First actions.

I replaced the pickguard for a standard white one. I need to compare the knobs with a parchment pickguard to see if that would be a better match. Most of the pick guard screw holes needed to be dowelled and redrilled, for the cross point screws from StewMac (which I think are still as size larger than Fender used).

The EMG Pup, got replaced by a Fender SCN noiseless, which I like a lot better I find I now play neck or neck + center mostly, and the strat quack is back at position 2. At the same time I cleaned up the wiring rats nest. Looks a bit neater now.

I roughly set the intonation and lowered the action a little, but the fret wear makes it as buzzy as anything of course.

Since the maple/clear coat has such a lovely honey color I didn't want to sand back to wood to correct the split seam along the skunk strip. I decided to seal it with CA, as it wets into the split well. Then I used a razor blade to scrape the CA back down, masked the repaired area and used two coats of Polyeurathane clear coat, rubbing it back smooth and level between coats. It is now smooth to touch and sealed.

The correct string trees for this model were available on E-Bay, so I installed a pair.

While getting everything together for the refret, I have been playing it in this condition. Despite the buzzing beat up frets, it is a wonder guitar. Compared to the Yamaha SG1000, it feels more comfortable, rounder, somehow softer. The SG with it's weight, ebony fret board, and sharper edges, seems much harder, like glass. They both have buckets of tone, and I wouldn't want to be without either. I tend to play them on alternate days, but often find a certain mode demands a swap to the other guitar.