NGD - 2019 Traditional w/ refin top

joe_cpwe · Feb 23, 2025

Demon Dave said:
Nice score congrats, I have nothing against natural top, but what about re store the burst?

For sure. I'm definitely contemplating restoring to a tobacco / vintage burst. The original finish was actually pretty nice looking.
My top options are redo the natural or redo a tobacco burst. I won't start getting after it for at least a month though...

joe_cpwe · Feb 23, 2025

Leee said:
If you are taking votes, I say to stay away from any amber tint, or do it quite sparingly.

I got so tired of the “fake vintage” amber tint on natural finish guitars.
Natural is natural and yellow is yellow.
Let’s call it what it is.

I know it sounds childish and petty to some, but one reason I sold a Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 was because the amber that I wanted when I ordered it was more of a yellow when I got it.
The longer I had the guitar, the more it pissed me off.

I went through this all over again with a ‘03 68 RI Les Paul Custom. Love the guitar, but not the color.

So after 30 years of trying to find the perfect natural Les Paul, to no avail, I went the M2M route and dropped a whole bunch of money.
It was worth it to me.

View attachment 823838

First, your two Customs are incredible, the color choices and the tops. They look great

Second, I sort of agree about the Amber. I've never owned an amber guitar. In some cases they look great, some look like an icky yellow and some are trying too hard to be vintage.

Going Amber is lower on my preference. Im kind of getting used to the natural look. Thanks for your ideas. The black plastics with natural finish look better than cream too

Jorbissian · Feb 24, 2025

joe_cpwe said:
Stumbled across this at today while shopping for PA equipment. Other than the stripped top, this thing is real nice and also came w/ case + the goodies, including baby photo.

Not a round 50s type neck IMO but it has vintage style keys and the factory photo showed it originally had a tobacco sunburst.

The homegrown clear coat has some pitting, and wasn't sanded to a high enough polish. The owner must've really taken a bath on it, because I got a very nice price It wasn't even hanging in the store by the 'good' Les Paul's

When it warms up outside I'll strip the clear, dye it and give it a better gloss finish.

Guitar plays and sounds great. I'm real happy with the find.

View attachment 823712

View attachment 823713

View attachment 823714

Wow man !

joe_cpwe said:
Stumbled across this at today while shopping for PA equipment. Other than the stripped top, this thing is real nice and also came w/ case + the goodies, including baby photo.

Not a round 50s type neck IMO but it has vintage style keys and the factory photo showed it originally had a tobacco sunburst.

The homegrown clear coat has some pitting, and wasn't sanded to a high enough polish. The owner must've really taken a bath on it, because I got a very nice price It wasn't even hanging in the store by the 'good' Les Paul's

When it warms up outside I'll strip the clear, dye it and give it a better gloss finish.

Guitar plays and sounds great. I'm real happy with the find.

View attachment 823712

View attachment 823713

View attachment 823714

Wow man ! Great score ! IMPO, I'd love to see it re-done in Vintage Cherry Burst, fact is it will look great whatever colour you do in, congrats & all the best !

Itsallmuscle · Feb 24, 2025

Leee said:
If you are taking votes, I say to stay away from any amber tint, or do it quite sparingly.

I got so tired of the “fake vintage” amber tint on natural finish guitars.
Natural is natural and yellow is yellow.
Let’s call it what it is.

I know it sounds childish and petty to some, but one reason I sold a Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 was because the amber that I wanted when I ordered it was more of a yellow when I got it.
The longer I had the guitar, the more it pissed me off.

I went through this all over again with a ‘03 68 RI Les Paul Custom. Love the guitar, but not the color.

So after 30 years of trying to find the perfect natural Les Paul, to no avail, I went the M2M route and dropped a whole bunch of money.
It was worth it to me.

View attachment 823838

Yowza, the top on that natural is spectacular. Did you pick the wood, or did you tell them to pick you a good top? The Gibson Garage has some maple blocks you can choose from, but even after a few visits, I've yet to see a monster top, most have cross-grain, kinda like almost all of the Wildwood custom-shop tops have. Yours though... wide beautiful flame!

Leee · Feb 24, 2025

Itsallmuscle said:
Did you pick the wood, or did you tell them to pick you a good top?

Chose the top from options they provided.

It was a bit of a rocky road, but Gibson came through in the end. Zero regrets.

Rds · Feb 24, 2025

I like the natural too. It might pop if sanded reshot with clear. But any of the suggestions would be great on the guitar. Cool guitar!

Itsallmuscle · Feb 28, 2025

Leee said:
Chose the top from options they provided.

It was a bit of a rocky road, but Gibson came through in the end. Zero regrets.

How many tops did you have them show you? How many did they have to pull out before you picked this one?

searswashere · Feb 28, 2025

Itsallmuscle said:
How many tops did you have them show you? How many did they have to pull out before you picked this one?

He made threads on it, search up

Leee · Feb 28, 2025

Itsallmuscle said:
How many tops did you have them show you? How many did they have to pull out before you picked this one?

The dealer knew what I wanted.
I guess they had some wood set aside at Gibson with their name on it.
He sent a few pictures and I made a first and second choice.

When the guitar came in, it had the wrong top on it. Not even close to what I wanted.
Gibson agreed to build another guitar for me, and stick me in the front of the line for production, so the guy dug up two more tops.
The one I chose was actually my second choice from a year previous.

joe_cpwe · Jul 19, 2025

Here's with the refinish project thread

re-refinishing a refinished top Traditonal

In the NGD post a few months back I talked about getting this 2019 Traditional (originally tobacco sunburst) with top stripped to natural finish. Color was bad, but the clear coat was pitted and not great. I bought with the intention to refinish it myself. My only experience was re-spraying...

www.mylespaul.com

NGD - 2019 Traditional w/ refin top

joe_cpwe

Senior Member

joe_cpwe

Senior Member

Jorbissian

Senior Member

Itsallmuscle

Member

Leee

Extremism in defense of Liberty is no vice

Rds

Senior Member

Itsallmuscle

Member

searswashere

Senior Member

Leee

Extremism in defense of Liberty is no vice

joe_cpwe

Senior Member

re-refinishing a refinished top Traditonal

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