MJT Refinish - Was It Worth It?

@mjtagedguitars
Welcome to this review of a guitar refinish I had done to this classic Fender Stratocaster by MJT Aged Guitars. Did they do a good job and was it worth it? Let us know what you think in the comments! Visit their webpage here:

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[blakespurlock]

MJT refinished my number 1 Les Paul when the first started doing set neck refinishes. It is a 1979 Greco that had a poly finish on it. They stripped it and refinished it for a very decent price that they worked with me on.

The color and finish came out great. I did not have them relic it but the guitar did start to check within a few months (likely from living in cold and dry Denver, CO). I’m currently having them do a 70s Olympic white strat body.

Looks like they did an awesome job on your strat!

[InspiretoVictory]

I bought a body from Warmoth and had it directly sent to MJT. Overall, I was disappointed with the finished product.
First, MJT does not offer a "like new" finish. The closest they have comes with swirl marks for a slightly worn look. So if you're looking for that pristine, factory fresh finish, look elsewhere.
Second was the excess paint in the pickup and neck routes. I had to shave back a lot of material to get the neck, also from Warmoth, to seat properly. Then I had to shave back material from the pickup routes to fit the humbuckers.
I will say that the color is perfect. I chose Lake Placid Blue and it is exactly what I wanted. They were also good about communication, giving me updates from when they received the guitar body to when they shipped it.
MJT is a good company, just not the type that I'll be using for the next project.

[marknielson]

MJT is premier in guitar finishes, I own 4 MJT Strat bodies. Two are heavy reliced and 2 are what they call closet relics. They look like old guitars, not all like Fender custom shop relics which sometimes goes way too far. Your Strat looks and sounds great! Always a pleasure Jack.

[TheWelhaven]

I bought a MJT body, and I put together one of my favourite guitars. I literally spent the last ten minutes just looking at it.

[MPNNag]

I have 4 MJT guitar bodies and they are so good, I absolutely love there work.

[Gunslinger]

I have a MJT purple strat body and i LOVE it. My 57 reissue neck fit it perfectly

[JimWalker_Poor_Boy]

I spoke with MJT 6 months ago about a refin on my Brent Mason Signature Series Telecaster. I'm on a fixed income so that route is a bit out of my capabilities. I will most likely attempt a refin on my own. I have done some automotive body work and paint in the past. Those jobs turned out okay, maybe I'll get lucky.

[strumminronin]

A good paint job on a "project" guitar is a bit of a "labour of love", so in a way I am glad it got a proper job by the pros. On the other hand a teenager hand spraying one as a summer project is no less deserving of love, or being played.

I have an ash body that was going down the "teenage" approach years ago, then life happened and that body is now a kind of "NOS". I am still making my mind up if I want it "properly done", or if I want to grab some spray cans of car paint 😅

[mojo]

Jack, great looking and sounding guitar. My first relic'd guitar was a VTT relics 50's Telecaster butterscotch blond blackguard, and I absolutely love it, it has mojo, great set up, and great looking. First guitar I purchased from overseas, and even though it is a parts caster, I play it much more than guitars 2-3 times as expensive. Done right, a relic'd guitar can be inspiring and doesn't have to be expensive, I payed less than $1000.00 and that included shipping to US from the UK.

[ILTXGunslinger]

Thanks Jack! Great looking and sounding. I’ve a tangerine MJT body I’m saving for something special

[jasondorsey]

Yes, dings and dents, not edges sanded off, that's cool relic'ing

[homeboyjon]

I appreciate some insight into the process. My brother has a ‘71 Strat that has had a couple bad refinishes. Now I have an idea of the cost and time involved. Thanks!!

[richardhoward]

It's a keeper, looks authentic & sounds phenomenal!

[aminahmed]

What a fantastic video have a good weekend Jack ❤😊

[BeantownToBigD]

I wish you had done a before and after demo of this tastefully mishandled Strat. Nice guitar

[winston]

I just traded for one that looks almost like this but it has the heavier relic job and rosewood neck and the neck is bound which looks pretty good. 😊

[areyouabus]

I just picked up a 2012 American Vintage '59 and see what you mean about the black being too wide on your one. Very strange. Love the finish though, it is so thin, you can relic it with just your fingernails.

[IronSwan-llju]

How much was shipping and the refinish? I’m looking at this company for partscasters as projects and am also interested in respraying maybe my white fender from 08.

PS when you’re 13 and write on your guitar.. remember after it’s on there for years Andy is grow up and know better, nothing brings off sharpie that’s black on white guitar.. nothing I found at lest. May refinish over the Olympic white in nitro and consider a 3 tone suburst or jjst black over white if the burst costs too much or is difficult for them.

[Chrismayo]

Looks much better! The original burst was uuuuggggly.

[CentaurusRelax]

I got my first MJT body last year. Horrible experience. I sent a good number of very specific reference images, and specific instruction about both color and distressing. After the months and months of waiting, they sent me photos of the product before shipping. The guitar looked nothing like what I had ordered. It was as if they understood only the basic color shade, and that was it. So, they offered to redo it, as I was definitely not going to accept that first disaster. They didn’t expedite me in the queue for the redo—which sucks. I mean, if you take a number in the bakery, wait for twenty minutes for a chocolate babka, and it comes with a hair in it, you shouldn’t have to wait another twenty minutes for a replacement. Whatever, I waited again. Same amount of time. They sent new photos. This one was much closer—they got the color right. But the relic was not what I asked for. The rep told me the checking would become more pronounced in time/after they shipped it, which I knew was just another excuse. Still, after 9 months or so, I wasn’t goin to wait another 4 months. They shipped it to me. It’s a beautiful body. Not quite what I asked for, which is inexcusable, given that I showed them exactly what I wanted. And the checking is not changing—it’s not going to get closer to what I wanted. That was BS. I would not use them again. Prior to the MJT, I had ordered a custom job from an independent painter/finisher. Got that body done in a month or two, exactly as I directed. I’ll try him again or anyone else before I go back to MJT. Unfortunately, mine is not a unique story. While i was waiting for my MJT, I read more than a few negative stories about similar experiences and forced redos and… the waiting.

Yours is beautiful. Tasteful.