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I have a tech guy, and I’m planning on installing some Dunable Direwolf Pickips in an LTD K-500 I’ve had for a long, long time.

I’m also toying with the idea of stripping the paint off it. I’m going to have him just do the headstock first, but for my own enquiry, what else can I do to upgrade the guitar overall? I like it a lot and like I said, I picked it up when I was like, 16 or something.

He’s going to fix all the wiring and issues with that and maybe replace the switch with something like a knob. Everything else about the guitar aside from the inlays I like. I was also thinking of getting him to rework the Headstock shape.

Would it be worth replacing the fingerboard? What should I use to stain the headstock so it’s kinda transparent? What might I be able to do if I strip the neck to give it a feel more like my acoustic Taylor?

What witchery might you learned folks know that might be a decent option whilst I’m getting the work done?

Oh those inlays are kinda gross. Why do you want to replace the fingerboard? Just the inlays? It's certainly [img]possible[/img]but kind of a big job. Definitely not something I'm knowledgeable enough to deal with haha.

RE the neck finish, you can sand off the paint (be careful to use really fine sandpaper or steel wool for the end bit so you get a nice smooth finish on the wood). Easy to do. If you then want to stain it after doing that, also relatively easy if you take care.

Headstock same as the neck, removing paint and putting a new colour on it is easy. Just use a regular guitar stain/oil finish and follow instructions.

I'm curious what it is you like about it if you want to change everything

Is that a bolt-on neck or a set neck guitar? I’ve often heard that fingerboard replacement is too labor intensive to be something you want to pay a luthier for. So for even vintage Fenders (bolt on neck), a replacement neck is often the answer before replacing the fingerboard.

And I’m not sure that with a set neck guitar, you can just buy a CNCed fingerboard with the right nut width and hope it’ll fit and be straight if you glue it on. You need a luthier that can shape and level it before frets go on.

Yeah the inlays are gross, but Spider-Man and Venom were always my dude as a kid, so I’ll live with it.

Excellent advice re: sanding down the neck and headstock. My dude builds acoustics and stuff so I’m sure he’ll have some nice stains lying around.

I wasn’t particularly looking for it just for the inlays, I actually went to week on it with some bits and it’s fine. It’s a set neck of some sort. Not a bolt to be seen anywhere but it’s a damn good guitar. I paid buttons for it at the time and it’s certainly proved it’s worth.

As matthias said especially with a set neck replacing the fingerboard might be a serious job. Like a "why not just buy another guitar" kind of job haha.

The sanding and refin is definitely something you can do yourself if you're looking to save money. Or yeah if you're definitely going to the tech they'll be able to do it no issue.

I’m also toying with the idea of stripping the paint off it.

This is going to be ton of work. Don't underestimate it. On a set neck guitar, you don't have the benefit of working on the neck and body separately. Also, this particular guitar has tons of contours and those recessed wells for the knobs, as well as the neck joint. Sanding all of those nooks and crannies out down to the bare wood will be a shitload of work. And you have no idea what the wood will look like underneath the finish. So a transparent finish may not be viable even if you can get down to clean wood. It might be a butcher block, multi-piece body. It might be all full of filler. Who knows.

Would it be worth replacing the fingerboard?

I wouldn't. As stated above this will be expensive and push you into, "Should I just buy a new guitar?" territory.

What should I use to stain the headstock so it’s kinda transparent?

I've used all kinds of stuff. If you're doing it at home, I'd recommend something water-based so the fumes aren't too gnarly. I've used water-based screen printing ink to pretty good effect. Just dilute it and do light, thin coats with sanding in between to build up to the desired level of darkness and opacity. (But again – refinishing already finished guitars is a TON of work. Read up on it if you haven't done it before. If you love sanding and have lots of free time – refinishing is for you.)

What might I be able to do if I strip the neck to give it a feel more like my acoustic Taylor?

Some people will take a poly finished guitar and buff the gloss off of it with steel wool to make it more of a matte finish. And then hit it with wax or oil to make it nice and smooth. This might work for you on this one.

What witchery might you learned folks know that might be a decent option whilst I’m getting the work done?

I like series/parallel and phase reversal switching for when both pickups are on. Provides lots of tone options. Look up Peter Green Les Paul wiring if you need samples. Kill switch might also be cool?

I like slider on-off switches per pickup, but maybe that’s just me. Definitely going to put that on the next guitar I wire up.

Damn, thanks folks!

You guys always help more than needed, thank you.

the end result is I am going to have him do the headstock, then the body at the back, is probably best to start. I’d maybe overlook all that, I actually bought the guitar because it didn’t look shiny.

Post some pics of the thing as well

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