88 San Dimas Strat Rebuild

[straycat]

Yep go all the way.
Not many were done on both sides.I would have to continue just to find out.
Good save.

[paulderlunas]

Very cool Dinky. Some of those early patterns were done on the front only and the back and sides were just black. That zebra looks like it probably wrapped all the way around, though. Resto the whole thing ya lazy bastid!

Damn straight im lazy! haha it was a PAIN in the ass to get that spray paint off and keep the zebras in good shape!

[Johnnyryche]

Nice save. Definitely clean off the rest of the body if it has stripes all around. Maybe start with a small spot on the back and see what you find. Like Axe said, sometimes the older graphics were face only. Looking forward to seeing it all done.

[shreddermon]

My zebra just told me that, if you don't restore that whole thing, it's going to report you for animal cruelty. LOL

[paulderlunas]

Well since the masses said I should i'm gonna start the process of taking the paint off on the back and sides. I started to sand very very very on the back and I think...again THINK I see some black stripes! Hope this baby has graphics all the way around! I can't do more this weekend because I am out of supplies. I have found the best what to remove the spray paint is a combo of dry wash which is a stronger nail polish remover basicly that I get from my funeral home and a Mr. Clean magic eraser. Sounds crazy but it removes the spray and leaves the prints alone!

[Codswallop1]

GREAT save mang!
Your rattle can remover secret should be saved as a sticky somewhere. :idea:

[Frfurter]

GREAT save mang!
Your rattle can remover secret should be saved as a sticky somewhere. :idea:

+1

[slowhand66]

Beautiful. Nice revival.

[Learn Guitars]

Nice job pulling that one from the depths of hell. The worst case scenario would be getting it cleared and buffed. You could also take care of any damage at that time too. Congrats.... Kind of like scrubbing off a painting and finding a Michelangelo.

[paulderlunas]

Well, got some good news and bad...

Start to pull some of the paint off the back and was alittle concerned on why the back wasn't coming off as nice as the front...well it looks like this one was a factory BLACK painted...not white with zebra around...I think they sprayed the guitar white and then sprayed over it with black. The black was extremely thick and the white was very very thin to the point that I have some bare wood spots.

My plan now is to make sure the back and sides are smooth, mask and paint, sand, paint, wet sand, and paint and clear the back and sides in black.

For the front I am going to slowly, carefully mask and cut out the zebra's stripes and refinish the front. Just because the front looks faded and rough from the paint removal.

I do not want to let this just die! She will be reborn!!!!

Stay tuned!

[coloradoman25]

She may have been a front graphic only?

[Learn Guitars]

The white could have been the polyester sealer with a thin coat of base coat, then it would have been taped off and sprayed black. Jackson uses white polyester quite a bit.

[paulderlunas]

Ahh now that makes alot of sense...
But yes looks like a front graphics only. Which makes restoring her alittle easier!

[Axewielder]

It sounds like you are uncovering some damage to the original finish, which probably had something to do with why they rattle-canned it in the first place. Keep diggin'! You don't want to keep a coat of crappy rattle can paint on the back. It would be better to have it down the the original relic look IMHO.

[Maiden89]

You did a great job revealing the zebra through a shitty coat of black. Your like a guitar surgeon . I would have had a panic attack if I found out some dip shit spray painted over a zebra finish.