New here, seems like a good forum.

I've been away from electric guitars for a while (had an acoustic for a long time in the interim), getting into electrics again. Guitars in past life were a Hamer Special in cherry sunburst and a Rickenbacker 330 in JetGlo. Regret selling them (surprise, surprise), and hope to track them or their siblings down eventually.

At the moment I have a Classic Series 50s Strat that I am crazy about. Just has a really nice feel to it, and a crisp, punchy sound. (It has the sound that I identify in my head as being the Strat sound). I definitely prefer it to other Strats I've played.

It may sound silly, but the only thing I don't like about it is the color. I'm usually a fan of anything blue, but Daphne blue looks really different in person vs the way it rendered on my monitor prior to purchase. (Probably a monitor calibration issue.) At moments, I have almost wondered if they shipped me Seaform Green by mistake, but I think it's blue. It fits the 50s concept perfectly, just not crazy about it. I pictured a cooler (as in less warm) blue. Maybe more of an Ice Blue or Glacier Blue. This color is a really bright, 50s malt shop / deco / Chevy Bel Air blue.

I'm not opposed to spending a bit more to have it refinished so that I can like everything about it, including the color. My only hesitation is that I like the sound and feel of this guitar so much, that I don't want to mess anything up! In terms of feel, I'm having a tough time quantifying what it is that I like about it. It's kind of tangible and intangible at the same time. Is it the maple v-shaped neck? I'm sure it's partly that. Or maybe the set-up is just to my liking also? I'm guessing the tone I'm hearing and liking comes from the specific pick-ups in the 50s model? It's sometimes hard to quantify everything, and the whole may be greater than the sum of its parts.

Anyway, how much of a risk would I be taking in getting the body refinished? Has anyone ever disassembled a favorite guitar, reassembled it, and felt that something distinctive about the feel of the instrument was lost in the process? Or is there nothing to worry about?

I realize that their is some voodoo thinking in this post, but assumed that some of you could probably relate to that.

Another idea I had was just buying another good quality body from Warmoth or somewhere like that, getting it finished however I want, swapping the body and then having the option of going back if I ever want to. Not sure if that's necessary though.

Also, is there a limit to how many times you want to take these guys apart? Any limit to how much threading and unthreading the screwholes can take? Or is it pretty much cool so long as you're not doing it a hundred times?

I'm sure these questions are pretty newbie, but newbie is what I am at the moment.

Thoughts appreciated, thanks a lot for reading!

Joe

Your best bet is to learn to like it. Just taking off the old finish is difficult. Real difficult. Achieving a finish as good as Fender's or anywhere near as good is going to either cost a lot of money or quite a bit of money and a lot of time. In fact, because you're asking, I know you aren't going to be able to do as good a finish by yourself. No offense intended.

Thanks for the reply. No, I wouldn't even think about doing it myself ... I was thinking in terms of getting it refinished at a custom shop ... or buying an aftermarket body and having that finished. Sorry, should have clarified that.

+1



Expect to pay $250 to $300 for a strip-and-refin of your existing body.

You can find nice pre-painted Allparts bodies on Ebay for around $225. They're ready to receive vintage-spec Fender hardware and look great (yes, I own one -- in Candy Apple Red).

HTH

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

All pretty good questions.

I guess it comes down to how much you don't like the finish. I have repainted more than a few guitars. I have switched not only the colours but the type of finish as well. I have never had one 'lose it's mojo'

The feel will change, but to me it's only really an issue on the neck. Body not so much, you don't really handle it while playing. Different types of finish definitely change how a neck feels though. It doesn't sound like oyu ar unhappy with that though.

The tinkerer in me is always partial to telling people to go for it, when they want to mod, but it's different if you aren't going to do the work yourself, then you have to decide if you want to throw around $200 $300 into changing the body colour. Also if you want to go the DIY route, I suggest learning on an el cheapo or two, before moving to your prized baby. (PS never expect to actually save money DIY, until you are very experienced, and/or are looking at some pretty advanced techniques, basic jobs are almost always more economically efficient when done by a pro.)

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

Having refinished guitars that I didn't like the finish in the past......I personally would sell that guitar and find another that you like the color. Maybe find one that you like in-person, so that you will have no question about the color or how it plays.

_________________
2002 mim Telecaster
Jimmie Vaughan Stratocaster
Mexican HSS Stratocaster
6 non-fender guitars
2 kids (not for sale)
1 wife (uh....no comment)

Joe: I'm not opposed to spending a bit more to have it refinished so that I can like everything about it, including the color. My only hesitation is that I like the sound and feel of this guitar so much, that I don't want to mess anything up! In terms of feel, I'm having a tough time quantifying what it is that I like about it. It's kind of tangible and intangible at the same time. Is it the maple v-shaped neck? I'm sure it's partly that. Or maybe the set-up is just to my liking also? I'm guessing the tone I'm hearing and liking comes from the specific pick-ups in the 50s model? It's sometimes hard to quantify everything, and the whole may be greater than the sum of its parts.

Anyway, how much of a risk would I be taking in getting the body refinished? Has anyone ever disassembled a favorite guitar, reassembled it, and felt that something distinctive about the feel of the instrument was lost in the process? Or is there nothing to worry about?

If you're down with spending up to $300, then it's seems that simply buying a different colored body off eBay is your best bet. You can pay as high as $250 for a body from the high feedback parts sellers and simply sell your blue body and probably get $200 for yours. Minus fees you'll be out no more than $80 and the couple of hours you'll need to tear down yours and build it back.

I'm not one of those who get sentimental about mojo or some sacred vibe a guitar you like has. Feel comes from what you have your hands on, which is mostly the neck, which you'll keep and the body, which will be the same wood and shape as you one you had. You'll have the same pickups so not much will change.

The only issue is getting the guitar set up the same as you had before. If you're not comfortable doing the assembly, am sure some guitar tech will do it and you'll still be under the $300 mark.

If you do buy another 50's body, be aware that you have a wider bridge than normal (2 7/32"), so it's probably best to buy another 50's body.

That's exactly what I was getting at, exactly the question I was trying to ask. You phrased it better than I did, thanks. Reassuring to hear that your refinishes went ok.



Yeah, that's what I meant when I mentioned that I was aware that I was veering off into the direction of voodoo thinking. After a while, you run the risk of sounding like Nigel from Spinal Tap. Everything that gives a guitar its feel should be quantifiable in some way ... neck, body weight, set-up, whatever ... I'd guess it comes down to whether one is in a position to quantify those things, which is an entirely different question.



I actually wasn't aware of that, thanks.

If I do go with a refinish, I'd probably go with something completely custom (not crazy about any of the other 50s Classic Series choices, though the basic Black is ok), so I guess I'd do best to just send off the body that is on there.

All of the replies were really helpful ... thanks a lot, I appreciate it!

j.