"Bandit" (2bandit)
05/15/2014 at 17:10 • Filed to: guitarlopnik
9
43|
"Bandit" (2bandit)
05/15/2014 at 17:10 • Filed to: guitarlopnik | 9
| 43 |
I bought this guitar two weeks ago and just finished restoring it. It's an archtop built in the late 30s that sat in a storage locker for years until I found it on craigslist and bought it for $20. It had major water damage and the neck was falling off, but it had all of its original parts (excluding the pickguard). Here are the before and after pics.
I used all of the original hardware and screws. My grandfather and I removed the back, repaired the major water damage on the back and bottom, fixed some bracing, reset the neck, put it back together, added a little bit of stain to the showing bare wood, Old English oiled the hell out of it, polished the chrome bits (but not too far, I like the parts to show their age), and now it plays beautifully.
The repaired bit looks tons better in person, my iPotato's lens just makes everything look crappy.
Garrett Davis
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 17:14 |
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Garrett Davis
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 17:15 |
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Holy shit! Good job, man! I think we need a video of her being played now.
lone_liberal
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 17:18 |
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Are there any clamps left in the stores in your area? That's some serious clampage. Nicely done.
BoulderZ
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 17:20 |
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That's just plain gorgeous, and the best kind of recycling. Well done!
jkm7680
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 17:24 |
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Awesome! Looks great, love the old looks.
mycarneverruns87
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 17:26 |
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Very very cool! I bet it has many stories to tell and songs to play
Crocket Bernet
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 17:27 |
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You do good work. Also I just realized I wish I could play guitar.
ttyymmnn
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 17:34 |
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Very nice. How does it sound?
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Bandit
> lone_liberal
05/15/2014 at 18:23 |
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Sadly yes. That was only 33 clamps, my grandfather (I did the work at his shop) had about 30 left. You never know what kind or how many clamps you will need.
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Bandit
> Garrett Davis
05/15/2014 at 18:24 |
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It was only 33...
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Bandit
> BoulderZ
05/15/2014 at 18:27 |
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Thanks. I'm pretty sure that if I didn't buy it, it would have ended up in the trash which would have been a real shame. I've pulled other strange guitars out of the trash before though, the oddest being one that was built sometime during the 60s in the USSR.
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Bandit
> Crocket Bernet
05/15/2014 at 18:27 |
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Learn, you won't regret it.
desertdog5051
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 18:27 |
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Hey Bandit, did you figure out what was the matter with your engine not starting/electrical system? The guy I e-mailed has not responded.
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Bandit
> jkm7680
05/15/2014 at 18:29 |
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The visible cracking in the finish from age is what drew me to this guitar. I love the way it looks. The pictures don't do it justice. The thin coat of stain and oil that I put on the body really made the grain in the wood pop.
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Bandit
> ttyymmnn
05/15/2014 at 18:29 |
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Sounds a bit tinny because of the new strings, but underneath that is a nice warm tone from the ancient wood.
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Bandit
> jkm7680
05/15/2014 at 18:30 |
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The visible cracking in the finish from age is what drew me to this guitar. I love the way it looks. The pictures don't do it justice. The thin coat of stain and oil that I put on the body really made the grain in the wood pop.
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Bandit
> desertdog5051
05/15/2014 at 18:31 |
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Nope. I called a few mechanic friends last night but that didn't help me either. I'll take a stab at it again tonight. Thanks for helping though
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jkm7680
> jkm7680
05/15/2014 at 18:32 |
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...
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jkm7680
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 18:32 |
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Nice, I love the way that it looks somewhat aged! Great rippley effect going on there.
vorspringing
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 19:28 |
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That is fantastic work - good veneer repair is crazy difficult on a perfectly flat surface, so doing it that well on an extremely not-flat guitar is awesome.
TheLOUDMUSIC- Put it in H!
> Bandit
05/15/2014 at 19:35 |
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If those are Klusons, be careful, because mine gave up the ghost a while ago. Also, how's that half a baseball bat neck and microscopic frets?
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Bandit
> TheLOUDMUSIC- Put it in H!
05/15/2014 at 21:12 |
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They are Klusons, 1938 is the patent date on them. I've never played a neck like it before, it's so huge! I guess they had to make up for the lack of a truss rod. The frets aren't too bad, the action is a tad higher than I would like though,
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Bandit
> Garrett Davis
05/15/2014 at 21:13 |
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Thanks! Maybe in a bit, I want to let the new strings settle a bit so it can actually hold a tune first though.
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Bandit
> vorspringing
05/15/2014 at 21:14 |
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Thankfully the bad spots on the guitar were in the black area. It made my crappy repair a lot less noticeable.
Zibodiz
> Bandit
05/16/2014 at 00:43 |
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Beautiful restoration! Really interesting design of the guitar, too; from my [very] limited knowledge, I would have thought it was a Mandolin on first glance, before noticing the number of strings.
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Crocket Bernet
> Bandit
05/16/2014 at 07:21 |
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I have a question for you, being someone who has no musical experience what so ever means I have no clue what kind of acoustic guitar to get, what would you recommend if my budget is like $4-500?
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Bandit
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 15:17 |
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Whatever you do, I would suggest getting something used. You can get some very nice guitars for that budget. I have two acoustics that I play more than anything else. A yahama FG-160E from the '70s and a Taylor Big Baby. That is a question that should be asked to oppo proper. I'm going to share your question to get more replies.
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Bandit
> Zibodiz
05/16/2014 at 15:20 |
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Thank you!
youshiftem
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 15:21 |
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I got a Baron acoustic guitar about 5 years ago from a girl who never played it. $50 with the case and it sounds great! I have no idea what they cost new but I'm sure they aren't very expensive.
Party-vi
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 15:22 |
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If you're just starting out there's nothing better then a Fender DG-8. $200 will usually get you a new DG-8S, and you can probably find a used one for less.
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 15:25 |
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You probably ought to figure out if you like classical or steel-string first. Past that point, as Bandit said Yamahas are good, and if you want something flashy that's not completely terrible you might try a Dean - if you're getting a steel-string, that is. Look into Takamine and some other brands while you're at it, and occasionally you can get a real bargain on an Ovation. Don't be tempted to get anything that retails for sub $200 new, I'd say, unless it comes well recommended (check reviews at Harmony Central and elsewhere). There are a lot of terrible guitars out there with unheard of brand names that are just... bad, and will put you off wanting to play guitar. Not staying in tune, sounding thumpy, finish peeling, etc.
Your boy, BJR
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 15:29 |
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I can sell you a '70s Lotus Strat. Needs work, but I'll give it to you for like $50
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Crocket Bernet
> Your boy, BJR
05/16/2014 at 15:34 |
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Is that electric? It sounds electric.
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Your boy, BJR
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 15:35 |
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Yes.
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Crocket Bernet
> Your boy, BJR
05/16/2014 at 15:43 |
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As much as I like rock music I'm not sure I'm ready to make that leap.
conrader
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 15:45 |
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I got one of these pretty recently, which I like quite a bit:
http://www.amazon.com/Fender-CD-220C…
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My dad plays Breedlove and I've really liked all of his (I don't know which models he has, but these are in the price range):
http://www.amazon.com/Breedlove-Pass…
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http://www.amazon.com/Breedlove-Pass…
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http://www.amazon.com/Breedlove-Pass…
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
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Garrett Davis
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 15:48 |
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There are lots of good deals to be had right now. Ibanez and Yamaha make really nice acoustics in this price range if you go for new, or start scanning craigslist for some upper tier guitars that you can get used right in your price range. You can get a nice used Ovation for ~$500, just stay away from the Celebrity series. They're crap.
If you want any advice on a specific model, or guitar gear in general, email me at garrettdavis6@gmail.com. I have been playing for about 10 years now, and have done way too much research on everything music and gear related over the years, and would be more than happy to pass that info along to a fellow Opponaut.
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Bandit
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/16/2014 at 16:00 |
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*vintage yamahas
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Bandit
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 16:03 |
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Keep in mind electric guitar is easier to play as they are easier to hold and you don't have to press as hard on the frets. I had a Squire P 51 as my first electric and I remains one of my favorite guitars to this day. Fender stopped production of them because they were stealing sales from the Stratocaster. I highly recommend it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squier_'5…
zeontestpilot
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 16:43 |
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If $4-500 is your budget, you can get a pretty decent one. Not top end mind you, but still decent. I would recommend getting a 'beginner' one to start off with, to know if its something you pursue. basically a cheaper one. why spend $500 if you discover its not something you want to pursue longterm?
Plus, if you want to be really awesome, learn bass guitar. Don't just play, learn. Most everyone learns to play either drums or guitar, no one appreciates the bass!
On a side note, I'll ask my wife whats available in that range. She's the guitar player of the family, I'm just the bassist :).
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TheLOUDMUSIC- Put it in H!
> Crocket Bernet
05/16/2014 at 18:56 |
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TheLOUDMUSIC- Put it in H!
> Your boy, BJR
05/16/2014 at 18:58 |
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Lotus L660? I got one of those. With a pro setup, it plays better than any actual strat I've picked up.
Carson Blocks
> Bandit
05/28/2014 at 18:33 |
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Do you have any good guitar restoration resources you recommend? I've got a '67 Gibson SG Special in need of total restoration and am a complete noob at guitar work.