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First, the story. My backdoor neighbour came knocking at my door today. It was, once again, because part of my land is falling on his (he's 8 foot lower) and this has became sort of a friendly war between us each year because I don't have the money to have the wall rebuilt and he knows it.

Only this time it was not funny. When I saw him with no hair and a freaking giant scar on his skull, I knew this was very bad. We talked. He told me he had two malignant tumour in the brain. One removed. One too late to remove. Creepy stuff that sends shivers down your spine. Then he ask how was the guitar playing and I was surprised. He said he heard me playing. That it was nice. I was practicing jazz progression at the time. I doubt he would have said the same thing about Kiss and AC/DC .

Anyhow, he came back 2 hours later with an acoustic guitar in an old leather case. He said he had it for years and that I would make it sing better than he could ever do. I was shaken by this gesture. I told him to knock at my door whenever he needs anything.

So there I am now in front of an old Val Dez guitar, made somewhere between the early 70s and the mid 80s. It seems very old, the varnish as wave in it. It was not a great make but this little things sounds awesome... and I just can't part with it. The gift of this man touched me way too much to just turn around and throw the thing in the garbage.

So I want to sand it smooth and refinish it. Problem his, my first sanding attempts showed me that the back was actually just a laminated figured wood. I sanded through the laminated back. So now my only option is to paint it black, which is OK with me cause I love black acoustics.

Anyone has good reference (books, Internet sites) where I can get tips about how to do this?

This will be sort of a first project for me. And it means a lot to me.

Thanks in advance!

Pretty cool story. I haven't done any Acoustic's yet,But Reranch and
stewmac have tutoriols on guitar refinishing. If it has any binding on it
watch out useing any solvent on it. It's plastic and could melt. Best bet
would be to scuff it smooth with 220 grit. Then spray it with some
sand sealer or primer. This way you have a nice smooth base for your
Black paint.

Yeah, I already read the danger of strippers for the binding, that's the reason I opted for sanding, which works quite well actually, aside from my little accident.

Thanks for the tips bro.

You dont have to paint the guitar black. Find some wood putty, or something simular. And get good at your painting skills. Paint the grain back, as close as you can get it, then refinish. I've never refinished an acoustic either, so I cant help you there.

Yeah, you're right beandip, since it's not a big spot. Maybe just an inch and a half in diameter. Thanks!

Anytime Sly. I learned how to do it from experience, since about a year ago or so, I was at my old mans house, and accidently shot a hole in the wall right by his bed with a 22 pistol. The walls got that fake wood pannaling on it. So I filled it with puddy and whipped out the apint set He still dont know.

Beandip I'm starting to think what they say about quot;somequot; Texans just may be true!

Well, it was my Oklahoma cousin that made me do it. He had a new Ruger .22 target pistol, and told me to dry fire it, with him hold the clip in his hand and an extra bullet (accidently asumed it came from the chamber) and pulled the trigger. Went through the wall and into the closet into an icechest. The icechest was mine, so he didnt know about that, and some kleenex, masking tape, and wall spackle fixed the exit hole on the other side. It's better than I can say for my old man, who once blew a hole in the ceiling to prove to me that the gun wasnt loaded.

Maybe I've got you wrong Beandip, but will take some convincing. Have a cousin-in-law who is a clay target shooter, pretty damn good, but the cost was getting to him so he started re-loading. All was well until at a shoot he fired the shotgun and the pellets quot;justquot; fell out of the barrel. He had not sealed the cartridge firmly. Talk about egg on face. Lost the shoot and the family still reminds him of quot;going of half ****edquot;.