New hobby for my retirement

[JohnRippert]

It seems the service tech in me just needs to have something to do with my hands. I have always liked electric guitars. I can't play, although I am giving thought to some lessons now that Mom is gone. Maybe when I get all this estate stuff worked out.

I bought a inexpensive Squier Bullet Mustang that had been dropped on the strap knob and came dirt cheap, $120 shipped. I've been slowly working on it and learning more about guitars by doing upgrades as well as repairs.

Since I am enjoying this so much I decided to look into buying a couple more vintage electrics and what I found to be in my price range is Japanese electrics of the 1960's. Just finished work on a late '60s Telecaster clone today. It had lots of rust on the bridge, especially on the saddles, as well as the electronics plate for the volume/tone pots and switch. I thought I was going to have to replace them but it was remarkable how they cleaned up. It had loads of grunge on the fingerboard and the frets are worn out and about flat all the way across up by the headstock. This one grabbed me because of the luscious cream colored paint.

If I really wanted to get it truly playable I think it would need frets, a new nut, tuners, a 3-way switch and output jack. Since it will likely just be a wallhanger I am keeping it as stock as possible. Maybe if I do learn to play some I will go back in and give it the works.

Tomorrow I may start work on the other one, a single pickup short scale that caught my eye because of the nice burst painted on the body.

Here's a pic of the Telecaster.

 

[Rustyt1953]

The Japanese Fenders were a remarkable value. I sold a lot of them and owned and used several. Made even better with just a few upgrades.

Fender's biggest disaster was in 1988 when the opened up a Squire factory in India. Fender admitted that the factory destroyed more guitars than they shipped.

Anything to do with guitars is an excellent hobby.

One of the mods here has built two lovely ukuleles and he is working a Les Paul kit from StewMac and he doesn't play.

 

[JohnRippert]

The Japanese Fenders were a remarkable value. I sold a lot of them and owned and used several. Made even better with just a few upgrades.

Fender's biggest disaster was in 1988 when the opened up a Squire factory in India. Fender admitted that the factory destroyed more guitars than they shipped.

Anything to do with guitars is an excellent hobby.

One of the mods here has built two lovely ukuleles and he is working a Les Paul kit from StewMac and he doesn't play.

I have my eye on a Made in Mexico Fender Telecaster that needs new frets, a new nut and some sanding down of the fretboard. It has seen a lot of play. When I get done with my colonoscopy with ESD procedure in a bit over a week I will check and see if it has been relisted. If not I will call the business which is a couple hours south of me and I can go pick it up if I decide to get it.

Would love to get a Japanese or American Fender but those are out of my price range these days.

 

[Rustyt1953]

The Mexican Fenders are also a good value. One of the best playing ones I had was a first run Taco Tele.

 

[Onomea]

I'll just comment that I have no knowledge at all about electric guitars, or otherwise. But I do get the pleasure of renovating, fixing up, something once treasured, once state of the art, from a previous era, fallen on hard times. Hell, I can't resist stuff like that.

Have a brother who loves to rebuild 1970s audio systems. Truly amazing sound.

Keep it up, John.

 

[Harrison]

It seems the service tech in me just needs to have something to do with my hands. I have always liked electric guitars. I can't play, although I am giving thought to some lessons now that Mom is gone. Maybe when I get all this estate stuff worked out.

I bought a inexpensive Squier Bullet Mustang that had been dropped on the strap knob and came dirt cheap, $120 shipped. I've been slowly working on it and learning more about guitars by doing upgrades as well as repairs.

Since I am enjoying this so much I decided to look into buying a couple more vintage electrics and what I found to be in my price range is Japanese electrics of the 1960's. Just finished work on a late '60s Telecaster clone today. It had lots of rust on the bridge, especially on the saddles, as well as the electronics plate for the volume/tone pots and switch. I thought I was going to have to replace them but it was remarkable how they cleaned up. It had loads of grunge on the fingerboard and the frets are worn out and about flat all the way across up by the headstock. This one grabbed me because of the luscious cream colored paint.

If I really wanted to get it truly playable I think it would need frets, a new nut, tuners, a 3-way switch and output jack. Since it will likely just be a wallhanger I am keeping it as stock as possible. Maybe if I do learn to play some I will go back in and give it the works.

Tomorrow I may start work on the other one, a single pickup short scale that caught my eye because of the nice burst painted on the body.

Here's a pic of the Telecaster.

Think of all the good you are doing by rescuing these fine old musical instruments from probable destruction in a scrap heap somewhere. Plus, it is good to have something to occupy your hands and brain. Bravo to you!

 

[rwsmith]

That sound like a cool hobby. A friend has my acoustic Ibanez to replace the nut, fix the bridge and lower the action. I hope he gets it back to me soon. I'm not a very good player, but I have some music projects waiting that it would be great for. I used an acoustic on a Gibert and Sullivan song that Peter, Paul and Mary did and it came out half decent. I do have a Strat clone electric, but I can only run it through a mix and a PA amp because I don't have a guitar amp, having gotten rid of my Line 6 Spyder years ago. I hate getting rid of stuff because you always end up needing it. Oh, part of my hobby is getting better on the guitar with picking and bar chords. These days I like the sound of a nylon stringed acoustic and I'm going to see if I can covert mine to nylon, or buy a used medium level Cordoba.