jmrwoods Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 I was never crazy about the aesthetics of the JTV69 when it first came out. Then the JTV69s was released and I thought the appearance was FAR more palatable. But something always bugged me: The pickguard tells me it may be an offset guitar trapped in a strat's body. Taking the Elvis Costello Jazzmaster as insipiration, I took my stock Shoreline Gold JTV69s... Stripped the polyester finish (tediously with a heat gun and scraper): Then sanded to bare wood (and test fitted the new guard w/ electronics, because of course): And made it look different. I knew I was taking a risk by stripping it - after all, this body was selected for a solid color instead of a burst for a reason. I was pleasantly surprised at the nice grain underneath. The knot below the tremolo was probably the reason it was a solid color. Anyway, after stripping and assessing the suitability for staining, I ended up with a walnut stain and used three coats of Minwax Antique Oil (hand-rubbed boiled linseed oil similar to Tru-Oil) for the final finish. It's a FANTASTIC satin finish that is light and has a great feel. These potato-quality phone photos don't quite capture how deep the grain looks in person. And I love how the satin body contrasts with the gloss pickguard. Overall, I'm very pleased with the end result. Side note for anyone that may be considering a JTV refinish project of your own... Be prepared to spend time and a lot of effort in removing a THICK polyester finish. There was clear coat over the color coat and an extremely thick coat of clear/sealant under that and took a long time to remove. The heat gun and scraper approach did NOT remove the finish in sheets like you may see in YouTube videos of folks stripping Fender bodies. This stuff straight-up crumbled off after a lot of heat and elbow grease. Also, because the finish was so thick, while it didn't cause any problems there are a couple areas where the end result is noticeable to the trained eye (but not noticeable while playing). The heel carve is no longer flush with the bottom of the neck (cannot feel it when playing and neck pocket itself was unaffected as I did not touch it all). Also, the bushings for the neck screws are no longer flush with the finish - they do stick out a little now (again, cannot feel when playing). I did not remove the trem's threads - they stayed at the same height. I just sanded around them. Once reassembled, everything that contributed to playability and sonics were back in original places (pickups just had to be raised a tad). The recessed cavity covers (over main board and battery box) protrude just a bit, but nothing major. Again, some things that a critical eye can point out, but no real problems. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 Nice work...looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 Very good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricstudioc Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Holy crap - "paid off", indeed. Man, that's really nice - wanna do mine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsdenj Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Really beautiful. Exceptional work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseyboy Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 I always prefer the look/feel of nearly bare wood. Lotsa work to accomplish what you did so well. Looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwlehman1 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Well done! Makes for a truly unique instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ren758 Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 Wow. Striking and lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADBrown Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 Looks great, I always think walnut looks classy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paule315 Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAX700 Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 The close-up of the neck bolts shows the guitar's true lustre... low-key, classy and stunning! "Your axe, sir, will cut." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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