How to Recondition a Solid Body Electric Guitar

Reconditioning your solid-body electric guitar can add years of playing to the guitar's life. Most aspects of guitar reconditioning can be done by anyone. Certain things, such as replacing frets and adjusting the neck require more skill and should probably be done by an experienced professional. Use these tips to recondition a solid body electric guitar.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Cleaning cloth
• Lubricant for the tuners
• Guitar strings
• Screwdriver
• Guitar oil

Do the Body and Electronics

1. Remove all strings. Remove the cover from the front of the guitar, if it has one.
2. Unscrew the keeper ring on the plug for the amp chord.
3. Loosen and remove the volume and tone knobs from the guitar.
4. Observe the wire configuration and remember it. If necessary, sketch the layout so you can put everything back properly.
5. Remove the pickups, controls and amp plug.
6. Clean the guitar body, the pickups, wires and plug.
7. Replace the pickups, plug and controls. You can instead install new components if you wish.

Redo the Head, Neck, Bridge and Tailpiece

8. Remove the string tuners, clean them and lubricate them.
9. Clean the head, neck and fret board. Apply fret-board oil to the fret board per the manufacturer's instruction.
10. Clean the bridge and tailpiece. You can apply a bit of silicon lubricant via a rag to these parts if they are made from metal.
11. Replace the tuners.
12. Using a clean cloth, wipe down the whole guitar.
13. Restring and tune the guitar.

Tips & Warnings

• Older and less expensive guitars can often be made to sound much better by replacing old, cheap pickups with new, hi-tech pickups.