Refinsh and restore " ERIC WEST GUITAR"

Bob Muller · Post by **Bob Muller** » 21 Dec 2011 11:25 am

I just purchased this beauty of a guitar, Which belonged to our good friend Eric West. I plan to restore it back to a very good condition. This will be a real challenge, but worth every minute of the time it takes. Please read through the post and see what you think!

One of the knee levers is a butter knife!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 21 Dec 2011 11:51 am

In that condition, I doubt it has much "original value". My vote would be refinish and overhaul.

Kevin Mincke · Post by **Kevin Mincke** » 21 Dec 2011 12:18 pm

I concur with Richard for sure.......rode hard & put away wet

Mike Kowalik · Post by **Mike Kowalik** » 21 Dec 2011 12:35 pm

Definitely refinish and restore this guitar.....it'll look fantastic!!!

Todd Brown · Post by **Todd Brown** » 21 Dec 2011 12:38 pm

You should leave it just like that. I bet she plays real smooth!!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 21 Dec 2011 12:39 pm

Looking at it, you have to wonder if it plays at all.

Although, I have to admit, The kitchen knife knee lever is sure a good looking option.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 21 Dec 2011 12:41 pm

Definitely has a lot of character. I'd concentrate on the mechanics first. Make sure the changer fingers are in good repair, etc.

If it plays and sounds really good then I'd think about a re-do if willing to spend the dough.....but leave the butter knife...just be sure and lick the jelly off before you play it

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 21 Dec 2011 12:55 pm

Is that Eric West's old gtr?

Bob Muller · Post by **Bob Muller** » 21 Dec 2011 1:42 pm

You got me Skip, I wondered how long it would take for someone to place this guitar. I feel very lucky to have this guitar, this was indeed the guitar that Eric played from the late 70's untill about 5 years ago. It has been played at thousands of places. I got the guitar from his mother, and promised to restore it so she could see it in working condition again. I am making it kind of a local project, Bob Littleton has the cabinet to do the refinish job, David Kellogg is working on the metal castings to make them shine again, I am cleaning up the working parts, I might even leave the Butter knife knee lever. Eric was one of my favorite local players, and I know this guitar has a lot of history behind it already. I am going to put it back together as a SD-10 initially because it has only one changer, some of the parts were lost when Eric's house was cleaned out. I know this guitar is already made thousands of hours of beautiful music, I plan to make it playable again, it would be a shame just to let it go away into history.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 21 Dec 2011 2:36 pm

Yeah, I figured there couldn't be too many ProIII's with a butter knife LKR...
I didn't know Eric personally, but I know that he was a fixture in the Portland area.
My take on the refurb is go ahead and restore it so the gtr looks & plays nice & new, but is still recognizeable as Eric's old axe, since that would be a big part of it's provenance, and would mean something to those who knew him.
And, I'd leave the butter knife as is...

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 21 Dec 2011 2:37 pm

Refinish. James Moorhead has new changer pieces for that guitar. Other parts also.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 21 Dec 2011 3:16 pm

I agree: refinish.
I gotta ask: what's the deal with the apparently mismatched A pedal? The tab looks half the size

Bob Muller · Post by **Bob Muller** » 21 Dec 2011 3:21 pm

SKIP, yes I plan to leave some of Eric's mojo in the guitar. I was told that he broke the knee lever in the middle of the performance, went out on break got the knife attached it to the guitar and kept on playing the rest of the evening as if nothing happened. Now that's some serious ingenuity, only one of many things which are unique about this guitar. I also have the chrome Sho- Bud logo which I plan to put back on front of the guitar, and it will have a custom painted raised white dust catcher style fretboard. I believe the cabinet will look better than ever, and the metal work will be shinier than ever, but it will still have plenty of Eric's personal touches, including where he engraved SHO-BUD into the end plate. Like I said I only have enough parts to make it a SD-10 for now, I will put back together that way and see what it looks like.

Bob Muller · Post by **Bob Muller** » 21 Dec 2011 3:26 pm

KEVIN, I am now working on a solution with James about parts. As it turns out he may be able to supply me with parts for Eric's guitar and return for some other parts that he owed me. If this works out it should be a win win situation for everyone. I will keep everyone advise about the progress, things look pretty good right now!!

Bob Muller · Post by **Bob Muller** » 21 Dec 2011 3:34 pm

LANE, the pedals on the guitar are all badly worn, have been replaced, and I think worn out again. The "A" pedal is broken off, that's another one of the reasons for making it into a SD-10. There are however three remaining decent pedals on the guitar which I plan to use. It will need a new set of legs, and a few undercarriage parts, new rods, but other than that there should be enough parts to run a single changer.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 21 Dec 2011 4:32 pm

Bob, check out Don Burrows for legs. He makes them from polished stainless steel. Looks as chrome. He custom makes them for any guitar. Please show us progress pictures. We would be interested in seeing you restore this particular guitar. I still can't believe Eric's gone. Nice project.

mike nolan · Post by **mike nolan** » 21 Dec 2011 5:02 pm

Keep the knife, cause it's gonna play like butter when you're finished.

Bob Muller · Post by **Bob Muller** » 21 Dec 2011 5:10 pm

Here are a couple photos of Eric playing the guitar in better day's.

Bob Muller · Post by **Bob Muller** » 21 Dec 2011 5:35 pm

Kevin, Thanks for the tip on the legs,I will check into them when I get ready to put it together. Eric is missed around these parts for sure.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 21 Dec 2011 5:43 pm

Refinish...but add butter knives for all of the levers.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 21 Dec 2011 5:54 pm

Tony Glassman wrote:Refinish...but add butter knives for all of the levers.

Definately!

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 21 Dec 2011 6:09 pm

A butter knife for a knee lever?

Everyone knows you should use steak knives.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 21 Dec 2011 8:19 pm

I used to use steak knives. Just call me by my nickname, "Pegleg".

Knowing the history, I think I really would leave the knife on there.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 22 Dec 2011 11:22 am

i think it's cool the way it is. i'd just clean it up and play it. dustcatchers will really cheapen the look.

however, if you'd even consider making an sd10 out of it you might as well just butcher the hell out of it to your hearts desire.

Bob Muller · Post by **Bob Muller** » 22 Dec 2011 11:47 am

Chris, The guitar has the dustcatcher's on it now, Eric was the one who painted them white. It is missing the E9 changer got lost some how not much I can do about that.