25.5         Scale Length

42 mm    Nut width

H.S.S.       Pickup Configuration

22            Frets

Flame      Maple Top

7.8 lbs.     Weight

1.5 mm     Action at 12th Fret

Right Handed

X   Deep Clean

X   Electronics Checked

X   Tuners Serviced

X   Fretboard Cleaned / Hydrated

X   Neck Adjusted

X   Setup Completed

X   Body Buffed / Polished 

Grover 102C 14/1 Tuners from donor Malibu Guitar Serial Number S05020716

Bone Nut

Wilkinson WOV01 52.5mm Vintage Guitar Tremolo With 36mm Steel Block

Mushroom Style Strap Buttons

Musicilily Pro ST-TX Alnico 5 Staggered Pickups

CTS A250K Potentiometers ( 2 )

Push Push Potentiometers  ( Musiclily Pro A500K Brass )

CTS Style 5 Way Switch

Gilmour Switch

Treble Bleed Circuit

.022 Capacitor ( 2 one for bridge and one for Neck/Middle Potentiometers )

SwitchCraft Output Jack

Cloth Push Back Wire

Silver Solder

Copper Foil Shielding

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10-46 Strings

Upgrades and Modifications – Restoration Details

This Greg Bennett Malibu has undergone an extensive Back From The Dead Guitars Resurrection Tier restoration, combining upgraded electronics and hardware with detailed cosmetic restoration, fretwork, and playing-surface improvements. The objective was to preserve the quality and character of the original Samick-built instrument while improving tonal versatility, tuning precision, playing comfort, and overall performance.

Pickups and Electronics

The original pickup and electronics system has been extensively upgraded with a complete Musiclily Pro ST-TX Alnico 5 Staggered ST-HSS pickup set, featuring two staggered-pole single-coil pickups and an uncovered bridge humbucker. The upgraded electronics include CTS A250K potentiometers, a Musiclily Pro A500K brass-shaft push/push potentiometer, a CTS-style five-way selector switch, and a Switchcraft output jack.

Individually Measured Pickup DC Resistance:

• Bridge Humbucker (Full): 14.67 kΩ

• Bridge Humbucker (Coil Split): 7.53 kΩ

• Middle Single Coil: 6.06 kΩ

• Neck Single Coil: 6.02 kΩ

The bridge humbucker is configured for coil splitting through the A500K push/push potentiometer, allowing the player to select either full humbucker or split-coil operation. The bridge pickup has its own dedicated tone control, while the neck and middle pickups share a separate tone control. Both tone circuits feature individual 0.022 µF capacitors, providing independent tone adjustment for the bridge and neck/middle pickup groups.

A Gilmour-style switching modification expands the traditional five-way pickup selector by providing two additional pickup combinations: neck and bridge together, or all three pickups simultaneously. These additional combinations can be used with the bridge humbucker in either full or split-coil mode, offering greater tonal versatility than the standard HSS configuration.

A treble bleed circuit was installed to help preserve high-frequency clarity as the guitar's volume is reduced. The electronics were rewired using cloth pushback wire and silver solder connections. Copper foil shielding was applied to the underside of the pickguard and the pickup and electronics cavities to help reduce unwanted electrical interference.

Together, these upgrades provide a versatile pickup and control system with expanded switching options, dedicated bridge tone control, coil-splitting capability, and improved electronic shielding while retaining the familiar operation of a Strat-style guitar.

Tuning Machines, Bridge, and Hardware

The original tuning machines on this guitar have been replaced with a reconditioned set of factory-installed tuners sourced from another Greg Bennett Malibu guitar, serial number S05020716. These replacement tuners retain the factory hardware specifications of the donor Malibu and have been cleaned, serviced, and reconditioned for continued use.

The factory tremolo bridge was replaced with a Wilkinson WOV01 vintage-style tremolo featuring 52.5 mm string spacing and a 36 mm steel block. The bridge is configured for floating tremolo operation, allowing both upward and downward pitch changes while maintaining the familiar feel and functionality of a traditional Strat-style tremolo system.

A new bone nut was individually shaped, fitted, and slotted to complement the upgraded tuning machines and bridge. Mushroom-style strap buttons were also installed for improved strap retention.

Body Finish Restoration

The original Vintage Sunburst body finish underwent wet sanding and machine polishing to improve its overall appearance, reduce surface imperfections, and restore clarity and gloss to the transparent finish.

Care was taken to preserve the original finish and the visible wood figuring beneath it. Some deeper scratches and surface marks remain where additional sanding or polishing could risk removing excessive finish material. These remaining cosmetic imperfections are disclosed separately in the guitar's Condition and Honest Disclosure section.

Fretwork and Fretboard Restoration

The existing frets were individually inspected, dressed, and polished to improve their playing surfaces and remove accumulated wear and oxidation.

The rosewood fretboard was thoroughly cleaned, with accumulated residue carefully scraped away. The fretboard edges were lightly rolled to provide a smoother, more comfortable feel along the neck. Following cleaning and edge refinement, the fretboard was conditioned with lemon oil.

The combination of fret dressing, fret polishing, fretboard cleaning, and edge refinement was intended to improve playing comfort and restore a smooth, consistent feel while retaining the original fretboard and fretwork wherever possible.

Final Setup and Playing Configuration

Following the restoration and installation of the upgraded components, the guitar was fitted with Ernie Ball Regular Slinky .010–.046 gauge strings and received a complete playing setup, including adjustments to the neck, string action, floating tremolo, and intonation.

Restoration Summary

This Resurrection Tier Malibu retains its original Samick-built neck, body, and distinctive Vintage Sunburst appearance while benefiting from significant upgrades to its pickups, electronics, switching, tuning machines, tremolo bridge, nut, and supporting hardware.

Combined with the body finish correction, detailed fretwork, fretboard restoration, and final setup, these modifications transform a lightly used but aging 2008 instrument into a substantially refreshed and more versatile guitar prepared for its next owner.

The Dreams That Waited Under the Bed

A Blue Greg Bennett Malibu's Journey from 2008 to Resurrection

The family story below is imagined, inspired by this guitar's age, condition, Minnesota origin, and documented restoration history.

A Father's Gift — Minnesota, 2008

Somewhere around St. Paul, Minnesota, in the summer of 2008, a father walked into a local music store looking for a gift for his sixteen-year-old son. His son loved electric guitars and dreamed of playing in a band.

The salesman showed him a Greg Bennett Malibu from Samick's Signature Series. It was presented as an affordable instrument built with the care and quality more often associated with higher-priced guitars. Its deep transparent blue finish revealed the figuring of the wood beneath, and its familiar Strat-style shape looked ready for a stage.

To the father, it seemed like the right balance of quality, appearance, and price. To his son, it would be something much bigger: a chance to make music instead of only listening to it.

A Band That Almost Was

For a while, the Malibu rarely stayed quiet. The teenager practiced chords after school, worked through songs note by note, and learned that getting six strings to sound the way he imagined required more patience than he expected. There were missed notes, sore fingertips, and those small victories that make a beginning musician want to keep trying.

He persuaded a few friends to get together and start a band. They talked about names, argued over which songs to learn, and imagined playing for a crowd.

Then the familiar demands of growing up began taking over. Schoolwork, sports, friendships, and after-school activities claimed more of his attention. The guitar was picked up less often. When one of its tuning machines eventually broke, the repair became something he meant to get around to rather than something he did.

The Malibu went beneath his bed, protected from much of the wear that comes with years of regular playing, but slowly collecting dust. The band never really got started. The guitar waited.

Years in the Quiet

The teenager graduated, left home, and built a life of his own. In time, his journey took him to California, where work, marriage, and raising a family created a different set of dreams. His old bedroom changed, but the guitar stayed behind in the family house.

Seasons passed in Minnesota. The blue finish remained hidden from view, the strings grew old, and the metal parts slowly showed the effects of time and storage. The instrument had not been worn down by years of performances. It had simply been left waiting for a player.

One Last Look Through the House — 2024

By 2024, the young man's parents were ready for retirement and a warmer climate. They decided to sell the house and downsize to Florida. Every closet, drawer, and bedroom held something that needed to be packed, given away, or left behind.

During the sorting, they found the blue Malibu.

They remembered the gift, the sound of practice coming through the bedroom door, and the short-lived band that had once seemed so important. The father called his son in California. His son laughed when he heard what they had found. He remembered the guitar immediately, especially the broken tuner that he had promised himself he would fix.

For a few minutes, they talked about old friends and those years when the biggest plans could begin in a bedroom. The memory was both sweet and a little sad: the guitar belonged to a time that could not be brought back, even though it still existed.

He suggested donating it to charity. Maybe someone else would want to learn on it. Maybe it could become part of another family's story instead of remaining forgotten in storage.

And so, in this imagined history, the father made one final gift with the guitar he had bought so many years earlier. This time, it was a gift to someone he would probably never meet.

An Auction and a Second Chance — July 2024

What we do know begins here. In July 2024, a blue Samick-built Greg Bennett Malibu was offered through Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota. Its listing showed an instrument with a broken tuner, aging hardware, and a finish that still held promise beneath the signs of storage.

At Back From The Dead Guitars, that combination caught my attention. The damage was visible, but so was the potential. I entered the auction and stayed with it through active bidding, eventually winning the guitar and bringing it into the workshop.

The arrival photographs tell their own story. Dust and grime had collected around the bridge and controls. Some metal surfaces showed oxidation. A damaged tuning machine explained why the guitar could no longer be tuned normally. The body had scratches and surface wear, but the blue transparent finish and the wood figuring beneath it were still striking.

There was no way to know exactly whose hands had played it or where it had spent the intervening years. Its relatively limited playing wear, however, made the thought of long-term storage easy to imagine.

A Resurrection Two Years in the Making

The guitar arrived in July 2024, but its next chapter was not written in a single weekend. Work progressed in stages as I inspected, cleaned, repaired, evaluated, and reconsidered what this Malibu could become. The original neck and body were worth preserving. The aging hardware and electronics offered room for improvement.

The restoration developed into a full Back From The Dead Guitars Resurrection Tier rebuild. The guitar received attention to its tuning machines, nut, bridge, pickups, wiring, controls, fretwork, and setup. The goal was never to disguise it as an untouched collectible. It was to retain the Samick-built foundation and make the instrument useful, dependable, and enjoyable for another player.

The finish deserved the same attention as the mechanical components. Wet sanding and polishing brought back depth and clarity to the transparent blue body, allowing the wood figuring to stand out again. The fretboard and frets were cleaned and serviced to restore comfort and playing feel. Where age or damage could not be corrected responsibly, the remaining marks were treated as part of the guitar's honest condition rather than something to conceal.

Each improvement represented another step away from the auction photographs. What arrived as a neglected, partly unplayable guitar gradually became an instrument with a new purpose. By 2026, nearly two years after its arrival, the Malibu had reached the final stages of its transformation.

The Music Still Ahead

The father, son, band, and forgotten bedroom in this story are imagined. The blue guitar is real. So are its 2008-era Samick origins, its Minnesota charity-auction appearance, its broken tuner, its July 2024 arrival at Back From The Dead Guitars, and the restoration work that followed.

I like to think that somewhere, a former owner might still remember the sound of this Malibu coming through a bedroom door. Perhaps it was a first guitar. Perhaps it was the start of a dream that simply gave way to other things. We cannot know, and its history deserves that honesty.

What matters now is that the guitar no longer has to wait. It is ready for someone who will pick it up, tune it, learn something new, and give it experiences its first years never provided.

Maybe its next owner will be another sixteen-year-old with a few friends and an idea for a band. Maybe it will be someone older, finally making time for music after years of putting other responsibilities first.

The dreams of its first owner may have faded, but the music this guitar was built to make is still waiting.

Initial Intake and Inspection – July 2024

Arrival and First Impressions

This blue Greg Bennett Malibu arrived at Back From The Dead Guitars in July 2024 after being purchased through a Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota online auction. It was securely packaged and arrived without apparent shipping damage.

Once on the inspection table, the guitar made a better first impression than its dusty appearance suggested. Although approximately sixteen years old, it showed relatively little obvious playing wear. Dust and grime had collected around the bridge and controls, but there were few visible signs of significant moisture exposure. Beneath the dirt, its transparent blue finish and attractive wood figuring were still in good condition.

The guitar appeared to have spent considerable time in storage, although its previous ownership and storage history could not be confirmed.

Hardware and Initial Functional Testing

I began by checking the pickups, five-way selector switch, and controls. All three pickups produced sound, and the selector operated in every position. The pots were stiff to turn, but nothing suggested that the original electronics were beyond repair.

The first significant problem appeared when I attempted to tune the guitar: the G-string tuning machine was broken. The other five tuners operated normally.

The bridge showed signs of previous adjustment. Its saddles were individually positioned in a pattern consistent with an attempt at intonation, suggesting that someone had taken the time to attend to the guitar's setup. That was encouraging, though it did not establish whether the intonation was still accurate.

The original tremolo bridge had oxidation and dirt around its screws and saddles. The three-spring tremolo assembly and claw were also inspected as part of the initial assessment.

Under the Pickguard

Removing the control knobs revealed an unexpected detail: portions of the original factory protective film remained trapped beneath them. That discovery was consistent with the relatively light playing wear visible elsewhere on the instrument.

With the pickguard removed, I found Alpha A500K miniature potentiometers, a standard import-style circuit-board five-way switch, and the original ceramic pickups. The pots responded well to cleaning and operated smoothly afterward. The selector switch still engaged with a crisp, positive feel.

The ceramic pickups were functional and produced a bright sound, particularly with the volume and tone controls fully open. The original tone wiring used one 0.047 µF capacitor shared between the tone controls.

Another welcome discovery was conductive shielding paint already applied inside the pickup and electronics cavities and the rear tremolo spring cavity. The guitar's electronics were basic but serviceable, and the factory had provided some shielding against electrical interference.

Body Finish and Cosmetic Inspection

After cleaning away the surface grime, the blue transparent finish looked much better than expected. Its wood figuring became more noticeable, and the overall body presented well for an instrument of its age.

Closer examination revealed cosmetic damage that ordinary cleaning could not remove. Several pronounced scratches on the back extended through the clear coat and into the colored finish, with additional scuffing along the body sides. The front also had a few scratches reaching into the finish, plus small dings and dents. Some were difficult to notice at first but became much easier to find once their locations were known.

These marks were documented rather than concealed. The initial cleaning restored much of the guitar's appearance, but deeper finish correction would be considered later in the restoration.

Neck, Fretboard, and Frets

A deeper scratch and a small ding were present on the back of the neck, approximately one-third of the way down from the headstock. The damaged area could be felt when deliberately searching for it, but it was not particularly noticeable during normal playing.

The frets were another positive surprise. They were relatively large, approaching jumbo size, and felt comfortable for both chord playing and individual scale runs. The neck and fretboard appeared to offer a solid foundation for continued use without needing to replace the instrument's original character.

Cleaning, Reconditioning, and First Playing Evaluation

The guitar was disassembled for a thorough cleaning and closer examination. Dust, grime, and oxidation were addressed wherever practical, and the original components that remained serviceable were cleaned and reconditioned.

A replacement set of tuners resolved the broken G-string tuning-machine problem, allowing the Malibu to be tuned and evaluated properly. After reassembly and adjustment, it played surprisingly well. The cleaned electronics operated as intended, the neck felt comfortable, and the larger frets made chords and scales enjoyable to play.

The first stage of work brought the Malibu back to a presentable, functional condition without pretending that its cosmetic marks had disappeared.

Initial Assessment

The July 2024 inspection showed that this was not a worn-out guitar in need of complete reconstruction. Its original body and neck were sound foundations, much of its hardware and electronics could be serviced, and the most immediate mechanical problem was a broken tuner.

The dust, oxidized bridge, stiff controls, and finish scratches reflected age and storage, but they did not erase the instrument's potential. Once cleaned and repaired, the Malibu demonstrated that it was worth more attention.

Rather than ending the project with a basic repair and resale, I eventually chose to develop the guitar into a Back From The Dead Guitars Resurrection Tier instrument, with further hardware, electronic, fretboard, and finish improvements taking place over the following two years.

Beneath the dust and damaged hardware was a guitar worth bringing back to life.

Condition and Honest Disclosure

Overall Condition – Good Used Condition

This 2008 Greg Bennett Malibu has been restored and extensively upgraded by Back From The Dead Guitars over a two-year period, beginning in July 2024. It retains its original Samick-built body and neck and its distinctive transparent blue finish, but it is not an all-original or cosmetically flawless instrument.

Condition classification: Good Used Condition. The guitar has been cleaned, serviced, wet sanded, polished, upgraded, and set up for playing. Several scratches, dings, and scuffs remain, as described below.

Neck – Scratch and Ding

A noticeable scratch and ding remain on the back of the neck, approximately one-third of the way down from the headstock. The damage is visible and can be felt by hand. It was present when the guitar arrived and has not been concealed.

It did not interfere with my own chord playing or scale work, but another player may notice it more, especially if they prefer a perfectly smooth neck. Please review the close-up photograph.

The fretboard was cleaned, its edges lightly rolled, and the original large frets dressed and polished. The fretboard was also conditioned with lemon oil. These improvements do not eliminate the disclosed neck damage.

Body – Remaining Finish Imperfections

The transparent blue body underwent extensive wet sanding and polishing to improve gloss, clarity, and the appearance of the figured maple beneath the finish. Most lighter surface scratches were substantially reduced or removed, but deeper damage remains:

• Back: Several noticeable scratches, including some that extend through the clear coat into the colored finish.

• Sides and lower edges: Visible scuffs and scratches, particularly along the bottom of the body.

• Front: A small ding and some scratches near the upper horn. These may be difficult to see in photos but can be found under careful inspection and angled lighting.

Additional sanding could have risked removing too much of the original finish. I chose to preserve the finish rather than attempt to erase every mark. The body presents attractively overall, but buyers should not expect a like-new surface.

Restoration History – 2024 to 2026

This Malibu was restored in stages rather than rebuilt all at once.

2024 – Initial revival: The guitar arrived with a broken G-string tuner, dusty hardware, and oxidized bridge components. It received a thorough cleaning, fret polishing, a replacement set of Grover tuners, and playing adjustments.

Later electronic upgrades: The guitar was disassembled again for new potentiometers, a five-way selector switch, and subsequent pickup and wiring improvements. Copper foil shielding was added to the body cavities, followed by further cleaning and polishing.

2026 – Final Resurrection Tier work: The guitar was disassembled for additional component upgrades and detailed body finish correction. The body was wet sanded and polished, copper shielding was installed on the underside of the pickguard, and the final electronics, hardware, and setup work were completed.

Tuning Machines – Important Originality Disclosure

The Grover tuners used during the earlier restoration were removed during the final rebuild. They are not the tuners currently installed.

The guitar now has a reconditioned set of Grover factory-style tuning machines removed from another Greg Bennett Malibu II, donor serial number S05020716.

These are genuine donor components from a different Malibu, not the original tuners from this particular guitar. They were cleaned and reconditioned before installation. Their exact gear ratio has not been independently confirmed. Howerver specs given online show them to be 102c 14/1 tuners.

I chose them to retain a connection to the Greg Bennett-era hardware while upgrading most other serviceable components.

Modifications and Intended Use

This Malibu retains its original body, neck, and frets, but many factory parts have been replaced or modified, including the pickups, electronics, switches, wiring, bridge, nut, output jack, and strap buttons. It is a player-oriented Resurrection Tier guitar, not a collector-preserved example.

Its HSS pickup configuration, coil-splittable bridge humbucker, Gilmour-style switching, and dedicated bridge tone control provide expanded tonal options. It may appeal especially to someone advancing from beginner to intermediate playing, or to a musician who wants a versatile instrument for regular practice, rehearsals, or gigs.

The existing cosmetic wear may make it easier to enjoy in working environments without the concerns that come with owning a pristine display instrument. It should still be handled and maintained with appropriate care.

Final Buyer Disclosure

Please be aware before purchasing:

• The neck has a visible and tactile scratch and ding.

• Deeper scratches remain on the back of the body.

• Scuffs and scratches remain along the sides and lower edges.

• A front-body ding and upper-horn scratches may be hard to capture in photographs.

• The installed Grover tuning machines are reconditioned donor parts from Malibu II S05020716, not original to this guitar.

• The guitar is extensively modified and is not in original factory configuration.

Photographs document the original condition, restoration process, and remaining cosmetic flaws. The work has substantially improved the guitar's appearance and playing condition, but it has not made a nearly twenty-year-old instrument new again.

Back From The Dead Guitars presents this Malibu as a restored, upgraded player with honest signs of age—ready for its next chapter, not pretending its earlier chapters never happened.