Home >> Hobbies >> Other Hobbies

How to Blacklight a Guitar

If you ever suspected that the finish on your electric guitar body or neck was altered before purchasing it, you are not alone. Repair jobs, such as lacquer or other finishing touch-ups, are sometimes used to mend breaks, cracks, chips or other wear on the guitar neck or body. The problem is that there are many vintage electric guitars on the market that purport to be 100 percent original and not refurbished. One way to detect masked repairs is through the use of black light.

Things You'll Need

Phillips screwdriver
Tuner bushing press
Black light

Instructions

- 1
  Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the back plate on the guitar. Loosen the tuning knobs and remove the strings from the guitar. Remove the tuning pegs with the screwdriver and the tuner bushings with the tuner bushing press.
- 2
  Close yourself in a small room, such as a bathroom, with the guitar and a black light (also called an ultraviolet light)and turn off the overhead light so there is absolutely no light.
- 3
  Turn on the black light.
- 4
  Run the black light up and down the entire length of the body of the guitar. Start at the neck and move the light slowly inch by inch.
- 5
  Look for imperfections or disruptions in the natural grain of the wood. Specifically, look for a milky or blotchy appearance. Other things to look for include wear near the neck, signs of filler in small chips and dents and blending of new lacquer with the old, which may give a misty or glazed look under the black light.

Other Hobbies