Official Luthiers Forum!

First things first. I'm an aspiring luthier and have built several electrics(basses) and repaired many as well. I've recently started restoring my great grandfather's lap guitar. It took forever just to find out who made it and when, but I eventually came upon Carvin's history website and found a picture of their old catalogs. The guitar appears to be a Carvin #8DHG-5C although I can't be for sure.





As you can tell I've gone and cleaned the tuners, pickup cover, bridge, etc. But I'm not sure as to what I should use to clean the body with. I do not want to remove any of the original finish. I want it to keep that old, antique, well used look. There is one spot where someone got some house paint on it, not much but enough to bother me. There is also the number 8 under the fretboard( I assume from when it was made, so the workers could easily tell the difference between the 6 and 8 string models), which means I am the first person to see it in over 50 years! Thought that was pretty cool. Oh.. one more question- What would be the tuning and string guages?

Back in the 50's,Carvin was one of the very few sources where I could buy a pickup designed for mounting on a guitar,and not just in the soundhole. They were nice little pickups. The ones I got were creme colored. I don't know where you could find one today,unless you get lucky on ebay. I don't recall them being marked with the maker's name,though. I'd know one if I saw it. they had a creme color plastic cover,with 2 legs,one at each end. This was to fit over archtops. They had 6 round magnets 1/4" in diameter,not adjustable. The pickup body,without the legs,were about 5/16" thick.

Carvin was in Covina,Ca. at the time.

Carvin also made the pickups for Mosrite guitars in the beginning.

You must have misunderstood me. I have everything that goes on/with the guitar, I was looking for input on cleaning without destroying the original finish and what gauge and tuning its supposed to be. I guess I should have posted in the electric section. If mods want to tow it go ahead? Sorry I'm new around these parts.

I would probably start cleaning with naphtha.

I'm in the middle of a over 50 restoration myself. I could not save the old finish on my project...so no input on restoring an old finish ...other than try a small out of the way spot with any cleaning before you start wiping.
Kent Bailey

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Wood Creations by Kent A. Bailey
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http://www.kabart.com

Mark--

You might want to check out the http://steelguitarforum.com/ for more info on your lap steel. I haven't been there in a while, but one of the members used to offer a re-magnetizing service on some of the old pickups for a very reasonable donation to the site. Poke around and ask. As to tuning, if it was an 8 string which it looks like, most likely C6. Check this site out for more possibilities http://www.well.com/~wellvis/tuning.html

--Jim

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Thanks to everyone for the help. In the process of putting it back together, can't wait to jam it.