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"How To" Replace Veneer Top
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Veneer tops can chip out peel and break down with time.

You can machine the whole top away / replace the binding / respray the whole guitar, or, just hog away the damaged veneer and leave the binding intact, this tute shows how we hog away the veneer and then graft it back into the original binding.

Time to repair approx 6 hrs over 5 days (glue drying times) 

Additional painting process adds another 4hrs over a 2 week time period
We notice the veneer wood has lifted of the body and split
So, we are going to strip the top of its paint and veneer, measure and record the existing finish.
Match colours best we can and record these for later
Some spatulas
Some steam
And an hr later we have a cleaned top
1970's nitro, mmm yummo..
Using chisels and scrapers, we remove the existing veneer sheet
Nice Ibanez
Removing the hardware and strings for a respray
Checking the bridge area, we peel a section up and its 0.8mm thick
Flat sand the clean wood smooth.