Feungi's little Strat project

Fuengi

Have stripped the poly off this afternoon. Came off super easy after some internet wisdom, take it easy being the best bit of advice. 

Low heat, work on smallish areas a few inches square and work it up with a filling knife. Would not recommend a chisel. Low heat all the way, keep moving.

Next it needs a really good sanding as going for a natural oils finish. New bridge / tremolo coming soon. 

Stratocaster Poly Paint Stripped https://imgur.com/gallery/BFz6XHL

DrBob

Did you weigh the paint once it was office. It’s amazing how much it can amount to 

munckee

Is this the new pickups strat?  Are you going to oil it or spray it nitro?

Fuengi

DrBob said:

Did you weigh the paint once it was office. It’s amazing how much it can amount to 

I didn't. But it's thick old stuff!

Fuengi

munckee said:

Is this the new pickups strat?  Are you going to oil it or spray it nitro?

Yep, that's the one. Going to oil it, probably with Tung oil. I like the look of the top and enjoy the honesty of a natural finish. 

Fuengi

I meant Tru oil. 

munckee

Fuengi said:

I meant Tru oil. 

Are you going tortoiseshell scratch plate always looks good with natural. I’ve got one from a squire strat you can try with it to see if you like the look. 

Fuengi

munckee said:

Fuengi said:

I meant Tru oil. 

Are you going tortoiseshell scratch plate always looks good with natural. I’ve got one from a squire strat you can try with it to see if you like the look. 

I'm going to try it with the very pale mint green scratch plate I have, guess it depends on how dark the wood goes with the oil. Went for Crimson's Guitar Finishing Oil over Tru Oil as the coat application for Tru sounds like an arse ache.

Got quite a bit of rubbing down to do first though.

One thing I can't quite work out is the construction of the top. The ends show several pieces of wood but the top looks like a continuous piece. I can't believe they would have lined up the grains for a mim Strat but can't work out whats going on!  

sawyer

Is it maybe a veneer on the front and back?

munckee

sawyer said:

Is it maybe a veneer on the front and back?

That's what I think. difficult to tell for sure from the pictures.

WezV

Fuengi said:
Went for Crimson's Guitar Finishing Oil over Tru Oil as the coat application for Tru sounds like an arse ache. 

The arse ache is optional with any oil finishes.

  Tru-oil works well as a wipe on and leave finish... a bit better as a wipe on/wipe off finish, and it’s  truly exceptional with a bit of arse ache in the application 

the same will will be true of the crimson oil.  There will be things you can do with the process that give a better finish with a bit of additional work.  Doesn’t mean you have to do them.

The good thing about any of these oils is it doesn’t matter too much if you screw it up.  They tend to be quite forgiving to various techniques  and reapplications.

WezV

munckee said:

sawyer said:

Is it maybe a veneer on the front and back?

That's what I think. difficult to tell for sure from the pictures.

It is veneered.  

personally I would either look to remove the veneer or finish a solid colour.

Fuengi

Why would they veneer a Mexican Strat that is going to be Poly coated? Seems odd.

Fuengi

WezV said:

munckee said:

sawyer said:

Is it maybe a veneer on the front and back?

That's what I think. difficult to tell for sure from the pictures.

It is veneered.  

personally I would either look to remove the veneer or finish a solid colour.

Can I ask why? Wold you be concerned the veneer would react badly to oil?

DrBob

Fuengi said:

Why would they veneer a Mexican Strat that is going to be Poly coated? Seems odd.

Isn’t it to stop sink lines appearing in the paint ?
Also I guess if they veneer all of them they don’t need to have a separate line for Sunburst finishes 

WezV

Fuengi said:

WezV said:

munckee said:

sawyer said:

Is it maybe a veneer on the front and back?

That's what I think. difficult to tell for sure from the pictures.

It is veneered.  

personally I would either look to remove the veneer or finish a solid colour.

Can I ask why? Wold you be concerned the veneer would react badly to oil?

Just because the veneer line would bug the hell out of me.  Aesthetics only, but I think it looks terrible like that.

you will get less oil absorption right on the join, but that in itself won’t be an issue once done.

Fuengi

WezV said:

Fuengi said:

WezV said:

munckee said:

sawyer said:

Is it maybe a veneer on the front and back?

That's what I think. difficult to tell for sure from the pictures.

It is veneered.  

personally I would either look to remove the veneer or finish a solid colour.

Can I ask why? Wold you be concerned the veneer would react badly to oil?

Just because the veneer line would bug the hell out of me.  Aesthetics only, but I think it looks terrible like that.

you will get less oil absorption right on the join, but that in itself won’t be an issue once done.

Ok. I like the line, kinda looks like a binding.

Might be reading too much into the veneer... but two seperate guitar techs both said to me what an unusual guitar this is for a Mexi Strat. They never came across a similar neck. I wonder if this wasn't one that didn't quite make the grade elsewhere and ended up on the Mexico line and got covered in Poly. I was amazed to find the top in one complete piece when I stripped it.  

munckee

I am no means an expert but I seem to remember reading veneers were normal on older mims and they stopped a few years ago, maybe around 2010 as they improved the general quality of mexican stuff, using alnico pickups rather than ceramic etc.

I think it will only make an aesthetic difference and if you are happy with it then don't mess with the veneer, I've played it and its a nice guitar that had meh pickups which you have now changed.  If you're not sure about oiling it with the veneer get someone to nitro it surf green, I mean your choice of colour : )

WezV

they have used the blockboard andveneer construction on the USA line too in the past, but I don't think they do now.

The routes on that  one are fairly standard for Mexican stuff.  

the way they have veneered it means it would not get used for a burst.  

Fender MIM do a similar style where the veneer goes over the front contour for bursts.   You can spot them because the burst on the back followed the gut cut rather than the edge of the body

This is the classic burst you see on MIM's with veneer bodies

you can see their is no line on the contour here (other than the reflection)

but once you turn it over the burst has been extended over the gut cut which confirms its veneered front and back

Fuengi

Have checked a few Mexico stripped to natural Strats and they look similar, so yes. I'm definitely going to go with oil finish. 

Fuengi

Spent the afternoon in the garage listening to the footy and hand sanding it all over. Used 120 / 180 / 240 grit paper then wet and dry fine / ultra fine pads.

Will apply the oil with the wet and dry pads also. Oil coming this week some time. 

Mim Strat stripped and rubbed down. https://imgur.com/gallery/iuLvRfp