Official Luthiers Forum!

Amateur here, with my first new topic in the forums.

I’m helping a friend care for a Silvertone 653 ‘Kentucky Blue’:

http://silvertoneworld.com/acoustic/065 ... _Blue.html

My questions:

1. How would you clean the guitar? I don’t have access to it now, so I don’t exactly what kind of finish it has. Given the age, my guess is nitrocellulose. What kind of polish or solvent and technique should I use on the finish?
2. The pickguard is missing; is it possible to find an original pickguard, or would that be like finding a needle in a haystack? What are the alternatives (ordering a custom reproduction, making my own)? Any resources anybody can share for such a project?

Any tips or tricks for handling a guitar of this age, make, and model would be appreciated. Thank you!

For cleaning I start with water and if that won't remove the dirt, I'll use naphtha. Nothing stronger or more aggressive. According to your link, these were made in the 50's and 60's which means it could be either lacquer or some manufacturers were experimenting with automotive finishes. Take a tuner off and put a drop of lacquer thinner on the finish, if it softens its lacquer. As far as the pick guard, you will probably have to make one. I would suggest contacting the person that does that web page and see if they would make a tracing of theirs and send it to you.

Interesting guitar. I would treat it with respect, expect the usual problems (frets, neck angle (I notice they reset the one in your link), possibly structural issues). Often the old celluloid binding gets rotten, you might need to replace it.

Post more pictures when you have it in your hands

Thanks Freeman. I was thinking water as well; that's probably what I'd use.

I'll reach out to the folks at Silverone World and see if they can help with the pickguard.

That photo on the website could be used to make a template for a new pickguard. Copy the photo to Paint or some graphics package and play with scaling until you have the pic at a scale where measurements (e.g. the width of the body) match with measurements off the actual instrument. Then print and use it as a template.

whoops - sorry, double post.....

Mark Mc that's a great idea! I might do that if the owner is interested in the project. Thanks!

I had one of those guitars. It was my first real guitar after my Roy Rodgers guitar.

Good luck with restoring it!

Will do, Wayne Brown! It's a special instrument.