I'm really hot to try a pitbull RC-4 kit, except that I'd really prefer white binding instead of cream....I think it would look better with a Fireglo-type finish and all white furniture. Any idea how hard it would be to pull the cream binding and replace it with white? Thanks!
Last edited by Muxorama; 11-02-2016 at 10:26 AM.
Its not too hard.
Best way is to use a laminate router with the correct binding bit... But that costs moola...
Second way is to very gently heat the binding with a heat gun and slide a spatula under it and slide it off... Tricky as you dont want to melt it or scorch the body...
Third way is by hand with very sharp chisels and a square file to clean the channel..
I am sure there would be other ways so lets see what the crew has to offer.
There is always a workaround for glitches, mistakes and other Guitar building gremlins.....
Hi Muxorama, welcome to the forum.
If you have a heat gun I'd use that and a paint stripper or spatula to remove it slowly.
Depends what tools you have at hand.
A router will give you a nice clean edge to glue your white binding to but sure with files you should be able to clean up the channel
Current Builds and status
scratch end grain pine tele - first clear coat on !
JBA-4 - assembled - final tweaks
Telemonster double scale tele - finish tobacco burst on body and sand neck
Completed builds
scratch oak.rose gum Jazzmaster - assembled needs setup
MK-2 Mosrite - assembled - play in
Ash tele with Baritone neck - neck pup wiring tweaks and play in
I'll be doing that this weekend - taking off a black binding and replacing with white. So if you want to hold off and see how I fare...
I found a few vids on YouTube which pretty much shows what DB already said about using a heatgun and care.
At such a low price for the kit, I'm really tempted...these suggestions sound good (thanks!), but then I remembered that the neck is also bound, and probably also with cream binding? Can't really tell from the pics. Replacing that binding might actually be harder....hmmm, decisions decisions....
Hi Muxorama, I built an RC-4 a little while ago. Here is a pic of the white stock pickguard, which I didn't use, with a piece of cream binding laying on top. It's sitting on a piece of printer paper with part of the protective plastic on the pickguard peeled back for comparison. That is an new piece of binding and by the time it gets glued on, sanded, steel woolled and ends up with some type of top coat over it, it will grey in colour a bit, at least that is my experience. The neck comes with the binding in place, so if you want to change that as well you most likely will need to pull the frets, then replace the binding.
Hope that helps a bit
Grant
Thanks, that's a great comparison, makes me think twice...
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
