Hollow Archtop, my new Project Guitar.

[RLW]

Before you start sanding, make SURE the top, sides and back are not laminated (VERY probable that they are...)

If you sand through the laminations, you will be VERY unhappy. On guitars like you have, the laminations may very well be thinner than the finish.

Take a breath, and procede VERY slowly.

"Your patience will be rewarded."
Alton Brown

 

[DangerousR6]

Hey Violations Advocate, this is quite possibly what your guitar looked like once upon a time.....only it's a lefty.....
cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-SILVERTONE-Archtop-Acoustic-Guitar-N6-LEFT-HAND_W0QQitemZ300219746142QQihZ020QQcategoryZ118979QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[DiMitriR33]

From the peghead shape, inlays and especially the distinctive f-hole shape, that has to be an old Harmony Cremona; may have originally sold under a Silvertone or other brand name, from the 1940's

http://harmony.demont.net/model/57.htm

Here's a later Silvertone/Harmony "hot rod" electric version:

You should put a Bigsby and dogear P90s on that...

and paint it that bright orange gretch color

 

[RLW]

Hey Violations Advocate, this is quite possibly what your guitar looked like once upon a time.....only it's a lefty.....
cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-SILVERTONE-Archtop-Acoustic-Guitar-N6-LEFT-HAND_W0QQitemZ300219746142QQihZ020QQcategoryZ118979QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If WillyK doesn't buy this, I will lose all hope in the continuum of the universe...

So, there.

 

[DangerousR6]

From the peghead shape, inlays and especially the distinctive f-hole shape, that has to be an old Harmony Cremona; may have originally sold under a Silvertone or other brand name, from the 1940's

http://harmony.demont.net/model/57.htm

Here's a later Silvertone/Harmony "hot rod" electric version:

You should put a Bigsby and dogear P90s on that...

and paint it that bright orange gretch color

I bet Brian Setzer would rock it if it was bright orange and had some flames on it.....Maybe some dice knobs..... :headbang1:

 

[DangerousR6]

Hey Violations Advocate, this is quite possibly what your guitar looked like once upon a time.....only it's a lefty.....
cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-SILVERTONE-Archtop-Acoustic-Guitar-N6-LEFT-HAND_W0QQitemZ300219746142QQihZ020QQcategoryZ118979QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If WillyK doesn't buy this, I will lose all hope in the continuum of the universe...

So, there.

It could actually be a righty or a lefty......Flip the pickgaurd over, turn the bridge 180* restring an viola......it's a righty.....

The universe is saved... :icon_thumright:

 

[Volitions Advocate]

it says in the auction that it was originally right handed.  and its pretty close except that the heel on mine is triangular shaped and the F holes are a bit different.

but these are all pretty much the same guitar.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

Before you start sanding, make SURE the top, sides and back are not laminated (VERY probable that they are...)

If you sand through the laminations, you will be VERY unhappy. On guitars like you have, the laminations may very well be thinner than the finish.

Take a breath, and procede VERY slowly.

"Your patience will be rewarded."
Alton Brown

will the lamination be under the finish?  Like sand down to the laminate then peel it off to stain?
or am i missing the point entirely?

 

[chuck7]

you really don't want to peel off the laminations, not unless you want to paint it a solid color.  What RLW is getting at is that there is a possibility that the wood you see is basically little more than a picture of wood stuck on top of some junky looking wood under it.  I would think you could tell this though by looking at the crack or the place the back pulled away from the binding, but I guess if it is laminated, and the laminate is super thin, that might not be visible.  For no more than you have in it, I would just go at it gently with a sander and see what you see.  If you do find it was laminated, and you screw up the look of the wood, just prime it and paint it a candy apple metal flake red!  The color would look great with the bisgsby!

 

[Volitions Advocate]

Oh i had never heard of a laminate top on an acoustic guitar...  it didn't even occur to me.  I though he meant something totally different.

Yeah the plan was to go slow
i just want take the laquer off so that it feels like wood again.  What grit shoudl I start with do you think?

 

[jackthehack]

I think what they are talking/worried about is that there may be a thin veneer on the body, but from what I've read about construction of Harmonys of that era I don't think that's the case. As you''re having to work around the binding and it's an archtop, I'd recommend using the 3M sanding sponges or pads. Use a #100 to get the finish off, then a #180 followed by #320 to smooth it back out for refinishing.

 

[RLW]

I was inspired by this thread to get an old phonky archtop, something I've been wanting for a long time anyway, soooooo...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380020532616

I bought some old Teisco pickups a month ago that may end up being installed in it.

 

[Shmoopie]

words from a paint god my father:  scrape the drips with a paint scraper, lightly, then wash it with fornbees furniture refinisher, and steel wool.
it wont harm the veneer

 

[m4rk0]

Hey Violations Advocate, this is quite possibly what your guitar looked like once upon a time.....only it's a lefty.....
cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-SILVERTONE-Archtop-Acoustic-Guitar-N6-LEFT-HAND_W0QQitemZ300219746142QQihZ020QQcategoryZ118979QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

haha, I bought exactly the same thing a year ago for about 100$..
I wanted to stick some pickups in as well, but started to like it the way it is..

 

[m4rk0]

Here's mine..
funny fact: the inlays are actually painted on

 

[nathan a]

Careful guys, you're making me itch.... 

 

[OzziePete]

Violations Advocate:

Have you thought of getting the guitar appraised by someone who knows archtops, particularly older ones? Before you start peeling off finish, and making mods. to it's original condition? If it's worth something fully restored it may be better to have a professional repairer do the jobs of refinishing, fixing the crack and the binding.

If you feel it's OK to go ahead and fix up the guitar, either by hot rodding or restoring, I would have thought that Stew Mac would have had some info and material on binding, refinishing and restoring/repairing cracks in acoustic bodies etc. They sell a heap of books and videos on those subjects,as well as some free info. That book by Dan Erlewine has a section to repairs to acoustics & archtops I think.