New to me 69 sg special

[Elsanto]

Hi all loving the forum, looking for some tips with a new to me modified 69 SG.

Bought this last week knowing it had some stories to tell and fell in love with it quickly.

It’s a 69 special with a patent number sticker humbucker in the neck. The routing for the humbucker seems to be fairly minor and more of a chiseling than a routing. Tubners swapped out for grovers and a leo quan badass bridge.

Questions:

1. What’s the best way to care for the nitro finish? It’s pretty dirty but don’t want to ruin it.
   
2. Same for fretboard care, my fingertips are gross after playing for 10 mins.
   
3. Any experience with worn frets? I’ll take it to my luthier and talk it over with him,but I’m wondering if there are known issues with the neck binding during a refret. Or something else specific to this.
4. Is this the original case?
5. Anything else jump out?

 

[Elsanto]

Adding pictures

 

[cerebral gasket]

My first SG was a 1969 SG Special that I purchased second hand back in the 1980's. Had original P-90's, Leo Quan Badass bridge, tuners and knobs changed.

1. Wipe it down with a clean microfiber cloth.
2. Clean it with 3M Synthetic Steel Wool #0000.
3. Re-fret with medium jumbo frets over binding.
4. Not sure if case is original, but that one is old.
5. I prefer a Hum Cancelling P-90 at the bridge for hi gain use and a P-90 at the neck for cleans.

 

[Elsanto]

Thx! Appreciate your thoughts. I read that 69 was a transition year, this is a non volute neck. I believe that means it’s an earlier than later 69. We’re there any other major changes w the volute? Maybe the case?

 

[cerebral gasket]

1969

1. No volute.
2. No Made in USA stamp.
3. Missing dot over the "i' of headstock logo.

 

[Elsanto]

appreciate your info!

 

[njpaulc]

The original case for the '69 special was made from "chipboard" with an orange lining. Mine lasted about 3 or 4 years until I had to replace it. Check the pot codes, mine was made with pots coded as manufactured in '68. I purchased mine new in April of '69. The serial numbers are unreliable, mine is from a mid '50's Les Paul Jr.

 

[Von Trapp]

That looks pretty damn cool! My experience with worn frets is that they're not a problem unless they're worn unevenly, I like them low myself. As for the refret, you can keep the binding, since it wouldn't look as good without the aged nitro over them but you can kiss the nibs goodbye then. Some start crying, some say good riddance.

The lack of a Vibrola sticks out, fix it.

 

[fernieite]

Congrats!

Btw, that might be the original case.

Sure, lots of original owners purchased these guitars with the cheap chipboard cases, but they had the option to fork out for a plush case, if they wanted....

 

[cerebral gasket]

I purchased mine second hand in the 1980's without a case. Someone gave me a chainsaw case for it that they no longer needed.

 

[PermissionToLand]

You can find a small volute on some very late '69 builds, but that's it.