Fender Deluxe Refinishing & Chrome Buffing Questions

[Mark Helm]

Hey, folks!

Just bought what looks to be a late 50's/early 60s Fender Deluxe 8. Electronics and everything are in great shape, but a lot of the paint's peeled off the body.





Now, I've refinished a Dual Pro before and it turned out nice (see pics below), but I'd welcome any tips from others who have done it. I think I'm just going to sand off the remaining paint and clear-coat it.





I'm a little worried about getting the fretboard up without damaging it (the fretboard on the one above was ruined, but I was lucky to find the ones I put on).

Also, anybody know if the chrome damage can be buffed off and shined (I'm sure some car guys might know?

Anyway, thanks! Any advice much appreciated!.

[Bill Groner]

Pits are the PITS! Buffing mimics what is there. At least that is what I found to be the case.

[Jack Hanson]

Also, anybody know if the chrome damage can be buffed off and shined (I'm sure some car guys might know?

A few years back I acquired an old Ultratone that's paint was in the process of flaking off, so I decided to take a chance on refinishing it. It was an arduous endeavor, but the repaint turned out alright, using StewMac Colortone rattlecans:


Its trapezoidal chromed metal pickup and bridge mounting plate was badly corroded and pitted. I found a specialty plating shop in Tucson that specializes in plating motorcycle parts who was able to strip the old plating and re-plate it as good (if not better) then new, and for a reasonable price:


https://www.cmf-capitalmetalfinishing.com/

[Bill Sinclair]

About 30 yrs ago, when I was living in Nashville, I took some vintage car parts to a place in East Nashville for chrome plating. Might have been S&H in Madison. They've been around that long. Whoever it was did a good job - the door handles and exterior parts are still looking good 30 years later. If you don't have any luck getting a decent quote from a plater, I've got a control plate for a Deluxe 8 I'd sell you for $70 shipped. It's not perfect, you can see some pitting in the picture, but it looks better than the one that's on there now.

[Mark Helm]

Thanks so much guys!!!

Bill, I sent you a PM.

And, Jack, what did you use to strip the paint?

[Jack Hanson]

And, Jack, what did you use to strip the paint?

This stuff:


I scraped off the excess stripper and old paint with a plastic putty knife to do the least harm as possible to the maple body, and followed up with lotsa hand-sanding, using 180, 220, 280, and 320-grit papers.

[George Piburn]

Using a Brass Wire Bush , with that Stripper, can help get into the pits and ware-mark gouges.

Definitely wear long rubber gloves, - eye protection , and a respirator, those chemicals are brutal.

Allowing the stripper time to soak in and decompose the paint is a must too.

Get a lot of newsprint and paper towels and a trash can.

There is a "Stop" chemical but I never use it.

I may be mistaken , I believe Fender used actual Bondo Filler and Primer coats before any color,

also agree with Jack, cans from Stew-Mac work great, Less is more.

Jim Palenscar . steel guitars north county oceanside california is my choice on advice on removing the fretboard or replacing it.

Hope this will help

Mr.Boards

[Erv Niehaus]

It looks like the fretboard is held in place by little brads.
You can get under the fretboard and gently pry it up to loosen the brads and remove the fretboard.
Erv

[Bill Sinclair]

Here's the bridge cover I sent

[Erv Niehaus]

I don't know if that bridge cover will work or not.
It appears that his bridge doesn't have to pointy ends to hold the bridge cover.
The early bridge covers screwed down.

[Garry Vanderlinde]

The refinishing looks really pretty and I think if you're going to keep the guitar that's fine. You should definitely please yourself because it is your guitar.
...but in most cases the way to keep the most value of an item is to keep it as close to original as humanly possible.
This deluxe 8 was a prime candidate for refinishing but I decided to only polish the chrome and buff the paint.

[Travis Brown]

The refinishing looks really pretty and I think if you're going to keep the guitar that's fine. You should definitely please yourself because it is your guitar.
...but in most cases the way to keep the most value of an item is to keep it as close to original as humanly possible.
This deluxe 8 was a prime candidate for refinishing but I decided to only polish the chrome and buff the paint.

I agree. Refinishing just means the world has one less unmolested guitar from 60 years ago.

[Matthew Lutton]

Agreed, gives it character and shows how well it’s been loved over these many years! It must be something with that finish cuz it’s so yellow and hard to match with any lacquer pens (don’t try tv yellow for instance, terrible candidate). I like the buffed and polished example above a lot and wouldn’t hesitate to buy a piece like that!

[Erv Niehaus]

Guitar Reranch used to sell a tinted clear coat that worked real well to put a little "aging" to a refinish.

[Jack Hanson]

Guitar Reranch used to sell a tinted clear coat that worked real well to put a little "aging" to a refinish.

Hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but it's been my impression that Reranch bit the dust during the pandemic. Which is a damn shame.

[Erv Niehaus]

Yes, I understand they are no longer in business.
I really miss them, I used to get all my refinishing supplies from them.
From paint to sandpaper and etc.

[David M Brown]

All good comments.

My own take - leave it as it is. Just play it.

[Jack Hanson]

The refinishing looks really pretty and I think if you're going to keep the guitar that's fine. You should definitely please yourself because it is your guitar.
...but in most cases the way to keep the most value of an item is to keep it as close to original as humanly possible.

I agree. Refinishing just means the world has one less unmolested guitar from 60 years ago.

I would have preferred to leave my old Ultratone alone, if not for the fact that it was purchased as a basketcase. I knew when I bid on it that the fragile hinged, molded, Plexiglas headstock and bridge/pickup covers were broken and/or missing. However, I was unaware that the pickup was dead, and that the original factory paint was flaking off the thing like crazy. Literally, all you had to do was look at it, and the paint would flake off. If you played it on your lap, it would leave little flecks of paint on your Zubaz!

So, I made the executive decision to attempt a refin with rattle cans. I'm reasonably happy with how it turned out. It's nice to be able to pick it up, play it, and set it down without leaving small flakes and chips of mid- 20th Century lacquer everywhere.

[Mark Helm]

OK, Fellas--You Convinced Me: I'm NOT refinishing the guitar.

...but in most cases the way to keep the most value of an item is to keep it as close to original as humanly possible.
This deluxe 8 was a prime candidate for refinishing but I decided to only polish the chrome and buff the paint.
]

I thought it over, and something Gary said REALLY got to me: "Refinishing just means the world has one less unmolested guitar from 60 years ago."

So, Gary, how did you:

1) Get the fretboard off without bending it?
2) Buff the paint?
3) Polish the chrome (what with?)

Thanks to EVERYONE who weighed in.

[Mark Helm]

My own take - leave it as it is. Just play it.

That's what I've decided to do. Would like to do to it what Gary did to DeLuxe with the trap pickup. Just waiting to hear how he did it!

[Garry Vanderlinde]

Here's what worked for me:
The fretboard was held down with just tacks, doesn't seem to have any glue involved.
A very thin putty knife was slid between the board and the body and gently lifted up the tacks one at a time until they could be grabbed with needle nose, pliers, and pull them out completely.

The finish was cleaned with Denatured Alcohol and naptha. Then Martin Guitar Polish was used which is compatible with the old Fender nitro finishes, and also has some wax in it that helps to protect the exposed wood. Then maybe a light buffing to smooth out the uneven parts of the finish.

Simichrome Polish or Flitz works good on the chrome.

Good Luck, have fun and enjoy your Vintage guitar

[David M Brown]

My own take - leave it as it is. Just play it.

That's what I've decided to do. Would like to do to it what Gary did to DeLuxe with the trap pickup. Just waiting to hear how he did it!

Enjoy your instrument!