Interesting project to say the least... an old butchered SG Jr?

[olddawg]

So... I've had this carcass laying around a couple of decades. Believe it or not, it MAY be an early 60s SG Jr that got really busted up and someone tried to fix. No serial numbers, but I got it for $20 with the pickup, hardware and Badass bridge in around 1983. The neck itself seems to have nearly zero fret wear and is straight. I recently acquired a mahogany body from an Epiphone G-400. I'm planning to cut the neck off of the beast and glue it on the G-400 body. It's a shame the G-400 mahogany is not the old growth tight grained stuff that is still left on the beast. Since there are no serial numbers it's pretty much worthless. I figured if I put the two together at least I would have a functional instrument. To bad the G-400 has a poly finish. I just wanted to ask the community if there is any reason why I shouldn't do this. I have $20 invested. All I need to put into it is time and glue. If it turns ok, I might even eventually put they wrap around/Badass bridge on it as well. Any comments, tips, opinion, and advice are welcome.

[CMT]

Go for it!!!

[CMT]

How about you just use the other body fore a splice on prostesous so you don't have to reset the neck.
Then veneer it with birds eye or bubinga or gold top it or all that.

[CMT]

Here's mine

[olddawg]

Oh it's much to messed up with different wood and contours for that. And it has bondo all over it! The best I can hope for is to cut a nice block out of it to fit the neck pocket. The original set for the old guitar is much smaller. That's one of the reasons I know it's a trashed vintage piece. If it had serial numbers I would put a correct restoration body on it.

[olddawg]

So... I decided to just go with the original ugly mess because it plays so well and the balance isn't bad. I made a template for a pick guard that I'm going to cut from 1/4" plexiglass and paint black from the back side. The probably spray some red lacquer on empty space. It's a bit of a "rat rod" but it screams... My only worry is that it has no bridge ground. I'm a little worried about pulling the post insert by any method since it's been in there 55 years or so and the body is so thin. Any tips?

[rjb]

My only worry is that it has no bridge ground. I'm a little worried about pulling the post insert by any method since it's been in there 55 years or so and the body is so thin. Any tips?

I'd say go with the current aesthetic- the uglier, the better! Attach a crocodile clip to one of the posts, and run a cable over the guitar face and under the pickguard.

-rb

[Justin Thomas]

I've seen Les Paul playing with a ring o his left hand with a piece of wire coming off it - I always assumed this was some kind of grounding hijinks? Anyway, yeah - just do what works, screw the looks!

Justin

[olddawg]

I'd say go with the current aesthetic- the uglier, the better! Attach a crocodile clip to one of the posts, and run a cable over the guitar face and under the pickguard.

-rb

I considered just wrapping some solid core copper wire around the post, running it through the same hole as the pickup wire, and soldering it to the back of a pot.

[The Dude]

If you were so inclined, and maybe a little brave, you could drill and tap a small hole in the underside of the bridge and use a screw and a ground solder lug. It wouldn't be visible unless you peeked under the bridge.

[olddawg]

If you were so inclined, and maybe a little brave, you could drill and tap a small hole in the underside of the bridge and use a screw and a ground solder lug. It wouldn't be visible unless you peeked under the bridge.

That's a great thought! I think I could make a U shaped washer out of some scrap sheet copper, slip it under the Bad Ass, and solder a wire to it. This thing sounds like Leslie West on steroids with that slightly overwound P90. It's very light. Great for a geezer like me. I sware it was barely played before it was damaged since there is no fret wear on the original frets. And it's the rare super slim 60s neck. Great for arthritic smallish hands!

[dmartn149]

It reminds me of one of those cut-down body guitars that John Mayall plays. I'd give it a wild psychedelic paint job.

[olddawg]

It reminds me of one of those cut-down body guitars that John Mayall plays. I'd give it a wild psychedelic paint job.

I thought of paisley, like Capton's SG. But if you saw it up close you would see it would never take a fine, detailed finish and I don't want to mess up the sustain. Ugly though it is, it plays better than my 70s LP Custom. I might spray a light clear coat on it just to seal it. I was honestly surprised how it plays and sounds. It was in my junk for decades.

[Mick Bailey]

I sometimes need to pull the post insert on elderly instruments and there's a risk of splitting the top around the insert as it's pulled out. The way I do it is this; Remove the post and find a hard fibre or nylon washer that's a close fit over the insert - I have some about an inch in diameter. Then I get a stack of steel washers that clear the insert, plus a heavy-duty one that fits the threaded post. The stack of washers are used a few at a time as spacers, with the fibre one against the body. The post itself then acts as a puller - as you tighten it up the insert pulls up through the washers. Keep pulling and adding more washers as the insert rises up.

This method maintains compression of the timber and finish around the insert. I've seen where a repairer has used a slide-hammer to get them out and split the finish.

Sometimes a judgement has to be made whether to heat the insert. Occasionally this is necessary just to break the bond if it's corroded. I just use a large soldering iron and it doesn't have to be super hot. About the temperature you'd use to remove a fret.

[olddawg]

I sometimes need to pull the post insert on elderly instruments and there's a risk of splitting the top around the insert as it's pulled out. The way I do it is this; Remove the post and find a hard fibre or nylon washer that's a close fit over the insert - I have some about an inch in diameter. Then I get a stack of steel washers that clear the insert, plus a heavy-duty one that fits the threaded post. The stack of washers are used a few at a time as spacers, with the fibre one against the body. The post itself then acts as a puller - as you tighten it up the insert pulls up through the washers. Keep pulling and adding more washers as the insert rises up.

This method maintains compression of the timber and finish around the insert. I've seen where a repairer has used a slide-hammer to get them out and split the finish.

Sometimes a judgement has to be made whether to heat the insert. Occasionally this is necessary just to break the bond if it's corroded. I just use a large soldering iron and it doesn't have to be super hot. About the temperature you'd use to remove a fret.

Thanks.. that's really great advice and much appreciated. I wanted to hear from someone that has actually done it. There are videos with guys using a washer and a pvc fitting or even simply putting an appropriately sized nut in the bottom of the hole. Your washer method sounds preferable. As I'm sure you know old SGs and MMS are fragile in good condition. This one has been haphazardly reconstructed. But the inserts are in original wood. The ground wire was lost when the new wood was glued on 40 or so years ago. I routed the control cavity from the back of that.