Help with half sanded Strat..

jdbwales

I’ve been given a Japanese Strat body in a hell of a state and I think I’ll eventually make a project of it.

The front of the body has been sanded down to the bare wood. How would I go about getting a smooth surface to prime and paint? Would it be a question of grain filling and building up costs or is there another way?

Thanks!

paulnb57

I would work through progressively smoother grits to about 240, to get it as flat as possible, then try and steam out any dents, fill any that wont steam out, then prime and sand, then spray some compatible paint as a guide coat, sand it back to the primer to see if there are any low spots or small dents remaining, keep going until happy, prime and paint

GoldenEraGuitars

jdbwales said:

I’ve been given a Japanese Strat body in a hell of a state and I think I’ll eventually make a project of it.

The front of the body has been sanded down to the bare wood. How would I go about getting a smooth surface to prime and paint? Would it be a question of grain filling and building up costs or is there another way?

Thanks!

It’ll depend what wood it’s made from, although it’s likely to be alder, basswood or poplar. It’s also worth mentioning a lot of Japanese made strat bodies are cut and routed to different dimensions that their US and Mexican counterparts (which is something to bear in mind if and when you start buying parts and a neck for it).

Penn

Is it this one?

jdbwales

Penn said:

Is it this one?

It is! 

Thank you @paulnb57 - so no grain filling then, just sand, prime, paint, repeat if necessary?

paulnb57

jdbwales said:

Penn said:

Is it this one?

It is! 

Thank you @paulnb57 - so no grain filling then, just sand, prime, paint, repeat if necessary?

For me it would depend on how open the grain is, to make a decision on grain filler, but I like the paint to sink into the grain, so I never use grain filler or primer, if you feel the need then do it, there are no hard and fast rules

victorludorum

This body has a veneer on it though, doesn't it?

GoldenEraGuitars

victorludorum said:

This body has a veneer on it though, doesn't it?

And if it does it’s at least 4 pieces too (what was the point? Lol)

elstoof

Isn’t that the old paint on the sides, someone’s just sanded the top 

jdbwales

Yeah that’s what I meant by half sanded! It’s a real Fender Japan body, just been mauled a fair bit. Real wood, not a veneer.

WezV

It's always best to start with an even base layer.

I would strip back to clean wood.  If you finish over as is, it is likely you will get a witness line round that edge at some point. 

ICBM

Personally, I would say that’s too far gone to bother. The damage around the neck pocket in particular makes it not worth the trouble of trying to fix it. The floor of the pickup rout is also damaged where the claw screws are anchored, so that may need repairing as well - it’s not just going to be hidden by the pickguard.

It’s an old, very knackered body made from nothing-special wood - just because it was originally machined in Japan doesn’t improve it.

Just buy a decent new body and start with that.