Seeking 1963 Stratocaster Restoration Advice

Nice guitar!

I would get a Lashing celluloid plate and leave the rest alone. Or just play it as is, if you can live with the mods.

 

IMO, repairing the route doesn't increase or decrease the value, so I would leave it as is since it's currently not seen and a repair will always be visible for those looking under the guard.
As for the pickguard, it seems you are in the U.K. and there was recently a very well publicized pickguard repair for Chris Buck by Hugh _____ in the U.K. I would try to hire him for the repair.

 

I rather like that 'characterful' period switch modification !

The restorer (and writer for Guitar Magazine) who worked his magic on Chris Buck's guitar is Huw Price.

Myself, I would only even consider filling a body routing if I was intending to refinish that body (which, in your case, you are not going to do).

And you can always 'see the line' around replaced wood, even if the work is done by the most skilled of restorers.

Similarly, I've never seen a repaired guard where the repair is truly invisible.

Welcome to the club : I'm sure you're enjoying your new toy !

 

PS I guess you know this but, if you did decide to remove the existing guard and 'keep it in the case', it must be screwed to a substantial piece of wood to control celluloid shrinkage.

 

http://www.lashingguitars.com/celluloid/pictures.html

 

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1- if you are keeping the guitar as a collector, then get the wiring returned to original and find a replacement pickguard. Leave the body as others said, a repair is as bad as it sits now.

2- if you intend to make it a player, then buy a new loaded pickguard and store the original as-is for the next owner to chase down the vintage pickguard/etc.

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I would leave the route alone and get a reproduction replacement guard and revert to original wiring. In the meantime see about getting the original guard repaired and see if you like how it turns out. As was mentioned, keep the original celluloid guard screwed to a board so it doesn't shrink. I just put an original tort guard on my 61 and had to enlarger a few of the screw holes slightly to get it to fit.

 

I'd leave the whole thing alone.

 

It has it's own story now. I'd keep it as is...

Or replace the guard with a modern replica and keep the old guard in the case. It will always make sense to any future buyer that that old guard is the reason the routing was done under it. Buying an old original guard will muddy the waters and make no sense with the routing underneath.

Oh, by the way, don't fill in the routing. The guitar presents honestly as it is, and there's nothing to be gained by patching anything up that can't be seen.

If I really wanted to keep the original guard, but not the funky switching, I'd opt for some kind of stick on something rather than trying to patch the guard, which would honestly look terrible IMO. A removable sticker or decal or the like. Sort of....

 

Personally I like to know the story of a guitar and that pickguard tells the story of what is underneath. Someone wanted to do a "modern" circuit mod. Fine. I like that the way it is and if the circuit is a tone-sucker I would just rewire to omit it. Guitar has real character the way it is!

 

As others have said, from a colectors perspective nothing changes if you restore it or not. The collector looks for an all original guitar. If you restore it it's only to get it looking as it was originally. remember that in 1963 the switch was three way vs the 5 way on modern strats and that leaves you with less sound combinations (unless you position the switch on the in between positions) so maybe you're best off wiring a 5 position switch. The other weak spot of such a guitar (and I speak from personal experience) are the pickups. The windings are 55 years ol and very sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. I use my 63 and carry it around: temperature and humidity changes. I had to rewind two of the three pups that died on me in time. If it were myb guitar I would get rid of those switches, restore with a new pickguard and a 5 way position switch and njust enjoy the guitar for it's historical prestige and sound.

 

Man, it is a shame someone routed that guitar in order to install jag style switches.

Makes no sense.

"Here's your sign!
Lol

 

The switches add character to the guitar. I would cut the wiring of the switches, restore the original wiring and leave the switches in place. This is the look of this particular guitar and it is it's unique look different from hundreds of other 60ies strat and different from all these shallow replicas and CS Strats. It's your unique vintage Strat.

 

Nah. If the switches are left in place they should at least work. Unless it's a kid's toy

 

It's part of its history like battle scars or holes of cannon balls. This happend to this guitar.

Removing its history is like denying your real age with beauty surgery

 

I'd figure out the switching, and use it

Totally badass

Congrats on your new guitar

 

Agree with this. Don't screw with it. Unless the switching is introducing noise or causing unreliability on the guitar, reverse engineer how it's wired.

I wouldn't touch this pickguard until you know the complete prevenance of this mod. The wiring looks pretty well done even if the body route is done by a drunk monkey with a screwdriver. While the chances are it belonged to nobody important, you'd kick yourself if you suddenly discovered it had appeared on stage in the hands of somebody famous.