Partscaster Band-Aid: Part One

Part Two ▶

When it came to me, this Partscaster had not been gigged in over a year, or more accurately; since the pandemic hit. The owner, a working musician, had just put it aside in a corner, nekkid to the elements; and left it to rot. Looking at the pictures below, I think you'll see what total neglect can do to an instrument.

The guitar had been put together using the neck from a Fender Japan ST-62 and a Squier body. The pickups were definitely Fender single-coils, judging from the batch number on the bottom of the bobbins. Electronics-wise, work had been done to meet Fender US specs: CTS pots, CRL switch, Switchcraft #11 jack; and vintage ceramic disc tone cap. 

Rudimentary shielding had also been added by way of aluminum foil. Despite the overall cruddiness of these components, all except the CRL switch were fully functional. Thus said, the electronics were given a thorough servicing, and the CRL replaced with a Gotoh DM-50.

I call this a "Band-Aid" job as there were severe budgetary constraints; mainly due to the owner not having worked since the world fell apart. But now he had a couple gigs lined up, and needed his guitar as soon as possible. And so the best I could do was restore what could be saved, and replace what couldn't. 

The vintage-style bent steel saddles were rusted to death, and actually disintegrated when I tried to clean them. So out they went, and in their place; I put in a brand-new set of reasonably-priced Korean steel block saddles. In Part Two, you'll be able to view the fruits of my labor; and I hope you like what you see.