Master guitar technician Phil Glodek of the Chicago Music Exchange recently sent us some stellar images of a funky Silvertone Hollowbody he rebuilt for a client. I invited Phil to write a little info on the restoration performed to transform this dilapidated relic into a world-class player. Thanks to Phil for the submission.

Two weeks ago we had a customer check in his '60s Silvertone in the Chicago Music Exchange repair shop. The finish was dusty, electronics didn't work, the frets were lifting, and the tailpiece was missing. The customer had a strong sense of sentimental value for this guitar, and wanted me to perform a complete overhaul.

For a guitar like this, we needed to gut the works from the ground up. Upgrades to this '60s Classic include a Mastery Bridge, bone nut, and Bigsby, along with a pair of outstanding Lollar Goldfoil pickups. I did a full refret and fret dress, and completely rewired the electronics with vintage style cloth-covered wire and true NOS '50s capacitors.

At the end of the day, the pickups in combination with the bridge and Bigsby really step up this guitar's tuning stability, tone, and playability without sacrificing any of that classy Silvertone look. This thing spanks. Got the job done just in time for its lucky owner to gig it out on tour.

Here are the steps that went into this most extreme guitar makeover:

The Before

The Process

Brought Back to Live

Silvertone