Solid color body finish = ugly natural grain ?

alanfc · June 25th, 2008, 06:57 PM

hi-
I was thinking of refinishing a solid colored MIM.
And remember reading somewhere that the painted solid colored bodies are usually the rejects for reasons of beauty/grain/matching of pieces.

So is it a crapshoot ? Once I strip this thing I'll get a big surprise ?!
Thanks

SixStringSlinger · June 25th, 2008, 08:23 PM

I'm sure they probably save the prettier ones for the clear sunburts and whatnot, but that doesn't necessarily mean the solid ones are butt-ugly. I doubt if Fender got a years' worth of perfectly-grained, natural/sunburst quality wood that they'd suddenly quit making Fiesta Reds and Olympic Whites.

alanfc · June 26th, 2008, 12:12 AM

OK thanks

cook · June 26th, 2008, 01:33 PM

What year is the body? If it's older, it may be poplar, which can have a greenish color. My 2001 sunburst MIM has a veneer to cover the poplar.

alanfc · June 26th, 2008, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cook

What year is the body? If it's older, it may be poplar, which can have a greenish color. My 2001 sunburst MIM has a veneer to cover the poplar.

mine is a 2003/thanks

djinn1973 · June 26th, 2008, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanfc

hi-
I was thinking of refinishing a solid colored MIM.
And remember reading somewhere that the painted solid colored bodies are usually the rejects for reasons of beauty/grain/matching of pieces.

So is it a crapshoot ? Once I strip this thing I'll get a big surprise ?!
Thanks

Yeah, I just stripped my 2002 MIM strat. There's no way of knowing whats under that paint until you get it off... That being said, you have lots of options once you're down to bare wood.

alanfc · June 26th, 2008, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djinn1973

Yeah, I just stripped my 2002 MIM strat. There's no way of knowing whats under that paint until you get it off... That being said, you have lots of options once you're down to bare wood.

well dont' leave me hangin!! What did it look like !!! ??

thanks

JeffsJeep04 · June 26th, 2008, 03:22 PM

Worst case, you get down to ugly wood and you can put down a proper (but solid colord) nitro finish....

evol04gt · June 26th, 2008, 03:42 PM

my mim is ugly stripped. ultra dark stain will attempt to hide it...the veneer looks tacky where the arm bevel is

djinn1973 · June 26th, 2008, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanfc

well dont' leave me hangin!! What did it look like !!! ??
thanks

Sorry about that...
Its ugly andI don't care!
It looks like its 5 or 6 pieces of poplar with a veneer over (most of) the front and back. I used a blow drier to heat up the "paint" then a small thin metal fret board protector (the kind you use during a fret dress) to get under the paint and lift it off. Then I pushed a bit of walnut coloured Citrus Shield (two coats total) in to it, and done. From start to finish the entire thing took an hour and forty-five

evol04gt · June 26th, 2008, 11:30 PM

and i have put about 20 hours into sanding through the finish on my mim...son of a................

JeffsJeep04 · June 27th, 2008, 07:13 AM

It looks like a pergo floor peaking out through the arm contour!

hahaha!

I like it

alanfc · June 27th, 2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djinn1973

Sorry about that...
Its ugly andI don't care!
It looks like its 5 or 6 pieces of poplar with a veneer over (most of) the front and back. I used a blow drier to heat up the "paint" then a small thin metal fret board protector (the kind you use during a fret dress) to get under the paint and lift it off. Then I pushed a bit of walnut coloured Citrus Shield (two coats total) in to it, and done. From start to finish the entire thing took an hour and forty-five

Not ugly ! I like the imperfections.

If mine looked like this it would be OK because I'm thinking of using a dark brown stain.

boris bubbanov · June 27th, 2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djinn1973

I kinda like imperfections and things to tickle the eye, as well.

But something strange has happened here; as though the guitar has turned back on itself and gotten all backwards. What a shame, I say!

ajgus · June 27th, 2008, 02:41 PM

I stripped a Squier once & I won't do it again. I know its not an MIM, but there is usually a reason they have solid colors. Not to mention the fact that if yours has a poly finish...believe me, not worth the effort. They are usually made up of numerous pieces of mismatched wood. Put its this way...a very long walk for a short drink of water...

Vizcaster · July 2nd, 2008, 04:25 PM

Lore has it that the solid finishes have filler or putty to cover defects that you wouldn't want to put a clear finish over, and of course that may or may not be the case with your body. The veneer situation is more of an issue however since it may or may not cover the arm contour on the front. Others have cautioned that the modern finish is very tough to try to strip off. So please consider the option of selling your body and buying a partsed-out body where you know what the finish looks like already. MIM's are pretty good guitars, not beaters that you can experiment with. Having said that, if you're intent on stripping it, use a heat gun and be careful not to burn the wood.

June 25th, 2008, 06:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
alanfc Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2004 Location: Paradise Posts: 342	Solid color body finish = ugly natural grain ? hi- I was thinking of refinishing a solid colored MIM. And remember reading somewhere that the painted solid colored bodies are usually the rejects for reasons of beauty/grain/matching of pieces. So is it a crapshoot ? Once I strip this thing I'll get a big surprise ?! Thanks __________________ Tele/Strats/LesPaul/Rivera/Engl Band: http://www.myspace.com/rocketchirac Last edited by alanfc; June 26th, 2008 at 12:13 PM.

June 25th, 2008, 08:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
SixStringSlinger Tele-Afflicted Join Date: May 2006 Location: Miami, FL Age: 20 Posts: 1,223	I'm sure they probably save the prettier ones for the clear sunburts and whatnot, but that doesn't necessarily mean the solid ones are butt-ugly. I doubt if Fender got a years' worth of perfectly-grained, natural/sunburst quality wood that they'd suddenly quit making Fiesta Reds and Olympic Whites. __________________ "Is a hippopotamus a hippopotamus, or just a really cool opotamus?" -Mitch Hedberg

June 26th, 2008, 12:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
alanfc Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2004 Location: Paradise Posts: 342	OK thanks __________________ Tele/Strats/LesPaul/Rivera/Engl Band: http://www.myspace.com/rocketchirac

June 27th, 2008, 02:41 PM	#15 (permalink)
ajgus Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: chicago Posts: 1,996	I stripped a Squier once & I won't do it again. I know its not an MIM, but there is usually a reason they have solid colors. Not to mention the fact that if yours has a poly finish...believe me, not worth the effort. They are usually made up of numerous pieces of mismatched wood. Put its this way...a very long walk for a short drink of water... __________________ "I'll eat up all your crackers & your licorice. Hey yo, fat girl...come here...are you ticklish?" - Sir Humpty Hump

July 2nd, 2008, 04:25 PM	#16 (permalink)
Vizcaster Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Glen Head, NY Posts: 672	Lore has it that the solid finishes have filler or putty to cover defects that you wouldn't want to put a clear finish over, and of course that may or may not be the case with your body. The veneer situation is more of an issue however since it may or may not cover the arm contour on the front. Others have cautioned that the modern finish is very tough to try to strip off. So please consider the option of selling your body and buying a partsed-out body where you know what the finish looks like already. MIM's are pretty good guitars, not beaters that you can experiment with. Having said that, if you're intent on stripping it, use a heat gun and be careful not to burn the wood. __________________ "Why don't you just make 10 louder, and make 10 be the top number, and make that a little louder?"

June 26th, 2008, 01:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
cook Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: California Posts: 193 2 Photos	What year is the body? If it's older, it may be poplar, which can have a greenish color. My 2001 sunburst MIM has a veneer to cover the poplar.

June 26th, 2008, 03:22 PM	#8 (permalink)
JeffsJeep04 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Strum, WI Age: 23 Posts: 24	Worst case, you get down to ugly wood and you can put down a proper (but solid colord) nitro finish....

June 26th, 2008, 03:42 PM	#9 (permalink)
evol04gt Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: NE ohio Age: 27 Posts: 467	my mim is ugly stripped. ultra dark stain will attempt to hide it...the veneer looks tacky where the arm bevel is

June 26th, 2008, 11:30 PM	#11 (permalink)
evol04gt Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: NE ohio Age: 27 Posts: 467	and i have put about 20 hours into sanding through the finish on my mim...son of a................

June 27th, 2008, 07:13 AM	#12 (permalink)
JeffsJeep04 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Strum, WI Age: 23 Posts: 24	It looks like a pergo floor peaking out through the arm contour! hahaha! I like it