Classic vibe Tele body - strip it or swap it?

John_P

I’ve got a off white Tele body - I hoped the pics were pale and it was more blonde but it’s more off an off white colour - vintage white?  

Its nice enough but I’m not a fan - I nearly bought the blue Top Tele screlics recently did but probably want a see through butterscotch finish.   

Any ideas how good the wood will be underneath and if it’s worth stripping and redoing or is the poly (I assume) a pain to get off and I should sell it and get something else?

Funkfingers

If the paint colour is your only objection, simply exchange your CV Tele for another in a preferred colour.

A serious strip and refinish job could cost more than your entire guitar.

John_P

Funkfingers said:

If the paint colour is your only objection, simply exchange your CV Tele for another in a preferred colour.

A serious strip and refinish job could cost more than your entire guitar.

It’s a body I bought for a project and I’d do the work myself do the cost isn’t an issue - just curious if anyone had stripped one to find its blockboard and needs a solid coat or a two piece that looked ok. 

munckee

John_P said:

Funkfingers said:

If the paint colour is your only objection, simply exchange your CV Tele for another in a preferred colour.

A serious strip and refinish job could cost more than your entire guitar.

It’s a body I bought for a project and I’d do the work myself do the cost isn’t an issue - just curious if anyone had stripped one to find its blockboard and needs a solid coat or a two piece that looked ok. 

If its just the colour and not a nitro finish you are after you could rough up the poly and spray paint it.  I spray painted a squier standard strat surf green and it turned out fine. 3 coats of spray paint and 4 coats of spray on poly.

Adam_MD

I stripped and refinished mine a few years ago and the grain looked pretty nice when it was stained.  Unfortunately I'm going to have to redo it soon because the stain I used has faded badly in the sun.

I sanded mine but I stripped a different body after that using a heat gun and it was much quicker.

Funkfingers

John_P said:

It's a body I bought for a project

The simplest solution is to trade for a body of equal quality in the early Fifties custard yellow Blonde colour.

Fender has applied the appellation Blonde to several, quite different shades of semi-transparent not-quite-white.

randella

Poly does come off with a heat gun, it's not rocket science and I'm sure you'd be capable. 

I'm with @Funkfingers though, for the sake of the ballache I'd flog it and source a different one. 

Unless you fancy the project for the sake of summat to do with your time, in which case have at it. 

I can't remember if I said this to to someone else the other day - if you do strip it watch you don't nick the roundovers. You're after a semi natural finish so you don't want a load of car body epoxy showing through. 

Sham61

I stripped a CV50 a few years ago with a blowtorch. Probably not the best idea but the poly was very thick. It softened it enough to scrap it off, I then sanded it with an orbital sander. The body was made of 4 pieces if I remember. I refinished with some Wudtone and a few coats of clear lacquer. Looked OK in a sort of punkish way.
 

Clashman

Here's myTele Modern  Player  plus  in eye catching red..
https://imgur.com/a/xKXug

Clashman

[img]https://i.imgur.com/t7RsMEg.jpg[/img]

Clashman

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BigMonka

@Clashman ; here you go. And it looks great in red

Clashman

Thanks BM I  can't get this photo link thing right lol.

Clashman

I mixed drawing ink that cost £2 with  teak wood dye to get the dark rustic red.

John_P

That looks nice.   Looks like the wood underneath is probably ok if I did go for a see through butterscotch.  

I was was thinking today I wouldn’t mind a gold top with faux binding but that will be a little more involved than a straight recolour.