphotos.blogspot.com 3rd picture 4. Some one very cunningly sctrached thier name in the back of the headstock. Is there away of getting it out? Is there a way of mkaing the tuning heads/keys shiny again? http://guitarphotos.blogspot.com 4th picture Any surrgestions would be much appricaited! (Sorry I can not get the pictures to post!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 Hey! People pay BIG BUCKS for relic'd guitars straight from the Custom Shop! Why bother cleaning it? Anyway, the flaky stuff on the frets is actually the clear finish they sprayed on the neck after the frets were installed and leveled. A fret grind/polish should remove it and restore your worn frets. Dunlop 65 polish should remove whatever gremlins are tarnishing the finish on the body and neck. If it's nitro and it's checking, not much you can do but appreciate it. Metal tarnish can be removed with a silver polishing cloth or a buffing wheel on a Dremel. You may be able to buff out the scratched-in name with the buffing wheel and some red compound, too. Again, I like my guitars to look lived-in, especially vintage-reissues, so I really don't see much of a point in shining 'em up. You should deal with the worn fretwork, but I say let the girl age gracefully. She's a cougar now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 that guitar looks pretty cool some people spend heaps on "relicking" guitars so they look like this one you lucked out as a guitar with natural wear and tarnish has way more mojo than a brand new shiny job i wouldnt touch any of thos bits that look well worn/aged. even the dude who scratched his name in gives you a bit of historical connection to the previous player. give it good clean up and a bit of wd40 here and there on moving parts the stuff on the frets is the residue from finishing [laquer]. you can scrape if off carefully or simply get some fretboard guards from stewmac and clean em up with wet n dry paper and 0000 grade steel wool - the frets may need a level and crown and that will remove all of the residue.. get over the aesthetics and listen to how it sounds and feel how it plays....these CIJ guitars are very fine instruments and most likely you have a very nice guitar - enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotgoalie11565 Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 If you want to get the frets really shiny, use the steel wool like Ray said. After that go over them with some silver polish like Silvo. You can get it pretty much anywhere. And the nice thing about it is that it's non-abrasive, so it's perfect for a maple neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted August 8, 2007 Report Share Posted August 8, 2007 Be sure to tape up the pickups before you use steel wool on the frets. The magnets will grab on to all that metal "dust." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eljib Posted August 8, 2007 Report Share Posted August 8, 2007 don't touch that thing (other than to play it!) You bought a '68 reissue and for some reason you want it to look like it just came off of the factory floor. If you want, I have a shiny new strat that I would be happy to trade for your well worn RI. Think of it like a pair of jeans or old boots: If your pants get dirty, or you step in some $hit, you just clean it off. But you don't want to get rid of the broken-in feel that they have, (or the reasons that they have it). It takes years of playing to get something like that to occur. Don't erase it when you've got the real thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haighy1000 Posted August 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 WOW Thankyou all so much for your help. After much considertaion I have decided to leave it as it is. However the input jack has now given up. Does anybody know where I can get vintage japanese parts from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted August 11, 2007 Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 Any standard panel-type 1/4-inch mono jack will work. It doesn't have to be japanese, but I do recommend either Switchcraft or Neutrik. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LVJMusic Posted August 11, 2007 Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 3. The metal work onthe tremelo and the pickups has got tarnished and a little rusty. Is it possible to make it shiney again? 4. Some one very cunningly sctrached thier name in the back of the headstock. Is there away of getting it out? Is there a way of mkaing the tuning heads/keys shiny again? Good looking instrument you have there. The body work can be left if you want the zing of a reliced axe. But I would not leave the metal pitting on the bridge go. That is never a good thing. As the guitar is played the adjustment screws could rust to the point that they would be nonfunctional and have to be replaced. Their size means that you'd probably have to replace most of the small pieces on the bridge at that point aswell. Several little tricks come to mind; the first item is the rust and pitting on the bridge. I like to disassemble the parts and soak overnight in light machine or penatrating oil then hit with a small wire brush (sold as a welding brush stainless or brass bristles and looks like a woden handled toothbrush) to remove the flecks. Finally, reapplying a couple of drops of oil periodically to all threaded pieces will help to drive the moisture off the base metal and keep them usable. The nickel knobs and back plates of the machine heads can be polished up quite nicely with any number of good metal polishes and should not have to be taken off to do this but take care in not getting it on the finish. One other thing, the swirls or haze appear to be on the top layer of the finish and can usually be cleared up by using "000" or "0000" grade steel wool with a good wood oil for lube and a light touch. Some like the look, some don't. The sunburst will hide most of it when you're playing anyway. regards, LV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 11, 2007 Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 Good god ! It's bad enough you tell him to use 0000 steel wool on the finish, but 000 ????? Also, don't ever apply oil to parts on the instrument, if any of that oil is going to run, and go who knows where. Oil going into wood screw holes is a very very bad thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LVJMusic Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 Good god ! It's bad enough you tell him to use 0000 steel wool on the finish, but 000 ????? Also, don't ever apply oil to parts on the instrument, if any of that oil is going to run, and go who knows where. Oil going into wood screw holes is a very very bad thing. I only told him what I've done and using treble or quad steel wool _with_ a wood oil (lemon, linseed, certainly not a tung or danish oil) has done wonders to bring back a finish - with a light touch (don't go putting it under a 500rpm orbital polisher...) As far a putting oil on the machine parts of an insterument, I did not recommend that he bathe them in it while on guitar. As I mentioned the best option is to disassenble and soak them in a container, ( additional info: for a few hours or overnight) and then remove all excess oil. Using a needle drop applicator (sort of like asyringe but not a medical supply item) I've been able to apply an exacting amount of oil to threaded machine parts and not come close to any wood. A q tip or cotton swab stick is at the ready for any mis-steps. He has already said that he would niot be trying to do much to get all the 'funky character marks" off the instrument. Only pointed out what i would do if it were mine. [sarcasm] I was just putting my $.02 into the replies. Please let me know if there is a harm in that and I'll be glad to moderate the responses of what I've learned and done in 25 years of conditioning players axes to simple yes and no replies. Thought that this was a sensible board but I could be mistaken. After all there are (gasp!) musicians lurking here... [/sarcasm] regards, LV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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