187*** Upon Arrival

It's a '63 D-18, #187*** which has seen a lot of bad treatment in its 45 years. There are bashes, cracks, and repair attempts, all of which contribute to the overall run-down feel of the instrument. Last but not least, someone painted it. I'm hoping the paint was applied over the factory finish, but it'll be a while before I can make that determination. My goal is to put the guitar back into playing condition. If it can be made to look okay cosmetically too, that would be a bonus.

This old guitar has had a tough 46 years. It's been painted, smashed, and 'repaired.' It will never be a collector's item, which may be a good thing for some player out there. Structurally, it will take a fair amount of elbow grease for it to become a guitar again. The old attempts to repair it will need to be undone, and then redone. A good number of unrepaired cracks and bashes will need to be fixed. The bridge plate is broken, along with the bridge itself. Numerous braces inside will need to be re-glued at the very least. Finally, once it's all glued back together, the paint that covers the entire instrument--top, back, and sides--will need to be removed somehow, to reveal the real guitar below the surface. Then a new finish will need to be applied. Finally, the neck will more than likely need to be re-set before giving it a final set-up. I'll be picking away at this project as the time presents itself, but there's no real rush. The guitar has waited patiently to be rescued and put back in circulation. It's worth the effort, and I'm glad it came along.

This will be a fun job.