For Y'all Data Cleaning Upward A Strat Subsequently Beingness Inwards Long-Term (Humid) Storage

This real cool American Standard Stratocaster came inwards for a build clean together with a restring—normally a real straightforward job. However, it had been inwards storage for several years inwards a fairly humid surround together with a lot of the metalwork, including the electrics, had dice somewhat corroded.

It truly looks OK from that distance. Here are a few close-ups.

In add-on to the dirt together with grime, you lot tin run across that many of the screws receive got rusted quite badly. H5N1 quick seek out also revealed that the pots were scratchy, the switch was non working correctly together with the output jack was making a lot of crackling noises.

A expect downwardly the cervix shows corrosion on the frets, thence these volition bespeak a flake of a build clean together with smoothen too.

Oh and... is that… blood?

The solely means to bargain alongside this is to dismantle it, but earlier I create that I’m going to accept some measurements since it was truly playing pretty overnice together with I don’t desire to modify that if I tin aid it.

Measuring the saddle positions:

And the pickup heights:

First nosotros take the strings.

Let's bargain alongside the tremolo next. First nosotros take the raise tremolo cover.

See the mould? Not the initiatory off fourth dimension I've seen that on a guitar hither inwards Taiwan.

We tin elevator out the tremolo springs past times mitt since the strings receive got already been removed (note the rust on the terminate of the spring).

And together with thence nosotros carefully elevator upward the guitar, leaving the tremolo unit of measurement sitting on the bench since at that spot is no longer anything belongings it inwards place.

Finally (as far every bit the tremolo goes), nosotros take the studs—these were precisely screwed all the means inwards thence no bespeak to accept measurements inwards this case).

Now it’s fourth dimension to take the scratchplate/pickguard.

Some of those screws were awfully rusty. We’ll bargain alongside that later.

Now the neck. Four screws together with off it comes:

Both the cervix postage stamp together with the trunk postage stamp confirm what the series set out suggests—that the guitar was made inwards 1989.

Check out the corrosion on those frets.

The jack socket plate needs removing too.

You tin run across higher upward how tarnished the jack is., I’m going to receive to build clean this alongside contact cleaner, but sense tells me that it’s non going to travel plenty together with that I’m going to terminate upward replacing it anyway (and approximate what, I did).

Let’s receive got a expect nether the scratchplate.

It looks OK till you lot receive got a closer expect at the switch. As you lot tin see, it’s also suffered from corrosion. No wonder it was cutting out.

Both the pots together with the switch larn some attending alongside the contact cleaner.

After applying that, I brand certain to twist all 3 pots dorsum together with forth several times together with motility the switch betwixt positions repeatedly inwards gild to permit the clearer create its operate earlier it dries out likewise much.

Back to the trunk complete for a moment, I tried naptha first, but some of this grime is precisely likewise stubborn (most of it actually), thence I switched to Pledge. Pledge did a corking job. Just cry back that this materials leaves a wax residue, thence never spray it straight onto strings, for example.

As for the scratchplate, let’s larn those knobs together with switch tip off first. I was able to push clitoris these off past times hand, though at that spot are tricks for if these precisely won’t budge (such every bit wrapping a shoelace roughly the bottom of them together with pulling up).

I don’t desire to take the switch if I tin aid it, thence I accept off ane screw at a fourth dimension to build clean them.

While the screw's off, I accept the chance to build clean that expanse of the scratchplate.

These (and all of the other screws) are held inwards a vice together with cleaned alongside a wire brush ane past times one.

The scratchplate itself is cleaned alongside Pledge. Most of it cleaned upward pretty easily except a stubborn scarlet grade (wait, was that blood too?), but that likewise came off eventually.

The scratchplate is screwed dorsum on at this point.

The knobs together with switch tip are cleaned inwards soapy H2O alongside a toothbrush.

And at that spot they are dorsum inwards house looking lovely, I’m certain you’ll agree. (I approximate at some phase inwards this guitar’s life somebody replaced the lower TONE knob.)

The jack plate is replaced after having been cleaned alongside Autosol metallic polish.

Now nosotros bespeak to bargain alongside the tremolo.

I don’t desire to modify the heights of the saddles, thence I laid them aside inwards order.

The screws together with springs dice inwards a dish of oil.

Meanwhile it’s a lot easier to tackle the tremolo base of operations plate straight off that it's dismantled.

Before:

After:

The saddles themselves are but brushed alongside a soft brush. I don’t desire to modify the saddle heights if I tin aid it together with the saddles are inwards pretty skillful status anyway.

The screws together with springs are given a quick scrub alongside a toothbrush.

And the tremolo unit of measurement is set dorsum together alongside the saddles set inwards their master copy positions every bit measured at the beginning.

Before putting the tremolo studs dorsum on the guitar, some crude oil jelly is placed on the threads together with also on the trivial neckband where the tremolo unit of measurement volition lean against. This volition human activeness every bit a lubricant together with aid halt whatever undesirable creaking noises, etc when using the tremolo.

The studs together with the tremolo are placed dorsum into the guitar together with it is carefully flipped over (remember there’s nil belongings the tremolo unit of measurement inwards house at this stage).

Before putting the tremolo springs dorsum on, they larn a quick build clean together with are together with thence also given some crude oil jelly at both ends for the same reasons every bit outlined above.

Next, nosotros build clean upward the neck.

After an initial build clean alongside Pledge, each fret is cleaned alongside 0000 steel wool, using a fretboard protector to, well, protect the fretboard.

Polishing chemical compound is together with thence used on both the frets together with the fretboard.

The nut slots are cleaned out alongside a dental floss thing. I’m truly non certain what they’re called.

The cervix is placed dorsum on the guitar (the cervix plate was cleaned alongside Autosol together with the screw heads were cleaned alongside a steel brush), together with the guitar is strung up.