Title’s correct, if not a bit “click baity”, but it tells the story! I recently cleaned up a beautiful 90’s epiphone LP and swapped out upgraded pots/knobs and a switch for a friend. Thanks to ICMB and crew I found a short that they helped me fix. Thankfully my friend appreciated his rejuvenated LP enough to throw me some cash. He then tells me about his 1973 strat.
He brings it over one day and asks if I could clean it up and replace the pots on it as well. Basically just do the same job.
I open the case and immediately am hit with the stench of cat urine. The story goes that he left it on a couch in his living room, the cat did it’s business, and it was days before he noticed.
The guitar is beautiful, he’s had it since 1973, his first guitar. Clear wood finish, maple neck, black pick guard, just classic, beautiful. Neck and fretboard is worn, almost gray from decades of use.
My question is how can I safely clean cat urine, and imprinted / stuck on leather seat residue from what I assume is a nitro finish? He’s said he doesn’t want the finish stripped. I told him it might be required, but that I don’t have the capacity to do a quality nitro finish at the moment.
He still has the guitar at the moment so I can’t provide pictures, but I will as soon as I’m able. I’m thinking naphtha to be my safest option. I’m assuming due to the age of the guitar I can be confident that it is in fact a nitro finish?
While I understand it might require pictures for a diagnosis, I’m curious if this is comfortably possibly or should I recommend that he take it to someone who can strip and refinish it? I have no intentions of ruining this man’s 50 year old finish on his guitar.
while I appreciate the business of my pal, I do wish he would stick to upgrades and take better care of his guitars.
thanks everyone.
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Correct up to a point. I came in wondering how furniture urinated.
If the black pickguard is original the guitar is from no earlier than 1975, or the pickguard has been replaced (what colour are the pickup covers and knobs?) but memories can be uncertain when things are this long ago!
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
[This space for rent]
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
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I’m going to start swapping out the pots for him tonight and will wait to see if anyone has any other input based off of the pictures before I touch the finish. Thanks everyone!
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It could be a refinish already, it doesn’t look quite right for an original Fender finish, it looks more like a high gloss furniture lacquer. It’s definitely not an all-original ‘73 Strat - no serial number on the neckplate, so it would be on the headstock which would make it late 70s. If it’s not on the headstock then the neck and neckplate don’t belong together. The tortoiseshell guard and backplate aren’t original, and if it’s late 70s then neither are the pickups (staggered poles), covers and knobs. The body contouring and bridge block are right for late 70s.
Sorry if this isn’t what you wanted to hear, but it has a bearing on the best course of action.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
ICBM, yeah something seems amiss there. Serial is on the headstock so you’re right about that.
I’ll start with the alcohol and ask him about cutting down with T cut.
The finish looks more Fender-like when you see it under the guard like that, but I'm still not convinced. I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen a stamp like that ‘1998’ in a Fender either, I think that’s more likely an indication of when some of the work was done. Regardless, given all the other changes it's now not worth worrying about the originality of the finish, so I would just have it stripped and refinished. You could even re-contour the body to early-70s style with a deeper forearm cut at the same time, which might make it more comfortable and slightly lighter!
It’s certainly a beautiful bit of wood and should be a nice guitar. I would just make the best job you can of it and not worry about the supposed ‘value’ in keeping it original when it already isn’t.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein