Fender Mustang Restoration

[Don Tino]

Don Tino from Arizona back,
I decided to take down the finish of my 73 Mustang Competition and could use some guidance about acquiring the right paint, steps, etc. I've looked around some video's and have learned a few things but I thought I'd asked the forum. Since I bought the guitar ($500) to play and not to sell, I went ahead with the strip. I'd appreciate it getting steered in right direction. I know I can buy some 'Fender' paints from some suppliers and I think I'd like a vintage color, perhaps the Lake Placid Blue.
Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Don Tino

[kdanie]

It's not rocket science, sand it smooth, prime it, paint it. Don't buy enamel paint, nitro cellulose lacquer or acrylic lacquer is what you want. Wear a respirator if you use nitro cellulose, that stuff is strong and will kill more than a few brain cells.

ken

[mgeek]

Don Tino from Arizona back,
I decided to take down the finish of my 73 Mustang Competition and could use some guidance about acquiring the right paint, steps, etc. I've looked around some video's and have learned a few things but I thought I'd asked the forum. Since I bought the guitar ($500) to play and not to sell, I went ahead with the strip. I'd appreciate it getting steered in right direction. I know I can buy some 'Fender' paints from some suppliers and I think I'd like a vintage color, perhaps the Lake Placid Blue.
Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Don Tino

I'm calling troll

Get out of here, no one wants to hear about someone ruining their vintage guitar in 2020, even if it's made up to get a rise out of forum dudes.

[PorkyPrimeCut]

...I'm calling troll

Now that you mention it, yeah. It kinda makes sense.

What a flop! Kids these days have waaaay too much time on their hands.

[pad]

pics or never happend!

[Sweetfinger]

I'm calling troll

Get out of here, no one wants to hear about someone ruining their vintage guitar in 2020, even if it's made up to get a rise out of forum dudes.

I'm here to tell you these people are out there. a while back my shop got this gorgeous '65 Mustang in for a refurbish. It needed some care, a couple tuners needed replaced with correct year vintage ones, there was some speckles of paint spray over it, it had a blob of glue on the front, frets needed work, the usual old, neglected guitar stuff.
The customer kept asking if we could refinish it. I gave him the speech and said we could, but wouldn't. I'm pretty sure that within a couple weeks of him picking it up, it had rattlecan on it so it could "look new". I took a bunch of photos. There's a tiny chance my admonishments took and it remains this way, but he really wanted to refin it, and likely a coincidence, I'm also in Arizona.
It doesn't happen often, but I still have to give the "speech" to people bent on refinishing an old collectable instrument.
Here it is. It's also the Mustang I used to make the template for my vintage Mustang pickguard. Pic has the original guard.

[mgeek]

The customer kept asking if we could refinish it. I gave him the speech and said we could, but wouldn't. I'm pretty sure that within a couple weeks of him picking it up, it had rattlecan on it so it could "look new". I took a bunch of photos. There's a tiny chance my admonishments took and it remains this way, but he really wanted to refin it, and likely a coincidence, I'm also in Arizona.

that's GORGEOUS...or was

I've been to Arizona on tour (I'm English) and walking down the street 100 yards to a guitar shop cooked my brains to the point where I barely knew my own name, so maybe it's that?

[PorkyPrimeCut]

Yeah, these days that's pretty much the holy grail of Mustangs to me. The year, the aged finish and the play wear. Stunning!

I can see how others might find it ugly, the way the clearcoat can yellow in patches & get rubbed off in other areas. But, refinishing it isn't the answer.

[Don Tino]

Hello