This restoration involved an original '63 3-tone sunburst Fender Stratocaster that had been modified at some point to accommodate a humbucking pickup in the bridge position and a taller than stock pickup in the middle position.

 

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When it first came in, it looked to have been gone at with a dull chisel or perhaps some kitchen utensils to achieve this goal. My task was to try to restore it to as close to its original integrity as possible, both acoustically and aesthetically.



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These first and second images show its condition after an initial clean up and smoothing of surfaces to try to establish how to best refit new alder while making sure the newly joined areas where fit precisely and securely.

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Here I've laid a clear template of the desired rout over the cavity to show just how much of the original wood is missing.


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Before blocking in the area, I chose to slightly reshape some of the inside surfaces to insure a more precise fit of the new wood to maximize structural integrity and sound transfer.

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After rerouting the area to return it to stock dimensions, fresh coats of color and clear nitrocellulose lacquer are sprayed to blend in with the surrounding lacquered surface.

Voila! Guitar is ready for reassembly with a selection of original Strat pickups.


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