Classic Guitars: How to Restore Them to Their Former Glory

By: Al Wood

Every guitar player has a certain guitar they dream about
owning. Whether it's a Gibson Black Beauty or a 1961
Stratocaster. However, the problem of finance often gets in the
way. One solution to this problem is to buy a damaged guitar and
work on restoring it. As well as being a way to get your hands
on your dream guitar at a reasonable price, it is also a very
satisfying project to undertake.

This article will give you a few pointers on how to get started.

Locating Spare Parts

This used to be the hardest part of restoring a guitar. Before
the web, you had to get very lucky in order to find the right
parts. Nowadays, a quick search on Google will often turn up
exactly the part you need. It doesn't matter how obscure it is -
there's a good chance someone, somewhere will be selling it.

Repairing the Body

The body of the guitar often gets chipped and scratched over
time. You may want to strip the original finish off the guitar
an refinish it. Don't. The finish itself is valuable. The big
guitar makers go to great lengths to perfect their finishes.
It's unlikely you'll be able to reach the same quality as the
original. A guitar with the original finish, even scratched and
chipped, is worth more than a refinished guitar.

Repairing The Neck

It is possible to fix a guitar neck that is cracked and warped.
Guitar necks often start to crack at the where the headstock
meets the neck. One quick solution is to pour hot glue into the
crack. However, this is not the best long term solution.
Breaking off the headstock altogether, although very
nerve-wracking, does allow you to ensure that the glue fully
gets into the crack and the problem will not reoccur.

The neck will usually be the dirtiest part of the guitar. Give
it a good clean with a toothbrush and wood cleaner. Allowing it
to soak in boiling linseed oil will really add a shine to the
neck.

Other Parts

Again, you may be tempted to replace worn knobs, frets, tuning
pegs etc. with new ones. It is not always advisable to do this.
If you are able to restore the originals to reasonable condition
- do this. If not - try to replace them with parts from the same
make and model of guitar from the same era.

Adding Parts

When restoring an old guitar, some people are tempted to
customize it with new features e.g. a whammy bar. How advisable
this is depends on why you are restoring the guitar. If you are
restoring it solely for your own enjoyment - then go for it. If
you intend to sell it at any point, making modifications will
reduce the value of the guitar.

Restoring a classic guitar is a very rewarding pursuit. I hope
this article has set you off on the right foot.