Refurbishing Guitars — Breathe New Life Into Your Instrument
At CAM Custom Guitars, our Refurb service is all about giving tired, neglected, or vintage guitars a second life. Whether your instrument needs a cosmetic refresh, electronics overhaul, or full tear-down rebuild, we treat it with the same craftsmanship, care, and precision as a brand-new custom build.
What “Refurb” Means Here
- Cosmetic Restoration
Clean, polish, re-finish, touch up dents and wear, refinish hardware, re-lacquer or relic (if desired). - Structural & Hardware Repair
Fix cracks, set or re-shape the neck, fretwork (leveling, crowning, re-fretting), repair binding or inlays, and ensure structural integrity. - Electronics Rewire & Upgrades
Replace pots, switches, wiring, capacitors, capacitive shielding (cavity lining), grounding, new pickup installations, etc. - Set-Up & Playability
Complete setup: string height, intonation, nut work, fret polishing, action smoothing, and ensuring the instrument feels fantastic. - Optional Custom Enhancements
Add or modify features (e.g. new pickups, bridge systems, tuners), custom touches (signed headstock, engraved truss cover), or personal touches from you.
Why Refurbishing Makes Sense
- Many guitars have character, heritage, and sentimental value that new instruments can’t match.
- Refurbishing is often more cost-effective than building new (especially if body/neck are already solid).
- It allows you to modernize electronics, playability, and finish while preserving the soul of the guitar.
- You get the best of both worlds—old and new—without starting from scratch.
Recent Examples
The Blue Mustang
This Mustang arrived in the shop as a parts donor. But as the original body had promise, we decided to rebuild: full tear-down, fret re-leveling, rewiring with Orange Drop capacitor, new pots, full cavity lining, and a flawless setup. The result: a light, slick, melodic instrument ready to be loved again.
Mid-80s Lawsuit-Era “Chibson” Refurb
This guitar was in rough shape—cavities with debris, aged hardware, and unmaintained wiring. We stripped, cleaned, polished, rewired with Sweet Serrano humbuckers, preserved original Gotoh hardware, added a custom truss rod cover, and brought it back to life. Now it’s a powerful player full of character.
How the Process Works
- Submit Photos & Description Use our contact form to start the conversation and email high-resolution photos (front, back, cavities) and a brief description of issues or what you’d like changed.
- Initial Evaluation
You ship us your guitar (or drop it off), and we assess its condition, structural issues, electronics, and finish. We’ll provide a refurbishment estimate broken down by labor, materials, and parts. - Approval & Planning
Once approved, we send you a “Refurb Plan” letter: what we’ll fix, upgrade, or leave original. You can confirm or tweak. - Work Begins
- Disassemble the guitar completely
- Clean and repair as needed
- Cosmetic work / refinishing
- Electronics and wiring work
- Reassemble with new or refurbished hardware
- Setup & Testing
Final fretwork, nut, action, intonation, tuning. We play-test it to make sure it sings. - Photos & Return
We photograph the finished guitar, send you images, then ship it back carefully.
Pricing & Turnaround
- Pricing depends on condition, amount of work, and requested upgrades.
- Turnaround: Depends on backlog and complexity.
- Rush services may be available (extra fee).
What You Get
- A guitar that looks, feels, and plays like it’s new again
- Modern electronics, clean wiring, shielding
- Improved ergonomics, smoother playability
- A story retained — original parts, touches, or character preserved