paint or not to paint ??? 1975 Mustang

[chingonas guitars]

I found this 1975 mustang guitar down south Mexico View attachment 257550 .... last night i was with Corn.... he got a little pissed when I ask him to paint the body. He said just get pickups and switches.. make a relic mustang. I ask what you guys think ??? Paint or no paint ??? View attachment 257546 View attachment 257547 View attachment 257548 View attachment 257549

Thanks guys.... will leave it as is...don't want Corn to get mad at me 😁 I i just get the stuff..... I need to get it playing. Got this they may work

 

[Shine]

Wow, that's a cool project!

I would leave the body as is for now. Get it up and running and and then see what you think about refurbing the body.

 

[Nadnitram]

You could paint it to match this:

 

[chingonas guitars]

Actually it matches my 73 Ford Pinto

 

[octopus prime]

So many people in here saying let it tell the story it’s going to tell but to me that story says I wanted to paint this and gave up after I started.

 

[13druber]

Rich rockstars that can afford any guitar pay a big premium for mint like new vintage Fenders and Gibsons over ones that have been abused by their owners and look like s**t. What does that tell you about your reverence for guitars that have been neglected and trashed? There's no magic there. They are just hunks of wood, nothing more.

If that was true then there wouldn't be a market for those custom shop heavy relic guitars selling for thousands. It's a matter of taste, some would prefer this mustang over another.

 

[DougMen]

If that was true then there wouldn't be a market for those custom shop heavy relic guitars selling for thousands. It's a matter of taste, some would prefer this mustang over another.

Relics are the dumbest thing ever, proving how tasteless, gullible, and phony so many guitar players are.

 

[13druber]

Relics are the dumbest thing ever, proving how tasteless (and phony) so many guitar players are.

That is "your opinion" I wouldn't buy one or want one but many do. However, I refrain from calling people names when they don't agree with me or like something else that I don't. I have heard some gifted "tastless" and "phony" guitar players in my life. Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Same goes for tone. That being said, I would leave that Mustang as is, if it were mine, put some electronics in it and make some noise.

 

[2k5Bullet]

It's already been painted, so I would restore it, fixing what look like dried out cracks in the fretboard & body. You could always clear polyurethane coat to retain what relic it is with a matte poly ? The red paint around the neck pocket area looks like someone used a paintbrush to apply the red paint.

 

[corn]

Like I told him before, do not paint it, leave it as is, too bad Rose pickups isn’t still winding, he made awesome mustang pickups. If you insist on repainting it, don’t call me lol, have it done professionally and whatever you do, don’t go to Home Depot and grab a spray can of rustoleum.

 

[porkpie]

If I were to paint this guitar I would just sand it and clear it. I like the look of the wood on the back of the body. I'm sure everyone is curious about how much you paid.

 

[DougMen]

That is "your opinion" I wouldn't buy one or want one but many do. However, I refrain from calling people names when they don't agree with me or like something else that I don't. I have heard some gifted "tastless" and "phony" guitar players in my life. Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Same goes for tone. That being said, I would leave that Mustang as is, if it were mine, put some electronics in it and make some noise.

Imagine what people would think if GM, Ford, Mercedes, Porsche, or Ferrari tried to sell trashed versions of their cars for MORE than the normal versions. They'd be laughed out of business. I rest my case. What's next? Relic'd amps and pedals? How about relic'd strings, pre-rusted, tarnished, and deadened for your enjoyment?

 

[lboorse2]

I'm one for patina. Love patina. Nicks. Scratches. Faded colors. Love it.

That's not this. This was sanded and left in a damp basement for about 40 years.

I look at that and it screams for a restoration.

 

[Eddd]

If that was true then there wouldn't be a market for those custom shop heavy relic guitars selling for thousands. It's a matter of taste, some would prefer this mustang over another.

The thing is old guitars never really look like relics,just well used but not worn like they have been bouncing around in the back of a mining truck for decades.The Mustang in question has not been relicked but stripped in hopes of being repainted.

 

[photoweborama]

Never! I'd never deface a vintage guitar. They are what they are and are what they are supposed to be.
I customer ask me to add a pickup route to a 62 Musicmaster II. I told him I could not morally deface a vintage guitar like that. and he would have to find someone else to do it.
He left it alone.