Okay so I sanded off the thin protective coating on the body and headstock last night. Started with 600 grit, then finished with 1200 grit. It didn't work out so well...
Here are a few pics:
Not sure if you can see it, but this pic is supposed to show the shiny coating that I sanded off.
Sanded and ready to be stained:
The cheap plastic binding took a hit, but I should be able to buff it out during the final finishing stages
