Clear coat issue on a Snakeskin

[xenophobe]

The tone has most likely been added. That's not the layout if they would have had a tone/vol/blade unless it was specifically spec'd like that, I'm fairly sure.

Hope you didn't pay too much. Even with the clear peeling like that, there's likely no way to salvage the original paint unless you send it to an expert and are willing to pay them to try to restore it. It would likely be cheaper to have it stripped and repainted.

GL figuring out the other issues.

[pianoguyy]

Hope you didn't pay too much.

An '88 Strat with reverse headstock and JT-6...
It is worth the price I paid. But no, I did not pay for the graphic - just the guitar.

[GuerillaPete]

Congrats on the 6mos delay -ha! Have fun with it.
And keep us posted on the whole finish mystery/outcome.

[Anders]

I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out! Congrats!

[pianoguyy]

The guitar is fine. I think it may have even been refretted at one point. I mean, it has a thicker neck profile than the rest of my Strats (think 86 vs 88 Model 6 necks). And is noticeably heavier too.
But as far as the finish goes ----

It is not just the clear coat. If you look at the closeup picture that I posted, that is not a crack in the clear coat. The entire finish is coming off. So, yes, this snake is really shedding its skin. Clear coat falling off in spots. Complete finish coming off in spots. Clear coat that is taking a layer of finish with it.
Luckily it is black underneath and won't be as noticeable as plain wood. ==>> see the neck side of the trem cavity.

Other than sneaking some Super Glue into the cracks to hold the finish onto the guitar, this one is not salvageable.
A complete refin is in order. I might as well get my "80's freak on" with it for awhile. Get some mileage out of the snakeskin for a few years before I go and have it redone.

[Nightbat]

I sure hope my 2001 Snakeskin RR won't suffer the same fate 13 years from now ;-)