SouthernVersion wrote:Read through this whole thread. You've really come a long way with this guitar. Sad to see no new finish yet. But glad to see the guitar is back to where it was in 1966 (playability wise). Hope to see it blue like Ricky's one day!
Thanks. Yeah, it was a mess when I first got it. I was thinking more of painting it White. The White and Tortoiseshell Pickguard idea (one of the rarest stock finishes for the Ventures II Carved / Mark V) sounds good to me. I may add a second volume knob since I've had issues with the neck pup being too loud, but maybe not. I typically adjust the pickups to be equal in volume output.
I think I should definitely add a better neck shim that's more like a StewMac Shim, though. I since bought a 1966 Kay K-300 ("Old Kraftsman" version, pictured below) that had a 0.050" Inch stock shim at the end of the neck. Its fretboard warped in the upper registry over the years, giving fret buzz. Granted that its neck is Poplar (a soft wood) with an Indian Rosewood Fretboard, and my 66 Ventures II here is Maple with Indian Rosewood, but I don't want to tempt trouble.
- Austin