Latest ‘53/‘59 Conversion Surprise Uber Flame!

[bosnialove]

Clear coats done!

http://imgur.com/6FDqxSu

Looks cool, but the later addes maple is a few tints lighter than the old wood.

Can anyone explain me why the old wood is darker than the added maple? and isnt there any way to darken that new maple a few tints so it matches the old wood.

Personally the brighter tinted maple would be a sore in my eyes, but the new cherry burst finish with a wraparound and p90s would look really cool.

 

[nuance97]

Looks cool, but the later addes maple is a few tints lighter than the old wood.

Can anyone explain me why the old wood is darker than the added maple? and isnt there any way to darken that new maple a few tints so it matches the old wood.

Personally the brighter tinted maple would be a sore in my eyes, but the new cherry burst finish with a wraparound and p90s would look really cool.

UV light darkens the wood in the case of raw wood or a clear finish...this guitar was a goldtop for most of its life as far as we know so the wood itself was slightly darker than the new maple plugs. In this case all be covered by the pickup rings, and the bridge will obscure the plugs so unless you are looking for it close up you won’t see it

 

[eric ernest]

Maple varies in color and reflectivity a tremendous amount.....this certainly applies to maple from any era. There are numerous factors that enter into play with a job like this.

The guys that charge confiscatory monies for the ultra high end "museum grade" restorations have to sift trough a huge pile of wood and also look at the wood on a microscopic level to select wood with the proper color, grain, and cut direction. There are also tricks to darken or lighten wood...

The best pug is a donar plug from the guitar being used...if it's possible. (Wood from under a pickguard or in the pickup cavity from a "solid" guitar.

These things are the difference in a $2K and $10K restoration.

 

[goldtop0]

Clear coats done!

http://imgur.com/6FDqxSu

That's just one great looking LP.............

 

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http://imgur.com/tW9R2qm

On the home straight now

 

[Sharky]

http://imgur.com/tW9R2qm

On the home straight now

wow, looks outstanding, Yuuki

 

[jeggz]

NICE

 

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Mother Nature doing her thing and mellowing the aniline cherry- looks just stunning!

http://imgur.com/jzDn5bl

 

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http://imgur.com/ykgzQli

 

[Oranjeaap]

You should call it "claw" because that flame looks like clawmarks

 

[Archtopanimal]

http://imgur.com/ykgzQli

How much of the past two weeks has it been exposed to UV please ?

 

[amused]

The result is really good IMO, I probably would have hesitated about converting it to hum or not, but I am sure this guitar will inspire its owner to play the hell out of it

 

[Pageburst]

A few comments

To the OP, beautiful work as always. Transitioning an instrument from one that was neglected to one that will hopefully get more love is not a bad thing, imho. The flame is beautiful and considering the guitar was already refinished, I don't really understand the outrage here.

To the mods, as a forum member I appreciate you leaving up all of the comments, even the ones that might have been a bit over the top in criticizing the OP. Freedom of speech is being encumbered online more and more. Imho, there is nothing more fundamental to personal liberty and the survival of democratic republic. While I realize we are here at the pleasure of the forum owners, it is nice to see the mods acting with restraint and in the interest of open discourse,

To the posters who's hyperbole suggested an equivalency between the OP's refinish work and someone painting over the Sistine Chapel, get over yourself, seriously. It's a free country and the OP is entitled to do whatever he likes with his property provided it doesn't cause harm to anyone else. It might also be worth noting, if you want to reduce the needless destruction of many vintage Gibsons, particularly LP juniors, stop propagating the ridiculous, utterly unsubstantiated myth of "old wood". There were no more magic tone fairies in the wood harvested in the 50s. And here's another little fact, even back then, the stock of big leaf mahogany was in relatively short supply, That is why, in the 1940's, for strategic reasons, genuine big leaf mahogany trees were introduced into Fiji to create another source for this vital wood.

I own have owned and played vintage Gibsons and the recent Historics are as good as any guitar Gibson ever made. I will happily put up a sizable bet if anyone thinks they can hear how old a piece of mahogany is.

http://imgur.com/tW9R2qm

On the home straight now

 

[Liam]

I own have owned and played vintage Gibsons and the recent Historics are as good as any guitar Gibson ever made. I will happily put up a sizable bet if anyone thinks they can hear how old a piece of mahogany is.

In general I agree, although I have at least 3 50's slab body Les Pauls that weigh less than 7 lbs, and one of which is just ridiculously light and resonant, the other two both extremely good. I have played quite a few Historics over the years (and owned one R9 for a good few years), including Juniors and a Special. The slab body Historic LPs are very heavy and dead sounding acoustically in comparison, so I'd probably take you up on the sizeable bet of my best Junior vs. anything that I have heard/played in the Historic Collection. It's just ludicrously loud acoustically compared to pretty much any other solid body guitar.

The maple cap seems to be the great equalizer of tone. I haven't yet played a Historic that is quite as great sounding as the best 50s maple cap Les Pauls I have come across, but I have it on good authority that they definitely exist. I have certainly played a few Historics that are far better than fair to middling 50's examples, and the most recent Historic I played was probably a 2011ish R9. I bet they are getting better.

Yuuki, whatever anyone says, flame and 'burst looks right with white rings, PAFs and Tun-o-matic bridge, and that top deserves the Sunburst you gave it. It's going to be great!

Liam

 

[Mini Forklift Ⓥ]

Great work Yuuki, outstanding result. Stunning!

 

[Pageburst]

i would probably take you up on that bet based on my experience with SGs vintage and current. That said, let me also say that I applaud you for enjoying those phenomenal vintage slab board Les Pauls as intended rather than using them as donor bodies for some frankenburst.

In general I agree, although I have at least 3 50's slab body Les Pauls that weigh less than 7 lbs, and one of which is just ridiculously light and resonant, the other two both extremely good. I have played quite a few Historics over the years (and owned one R9 for a good few years), including Juniors and a Special. The slab body Historic LPs are very heavy and dead sounding acoustically in comparison, so I'd probably take you up on the sizeable bet of my best Junior vs. anything that I have heard/played in the Historic Collection. It's just ludicrously loud acoustically compared to pretty much any other solid body guitar.

The maple cap seems to be the great equalizer of tone. I haven't yet played a Historic that is quite as great sounding as the best 50s maple cap Les Pauls I have come across, but I have it on good authority that they definitely exist. I have certainly played a few Historics that are far better than fair to middling 50's examples, and the most recent Historic I played was probably a 2011ish R9. I bet they are getting better.

Yuuki, whatever anyone says, flame and 'burst looks right with white rings, PAFs and Tun-o-matic bridge, and that top deserves the Sunburst you gave it. It's going to be great!

Liam

 

[cherrysunburst00]

WOW!!! Suffice it to say, I LIKE it...A LOT. Beautiful finish.

Sorry, it's a long thread (in case this was stated); what is the neck profile? Beefy?

 

[nuance97]

To the posters who's hyperbole suggested an equivalency between the OP's refinish work and someone painting over the Sistine Chapel, get over yourself, seriously. It's a free country and the OP is entitled to do whatever he likes with his property provided it doesn't cause harm to anyone else.

Amen!

*insert standing ovation .gif here*

He’s in England not America if that’s the free country you’re referring to, but the point still stands

 

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Refretted, wired up with ‘62 PAT/PAFs and ‘58 Centralab harness and ‘50s hardware, and goddam this is a great guitar!

http://imgur.com/5jhmCC5

 

[d1m1]

I own have owned and played vintage Gibsons and the recent Historics are as good as any guitar Gibson ever made. I will happily put up a sizable bet if anyone thinks they can hear how old a piece of mahogany is.

I also own and owned vintage and reissue Gibsons and LP´s over the past decades and to me the 50ies ones sound all in all different (better). I dont know if it is the old grown mahagony and braz boards or the fact that they are 60-70 yo, played in and matured etc. but they defenitelly sound better to me. Sure there is always exceptions, but the majority of 50ies LP´s i´ve played were even unplugged loud, resonant, musical sounding with lots of sustain and clarity. My current Nr.1, a 55 conversion weights 7.9 lbs and rings unplugged like a bell. The notes jump literally on you and the whole guitar is shaking. I never had a reissue doing that thing. I curretly have two light weight Historics which are killer sounding and resonant etc. and kill most Historics i´ve played, but still no comparisson to the 55. It´s difficult to generalize but too many Historics sound dull and muffled to put them equal to 50ies LP´s imo. They are very well made tho.