First, that is great looking work, oneal, especially if that's your first shot at it. No scorching - great! Respect.

Next:

Twelvebar, that's a fine film. Apart from anything else, I'd love to be able to hear what Freddie Tavares and the other guy are playing together at the end!

Some of the working conditions make your hair stand on end. I gasped at the fella near the beginning on the band saw - how close he takes his thumb to the blade on the the headstock cut: yikes! Nobody using safety guards on any of the big machine tools, no breathing protection in the nitro spray booth, women working all day at fiddly jobs in horrible lighting...

These days people get all righteous about not buying guitars from the Far East in the belief the workers are treated that way. We forget how recently all of that was going on in "developed" countries...!

Now. Where's my time machine? I just want to take a ride back and bag me a batch of those '59 Strats.

Cheers - C

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those were my thoughts too.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Thanks Ceri. I hope to have some pics of the finished strip when I can find what I did with my camera!!!

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I remember when we were free!

OK, found camera. Here are two photos of the completed strip. I have undertaken the initial sanding. Lots of work to do yet to get a nice smooth finish.

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I remember when we were free!

Nice work!

Any ideas on how you will finish it yet?

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

The owner seems to want natural wood. So I intend to clean it up, and sand it down with some really fine paper and polish it on a wheel, or put a thin coat of clear poly over it.

I don't know out it will turn out. any part of the wood that is not flat comes out darker.

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I remember when we were free!

Again, congrats on that stripping job, and thanks for the photos.

It's a shame it's a three piece body. That middle plank has some fun grain that will likely come up nice with a clear coat.

Can't wait to see it finished!

Cheers - C

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Thanks,

Yes, the center plank also has an almost crystaline quality that does not show up on the photos. I have toyed with the notion of hitting the outer planks with a little tourch fire and leaving the center alone. Sanding it down then. I have no experience with fire burnishing or finishing but it interests me.

http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/burning-wood.html

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I remember when we were free!

Oh that would look nice...haven't a clue how it's done but with that center piece looking as nice as it does it would be nice to have it 'pop' with doing the sides that way.

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

I am also considering putting a Fender 3-way switch above the pot ports. I am not a bass player so I don't know if this is a real advantage to them..Opinions welcome.

OL

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I remember when we were free!