NGD - voyage to the 872nd Universe [pic heavy]

[thraxil]

Nice.

My Green Dot came in in a very similar condition (I didn't have to replace the bridge, but otherwise it was a filthy mess). I actually find something very satisfying about stripping a guitar like that down, completely cleaning, polishing, and tightening everything, and turning it into a monster. When you know there's an amazing instrument hiding underneath the dirt and neglect and you can make it come out.

 

[Underworld]

Nice.

My Green Dot came in in a very similar condition (I didn't have to replace the bridge, but otherwise it was a filthy mess). I actually find something very satisfying about stripping a guitar like that down, completely cleaning, polishing, and tightening everything, and turning it into a monster. When you know there's an amazing instrument hiding underneath the dirt and neglect and you can make it come out.

Man, I LOVE doing that! I do most of the work on my instruments (except fret leveling because I don't have the tools) but what I did there truly is fun! The challenge trills me. I've done it on 4 guitars up to now, but this one was a step ahead in terms of dirty/beaten/work needed (the others only had rusty frets and grimy fretboards). I also modded 3 guitars, including refinish and neck reshaping.

 

[HighGain510]

Did a fantastic job on the clean-up man, congrats! I hate seeing guitars abused to the point where the hardware is literally falling apart from corrosion! ICK! She looks great now though, nice clean fretboard and a fresh trem and she's good to go for quite a while! I've noticed guys with extremely corrosive sweat also seem to be the guys who can't be bothered to wipe down their instruments when they're done playing them, so their hardware looks like something exhumed from the floor of the pacific ocean after a couple hundred years... Congrats on the new piece though, looks like she was played a lot so at least it's nice and broken-in!

 

[patdavidmusic]

grats mate! Got to play one of these a few years back, stella guitar indeed!

 

[will_shred]

Nice.

My Green Dot came in in a very similar condition (I didn't have to replace the bridge, but otherwise it was a filthy mess). I actually find something very satisfying about stripping a guitar like that down, completely cleaning, polishing, and tightening everything, and turning it into a monster. When you know there's an amazing instrument hiding underneath the dirt and neglect and you can make it come out.

My RG1421 was in a similar state of disrepair when I picked it up on clearance at guitar center. The action was terrible, the frets were in dire need of work, fretboard was dry as a desert. About 2 hours of work later it came out to be one hell of a player. Four years later it's still my main gigging guitar. It's a fantastic feeling to put your hard work into a neglected guitar like that and see it come alive.

 

[asmegin_slayer]

You cleaned that fingerboard supremely well, what did you use and was the neck originally that dark?

 

[Underworld]

Did a fantastic job on the clean-up man, congrats! I hate seeing guitars abused to the point where the hardware is literally falling apart from corrosion! ICK! She looks great now though, nice clean fretboard and a fresh trem and she's good to go for quite a while! I've noticed guys with extremely corrosive sweat also seem to be the guys who can't be bothered to wipe down their instruments when they're done playing them, so their hardware looks like something exhumed from the floor of the pacific ocean after a couple hundred years... Congrats on the new piece though, looks like she was played a lot so at least it's nice and broken-in!

Thanks man! I noticed that too. Of the last 6-7 guitars I bought, 4 of them had rusty frets. Some people do have sweaty hands, and even worst corrosive sweat. I'm glad that it's not my case! I can keep my strings for a fairy long time, even if I rehearse and gig regularily with a particular guitar. Also, some people don't seem to realise that if you store a guitar in a humid environment it can rust, even more if you are close to the shore where the air is saline.

Yes, it has been played a lot (the frets are getting slightly flat on the high strings) but it plays so good that's crazy. Playability-wise it's on par with my J-Custom, while feeling completely different!

You cleaned that fingerboard supremely well, what did you use and was the neck originally that dark?

For the fingerboard I used 0000 steel wool to remove the most of the grimme, then naphta for an in-depth clean and steel wool again for a final polishing of the fretboard and frets. Then I oiled the fretboard - it needed 3 coats as the oil soaked into the wood really fast (it was dry as the Sahara).

The fretboard is really dark, matches beautifully with the white (now cream) body. The darker color of the maple neck comes from use and abuse. The finish has probably worn in from extensive playing and the wood started to oxide. After cleaning it's better than it was. There again I used naphta, then oil soap, then steel wool to polish. Then applied a coat of tung oil to seal the wood, and repolished again with steel wool.

 

[77zark77]

the Universe PWH didn't use to have a pure white finish like the JEM
It was from factory slightly "cream"
this can be more with a yellowish clearcoat due to time, use, light exposition, but never white

 

[Underworld]

the Universe PWH didn't use to have a pure white finish like the JEM
It was from factory slightly "cream"
this can be more with a yellowish clearcoat due to time, use, light exposition, but never white

I was due to 24 years of abuse, playing and light exposition! One can also expect some cigarette smoke and/or pot smoke.

 

[77zark77]

that's why I posted : "with the white (now cream) body"

but maybe my English is not that good
This shows what "cream" could be, not far from factory, to compare to strictly white (pickguard, PUs...):

 

[will_shred]

Dat collection

 

[leftyguitarjoe]

I really like how you kept the body damage. It give the guitar some great character. Happy NGD!!

 

[TruckstopChuckie]

Great collection. Silver dot with white pickups and knobs... oh, Lord!

 

[JP Universe]

Play the .... out of it

 

[Shawn]

Very nice score. Looks awesome. I like how it has some character too. Congrats!

 

[reptillion]

I love my pwh, I've played my Gibson SG maybe four times since I got the pwh. Enjoy it!