Removing a veneer top

christpncher · #1 10-21-2011, 11:43 AM

how difficult would it be to sand through a maple veneer top? i have a bass with a flame maple top but the back of the guitar looks so much better in my opinion, especially because it is of neck-thru construction.

i realize that I may have to have a shim platform under the bridge since it will sit lower.

has anyone ever done this and can they tell me about their experience?

i have stripped and refinished guitars before but never tried to sand through a veneer. i just think the veneer is ugly and would rather see the natural wood.

SolidFooting · #2 10-21-2011, 02:58 PM

Do you have any idea how thick the veneer is? And are you sure it is a thin veneer, as opposed to a drop top?

202dy · #3 10-21-2011, 03:20 PM

In the US, thin veneers are 1/40" or .025". Thicker veneers are 1/28" or .036". The veneer can be sanded through with a belt sander loaded with a 60 grit belt.

The bigger concern is keeping the top flat. Using the belt sander to remove this much material is tougher than it looks. A better way would be to utilize a planer and wide-belt sander. Bolt the body to a piece of 3/4" plywood to provide a larger, flat base to ride against the planer table. The veneer can be planed off in a couple light passes. Then run the assembly through the wide belt sander a few times at 80 and 120 grits for a decent working surface.

Most cabinet shops have the tooling to perform this work. Ask nicely and offer them a few dollars and you should be walking out of the shop with a body ready for the next step.

Edit: Just realized that this is neck-through construction. While these instructions will work well for a bolt on body, with a neck-through all bets are off. Given that, leave it alone.

walterw · #4 10-21-2011, 03:54 PM

how do you know the wood under the top looks that good? there could be a reason it's hidden away!

testing1two · #5 10-21-2011, 05:58 PM

If you sand down the top you make the body more shallow making the top lower in relation to the neck pocket. In other words your bridge is now sitting .025 or .036 lower than it was before in relation to the neck. In actuality you will probably sand more than .036 while prepping the top for finish.

So, this means that the saddles on your bridge will need to be raised an additional .036 - .050. You could sand the neck pocket to compensate but then you need to be very careful that the neck screws don't go too far into the neck and come poking through the fingerboard.

A good friend of mine tried this with an MIM strat and ended up having to scrap the body.

walterw · #6 10-21-2011, 08:30 PM

Yeah, this sounds like a lot of work, all to make something basically worse off (and worth less) than it is now.

christpncher · #7 10-25-2011, 10:14 AM

i thought i posted a reply to all the questions but now i dont see it.

in any case, ive decided you guys are right it would be a bad idea. not going to do it.

if anything ill just paint over the veneer top. although i cant think of a color that would go well with orange honey burst.

**pringlw** · #8 10-25-2011, 10:17 AM

I'd add to the concerns that if its a set neck (dovetail, etc) then the veneer top is part of the structural strength of the bass. Sanding it off could result in a weakened neck joint and ultimately a broken bass.