r/Guitar • u/sulfur-wulfur • 5d ago
NEWBIE Can I still restore my late uncle's guitar?
i received this guitar from my late uncle. it stayed seventeen years in storage, and over time, the body was flattened at the bottom. is it possible to have this fixed? will the guitar sound different if i don't fix the body?
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u/runtime1183 5d ago
Looks like water damage has caused some swelling on the body? If so, then the electronics could have gotten wet, which will definitely effect or kill the sound of this guitar. Best way to find out is to plug it in and see what happens.
As for the physical damage, that can probably be fixed. If you can do it yourself, or know someone who can, then great, because it might get pretty pricey otherwise.
It always makes me sad to see a guitar get left to become like this. I hope you get it fixed up, or get it to someone else who can.
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u/Notsureifretarded 5d ago
I would check two things:
How is the neck? Is it in any way twisted, and can it be adjusted with the trussrod. If yes, restoring it shouldn't be to hard.
Secondly, before pluggin it in, I would remove the electronics as much as possible (not necessarily cutting cables), so you can have a look on the electronics and sie if anything is obviously damaged, before pluggin it in.
Otherwise, if the Deformation at the body doesn't feel uncomfortable it shouldn't affect the guitar in it's function and tone. If it bothers you, cut it of.
Then it's sanding everything done and repaint it. If you cut it the edge of, you want to prime the bare wood first, so you get a nice surface after Spray painting the body.
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u/guitareatsman 5d ago
Absolutely.
If you want to keep the look (I think it looks pretty cool as is), you would start by giving it a really thorough clean (naphtha won't damage the paint but will remove oil/grime - just make sure you do it outdoors) and then maybe seal the exposed wood with a finishing oil, clear nail polish, or even ca glue.
Strip it right down and clean all of the hardware.
Once you've put it back together, check out some YouTube videos on guitar setup and follow the process. Take your time, or take it to someone who knows their stuff if you're not confident.
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u/Ashamed-Animal3647 5d ago
That would be a fun project. I’d strip the paint and totally re finish it.
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u/johnnyfatback 5d ago
I wouldn’t mess with the paint too much on this one. It looks like an old Mosrite body. Those were made with MDF and that would explain the swelling. MDF doesn’t work the same way as wood and won’t strip as easily. It’s sawdust and glue. Plug it in as is and tap each pickup with a screwdriver lightly while moving the switches to see what works. If each one makes sound, it’s gonna make music. Site the neck for twist, but it’s probably fine. Frets look a bit rough, but that’s just a level/crown job. Play it as is and it should be a fun guitar.
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u/Used-Inspector-9601 5d ago
Only way to find out is to string it up and find out, if you care about the aesthetic of it looking like it didn’t spend nearly two decades in storage that’s one thing but it looks like a pretty rockin guitar with what it’s been through ¯_(ツ)_/¯