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Restoring a Guitar

Restoring a Guitar

What does it take to restore an old guitar? A little know-how, some elbow grease, and the right set of tools and equipment can help bring a dusty guitar back to gigging shape.

We enlisted one of our resident bloggers and guitar experts, David, to take on the task of restoring an Italia Mondial Classic whose owner wanted to pick up and play again after it spent a few years on the bench. We documented the process with photos and have included links to all the guitar care products and tools used below, so you can order what you need and get to work getting your favorite axe back in shape! Check out the process below — we’ve also included footnotes at the bottom of the post.

Want to learn even more about guitar setup and care? Read more guides here.

D'Addario String Height Gauge CruzTOOLS GTSH1 Stagehand Compact Tech Kit Music Nomad MN207 Premium Instrument Work Mat and Cradle Dunlop 6554 Ultimate Lemon Oil Gibson Guitar Pump Polish and Cloth Combo Pack Ernie Ball 12 Music Nomad MN227 The Octopus 8-in-1 Tech Tool Ernie Ball Power Peg Pro String Winder Dunlop String Winder Music Nomad MN227 The Octopus 8-in-1 Tech Tool

Notes:

When polishing the fretboard, David puts sandpaper on a wooden block, and rubs it up and down the fretboard. He goes from 320 to 400 to 600 grit sandpaper in that order. After that, David uses a Micro Mesh sheet to go over the frets, two at a time. He moves from 1600 to 2400 and then 3200 grit mesh in that order.

May 6, 2019Mason
1 year ago Guitar Workbench
Mason

Editor of the zZounds Blog. Donut snob. I love to write and to play guitar, so naturally, I love writing about guitars. My favorite kind of music is the kind that sounds like Muzak but cooler, you know?

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Since 1996, zZounds has been making it easy for musicians to get the gear they need. With our easy monthly payment plans, you can get the music gear you need today -- and split the cost into monthly installments on your existing credit card. zZounds ships from multiple warehouses across the continental United States, so we can cover most of our customers within a day or two. Our customer service team is staffed with real musicians. They don't get paid on commission -- they get paid to help you! Looking for the best prices? Don't miss our Big Deals weekly specials, Used Gear on Clearance, and Rebate Roundup.
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