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52-59 Burst Conversion

51nocaster

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2004
Messages
196
Great job capturing the process..Thx
Nice to see the ability and tools you have.

( FWIW-I pick up a screwdriver and a voice comes out of the sky ..and says:
"Roger, Step Away From The Screwdriver)
 

MapleFlame

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
Yes it's alotta fun to watch your builds and very interesting to see how it's done. This was a good candidate for restoration. I know this is your guitar to do what you want, but I will be again contraversial. I actually liked the top you had on the guitar over the current retop. I thought the character of the great flame with the center plain was cool. If you look in that top pic, the out side sections is about as good as it gets for flame. Yes everyone wants a center seamed Burst to look like the real deal, but for me I really like what it had. It had great character. I also disagree about the maple that was on there, it's amalgamated to the Mahogony as one and think it has taken away from the tone. As the 52 mahogony, I do agree with being the best from the 50's, I also think the maple from that era was equally as great.
Here's the pic again. No doubt the guitar will come out great. Wish ya the best bro.
PlaneSandTop001.jpg
 

RAB

Active member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
2,122
+1 re the comment about keeping the original top:) My '56 conversion shows nice, matched flame over 80% of the top and then birdseye or blister maple for the remaining, thin sliver of the top. Someone suggested routing out that section and trying to match to the larger, flamed portion but I wanted to leave the original wood intact...:punk
 

boogieongtr

Active member
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
937
I thought the character of the great flame with the center plain was cool. If you look in that top pic, the out side sections is about as good as it gets for flame.
PlaneSandTop001.jpg

Someone suggested routing out that section and trying to match to the larger, flamed portion but I wanted to leave the original wood intact...:punk


The pic I used was to show the process and was from my last conversion. I forgot to take a pic of this top after I stripped it. It was a 3 piece with top with two of them being being dark brown and no flame. If this guitar would have had a top like the last one I would have kept it and inlayed a center piece to match the outside ones.
 

Patrick Ginnaty

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2001
Messages
1,498
Not that I know much, but "conversion" must mean something different to different folks. To me, "52-59 conversion" implies replacing the bridge with a TOM/stop tp, installing PAFs and refining (I used to own a "52/59 conversion"), but using the body wood to build a guitar around with new top, and new neck isn't, in MY mind, a "conversion".

I admire your woodworking skills, but don't really like this project at all.

Sorry, no offense intended... just sayin'.
 

slammintone

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2001
Messages
2,003
Not that I know much, but "conversion" must mean something different to different folks. To me, "52-59 conversion" implies replacing the bridge with a TOM/stop tp, installing PAFs and refining (I used to own a "52/59 conversion"), but using the body wood to build a guitar around with new top, and new neck isn't, in MY mind, a "conversion".

I admire your woodworking skills, but don't really like this project at all.

Sorry, no offense intended... just sayin'.

This is more likely a re-top conversion. Looks to be top rate work going on and then some. I'm glad I checked this thread out and cought a glimpse of this level of craftsmanship. Can't wait to see the end result.
 

bigjimsguitars

New member
Joined
Sep 12, 2005
Messages
3,890
Not that I know much, but "conversion" must mean something different to different folks. To me, "52-59 conversion" implies replacing the bridge with a TOM/stop tp, installing PAFs and refining (I used to own a "52/59 conversion"), but using the body wood to build a guitar around with new top, and new neck isn't, in MY mind, a "conversion".

I admire your woodworking skills, but don't really like this project at all.

Sorry, no offense intended... just sayin'.

Patrick:

I guess you may have missed where Jim stated he will be installing a real 1953 Neck on this? I bet it will be a wonderful sounding guitar once it is done.

Kudos to Jim for what he's doing on this one as it will again be a mostly 50's wood Les Paul! Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if the top is from an old plank of maple!

Jim
 

jwalker

Les Paul Forum Sponsor
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
2,592
One of the coolest features of a vintage Les Paul is the top carve. Why cancel that out with a retop. The work may be skilled but this guitar will forever be a retop. Many people have done them and there will be more I'm sure. But there was only one original top for that guitar. If you are skilled enough to pull off a convincing retop then you might as well start from the ground up rather than shave off the last 3-D carved surface of this guitar.

I get people that want me to rewind perfectly good Paf's. So far I have convinced all of them to say no to a rewind. If the pickup is dead sure rewind it as needed. If it is so heavily potted that you hate it well maybe a case can be made to rewind it. But otherwise do a magnet swap, try it with another guitar, another position, sell it. But why do a destructive operation to a vintage piece when there are other reasonable alternatives? I think this guitar falls into that category.

I have converted my 52' to a wrap tail. So I get the desire to have a vintage guitar that you own fit the bill. And I get the DIY ethic if you have the skills. I make violins and do my own repairs. I could do a retop as it is basically a take on a violin top. But I think a retop needs to be reserved for repairing catastrophic damage.
 

Electric Lloyd

Active member
Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Messages
3,500
Boogie on Guitar,
I think you're doing the LPF an honor by sharing this project. And it takes a set of balls to keep sharing, in spite of the nay-sayers. It's your guitar. Many of us can tell by your impressive skills, that the choice you have made "with YOUR guitar" will come out fantastic. Good luck & please keep us posted! It's looking absolutely killer!:applaude
 
L

loufed52

Guest
I wouldn't retop it. No matter what, the old wood is gone from the top.

If a center seam was that important to me I'd veneer the top- it's far less destructive.

The other modification that bothers me is the end plug.

It seems like a shotgun approach to a fly swatter problem.

I think that the rectangular plug looks far worse than doweling the small holes and making a round patch (or section of dowel) to cover the damaged area.

Your woodworking/guitar repair skills are top notch, but I fail to see the merit in this approach.

I'm a project builder/repairer too, but this was a fine guitar to begin with.

I'm sure that the finished product will look nice, except for the rectangular end plug, but I doubt that it will be a better vintage LP than it would be with just a vintage neck on a minimally repaired body.
 

325-at-2pm

New member
Joined
Oct 29, 2002
Messages
1,218
Wow, a lot of vitriol in some of these posts.

+1

I'm usually very much for the reverence of the old wood, the old guitars, vintage, don't booger with it, etc., etc., etc. ............. In other words, don't mess with early 50s goldtops and other unmolested 1950s guitars that are still basically unmodified. Don't strip 50s Gibsons for PAFs, wiring harnesses, ABR-1s, knobs, tuners, etc., to put on your Historic. :peace2

In some cases like this, where "the cows are already out of the barn", the rules are different. 1970s neck, refinished, non-original bigsby, etc., GO FOR IT. It's a player, so make it an awesome player.

BTW, thanks for sharing. :applaude :applaude :applaude
 
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