CIJ decal removal?

[goneshooting]

Hi, I recently bought a candy apple red crafted in japan and I have made extensive mods, new pots, knobs, jack, sanded the sharp fretboard edges, saddles, seymour duncan broadcaster pickup and turned it into an esquire, crazy huh. Now the Crafted decal on the back of the neck is bugging me(maybe next time I'll make a partscaster!) How hard is it to remove the decal? Any help would be most appreciated. Cheers.

[Craig_G]

It's under the lacquer, so you'll have to sand right through to the wood to remove it.

If it were me, I'd either, a) leave it alone, or b) strip the whole neck and give it a thin coat of Nitro.

[goneshooting]

Thanks, can you diy nitro? I'd give it a go but it would have to be out of an aerosol...possible?

[Jack Wells]

So............ you have a CIJ Fender guitar known to be a quality instrument and you want to turn it into something that appears to be a partscaster and thus instantly devalue the guitar. Have I got that right?

[giraffecaster]

Originally Posted by goneshooting

Thanks, can you diy nitro? I'd give it a go but it would have to be out of an aerosol...possible?

www.reranch.com

or here in the states we have Deft brand lacquer which is nitro but thinner than reranch

[Vol. Knob]

Originally Posted by goneshooting

the Crafted decal on the back of the neck is bugging me

Did you see it before you bought it?

Originally Posted by goneshooting

How hard is it to remove the decal? Any help would be most appreciated. Cheers.

Below we see my MIJ Fender '69 Thinline RI. I removed all the thick plastic poly finish and wiped it down with Tung Oil. Now it actually feels like a peice of wood. I even did the back of the neck, which took off the "Made In Japan". I did not, however, sand off the "Fender". Perhaps I should, just to be consistant and unprejudiced.

[fezz parka]

Don't look at it. It'll stop buggin' you.

[goneshooting]

Well it's not about devalueing, I just don't like the way the decal looks, I mod all my guitars until they play/look better and I will never part with it anyways. I've done that much to it already that it is worth less than I payed for it but damn it sounds good! Probably should have made a partscaster but I wasn't that confident to put it together!

[benhenny]

It's easy. Get some steel wool and start working on that spot until you erase it. Follow that up with some 220 or finer sandpaper. If I recall correctly, the finish is poly, so go get yourself some nice poly rattle can to cover the spot. If you're chicken with semi-gloss, you can get satin finish and polish it up with fine sandpaper and/or car wax. Satin is easier to spray.

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by benhenny

It's easy. Get some steel wool and start working on that spot until you erase it. Follow that up with some 220 or finer sandpaper. If I recall correctly, the finish is poly, so go get yourself some nice poly rattle can to cover the spot. If you're chicken with semi-gloss, you can get satin finish and polish it up with fine sandpaper and/or car wax. Satin is easier to spray.

Good Luck on matching that Amber Tint, the CIJs use........It ain't that easy, and have it look professional ....IMO

[PJ]

Sand the neck heel, with fine sandpaper, until the decal is removed, but try to leave some finish below the decal. As soon as its expopsed, you can remove it with naptha, or
continue with 000 steel-wool. Then, use some MinWax spray or wipe-on Poly. A couple of coats, steel wool and buff. You can touch up spots with poly very easily. You'll never know there was a decal there.