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Jumping@Shadows

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2003
Messages
1,330
Hi all, while I normally concentrate on '50s/'60s Gibson guitars to restore, with a particular focus on '50s Les Paul 'Burst' conversions, I wanted a cool single cut with vintage features to keep as a beater, yet still with enough nerd value to satisfy my inner (and outer) geek.

With that in mind I sought out one of the estimated only 500 Greco EGF1200 Super Real Les Paul's hand made in Japan between '79-'81, with BRW boards, supposedly old Honduran Mahogany bodies and the infamous 'DRY Z' PAFs made using NOS '50s PE wire.

While the bones are all one could want from a vintage Les Paul, the construction deviates in the fact the body is multi piece, the finish a kinda poly/nitro hybrid, and the top a very thick cross banded laminate veneer:

tFQf1hH.jpg


This example was greatly reduced in price as the top was severely cracked, so I immediately about removing it, hoping to reveal an acceptable centre seam (if plain) solid maple cap, but while it initially appeared that'd be so, it was actually a 5 piece block board..

3pwL3LP.jpg


jHT2kuQ.jpg


KAFwdm9.jpg


b3SRs1V.jpg


I decided to try and make the most of what I had, and sanded and bleached in order to even out the pieces, but it just wasn't acceptable for the sunburst I had in mind:

fmeICCV.jpg


MT0FmWB.jpg


SV7BT19.jpg
 
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Jumping@Shadows

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2003
Messages
1,330
I briefly toyed with shooting a translucent cherry, but I've never been a great fan of that look, so decided to attempt fitting a killer flame eastern maple veneer I've had saved for a couple years, and rigged up a vacuum bag press Wacky Races would be proud of..

I used hide glue for a brittle and super thin bond, and was really pleased with the results:

h5cdJO5.jpg


I moved on to finishing with vintage correct pure nitro and aniline dyes, and aimed for a NOS '59 cherry sunburst, to fade naturally over time.

I started with a golden yellow base coat:

bnhsVyT.jpg


Then onto the burst:

VH7IkU6.jpg


I built up the lustre and colour with amber clears, and it's now ready to hang and cure before polishing out and assembling ready for ageing:

5YkpE2X.jpg


n1wEWeO.jpg


The veneer flame shifts in the light, and has all the depth of a solid top, and you'd not know to question it in hand from appearance alone, and I'm really pleased with the result.

I intend to keep this as my beater, but the success of this process gives me confidence to consider veneer tops for really trashed '50s conversions, and there's really no reason to have anything short of spectacular results regardless of the original condition of the guitar.
 
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frazettafan

New member
Joined
Oct 28, 2006
Messages
4,072
This looks great, JAS. I can't see you after spraying photos unfortunately. Any chance of re-posting them. The top you've put on there looks stunning and I'd love to see the final job. I'm pretty amazed that a guitar held in such high regard would have a blackboard top like that. Were you surprised when you found that Out?

Cheers

Mike
 

Jumping@Shadows

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2003
Messages
1,330
Thanks Mike- I actually reposted this in the vintage Les Pauls section with full pics.
I was a bit puzzled by the multipiece top, but i guess if the intention was always to veneer (just like '52-'57 Les Pauls were destined to be gold..), they made no effort to match or use two piece tops- has zero effect on the tone tho!
 
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