The Steel Guitar Forum

I have recently got hold of a 1977 Sho-Bud Pro 3 Custom, its original colour was deep cherry red. Over the years and because the previous owner had the guitar by a window constantly the colour has fadd and there is some crackling to the glaze, happily it sounds like a bud and plays very nicely.

Has anyone refinished their wood and if you have what advice can you give me? I know I can get new decals so that bit isn't a problem.

Where are you in UK Shaun? Once I know where you are I can put you on the right track.

Here's one I'm working on right now. It was the really dark brown color before.

Here's another picture taken outside. The light shows the wood detail better. I decided on white fretboards after the fact.

I don't know, Brad. Is there any way of repairing the present finish rather than refinishing? It has that old gold patina that's pretty cool . . . It's a veteran, after all, and it might be nice to preserve that aspect.

Chris

Some time back Ricky Davis posted a formula for restoring the finish on a Sho~Bud.
I would give him a shout.
Erv

I do agree with you 100%. I like keeping things original, including the red farm tractors I repair/ restore. This guitar i bought as a project, to help get my nephew who wants to learn started. It wasn't different than advertised when I bought it. But I always hope things will be better than they appear. I wanted to leave it, but with my limited refinishing knowledge in addition to how worn out mechanically it was from a million miles of use, I decided to go this route. If it was originally a major piece of history, I would have 100% let it completely untouched. But as far as far as I know it isn't. I guess this is my reasoning.

Well I never "restore" the finish...as I don't do that kind of body/finish work; but I do re-moisturize the existing finish; as that Nitrocellulose Lacquer drys out after all those years and looks cracked and dried and the color behind it fades.
You can't change the fade; without stripping;sanding; bleaching; staining; finishing....and who the heck wants to do that??? ha...(but there are many refinishing places that do that well.)

I first wipe body clean with dawn/water...then dry.
Then I use a expensive wood wax that you get at home depot for wood floors. This waxes the existing Nitro/lacquer and brings it more to surface out of wood. So wipe on; let sit and dry; and wipe off.
Then moisturize the lacquer with Old English Lemon Oil...wipe on and leave over night and wipe off. OH and all this is done with 100% cotton cloth/rags; NO OTHER material than Cotton(or you'll be sorry...ha.).
Then I get the most expensive Car polish finish and wipe on and wipe off...
Now you're good to go....you're guitar body will look brand new again....even though those cracks in finish are still there, as the nitro is much thinner from the years....but you won't see them for a long time until its time to do the treatment again.
Have fun; good luck......Oh and all these sho~bud's in my House of wood, were done by me with this method and you can see they look brand new..ha...(and some other brands like some Marlen's but mainly Sho~bud)>
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