MH400 Top Thickness

Dan C.Dan C.
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    Dan C.

    Hello guys, I just picked up a MH-400 that needs a little bit of TLC. I’m thinking about refinishing the body and hopefully repairing a few cracks, but I’m trying to do my homework first. Does anyone know how thick the quilted maple tops are? Also, any suggestions on repairing the cracks shown in the pictures? All of the hardware is currently removed to clean it up. 

    Thanks!

    Dan



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    Pushead
    Pushead wrote

    That's a rough, unfortunate crack, Dan. My understanding is that the maple on the LTD guitars is literally just a veneer on top of the body wood (mahogany, I believe). There may be a maple top with a veneer over it, like there is in the E-II and old Standard Series guitars, but I'd be very careful if you're trying to strip the finish off.

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      Dan C.
      Dan C. wrote

      Thanks Pushead. Do you think these cracks are serious or just something I can wick some CA into and forget about?

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        Pushead
        Pushead wrote




        It doesn't look great, but I don't think it's affected the structure of the guitar.

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          Dan C.
          Dan C. wrote

          Update on my refinish. Carefully sanded the clear with 220. Moving up to 330/400 to finish off the stain. Not sure how I’ll refinish it yet. Cracks are filled/repaired. Fingers crossed it turns out nice.

           

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            Pushead
            Pushead wrote

            Nice job! Can you see the top in the pickup cavities? Is there a maple cap between the body wood and the veneer?

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              Dan C.
              Dan C. wrote

              I can sand off a spot and check. I got a little worried when those high areas were getting sanded off, but I can still see the grain details. I just need to be careful. I’ll probably stick with 400 on the rest of the sanding. I’ll keep you posted.

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                Dan C.
                Dan C. wrote

                Pushead this may help. A piece of paint chipped away from the tremelo area. It’s probably 0.5mm. I’m on thin ice, lol

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                  Pushead
                  Pushead wrote

                   

                  Yeah, looks like just a veneer on top of the body wood. That's what I suspected. Thanks for snapping the pic!

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                    Dan C.
                    Dan C. wrote

                    Oops, I misunderstood your question. Here’s the pickup area. It looks solid‍♂️

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                      Dan C.
                      Dan C. wrote

                      I may just shine this thing up as it is and play it. Maybe I can hit those lighter areas with a similar stain, but it’ll be hard to match.

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