My UN-CONVERSION project!

Fuzzface · Mar 17, 2012

Hi guys. This project has taken me 18 years! I bought a badly converted 52 les paul around 1994, broke the headstock shortly after, and on the whole forgot about it. Anyway, Long story short.... I wanted to re-convert/un-convert it to look like a 53/54.

In hindsight, I should have gone goldtop humbucker route and neck reset. I know many of you will think I'm mad, and and you are probably right. This was a prime conversion candidate... I know, I know. Anyone else reversed (almost) a conversion?

Here are some progess pics. Graham Noden did the woodwork repairs, and Charlie Chandler has done the painting. Kim from Vintage Checkout has got me most of the parts. The bridge will be a shaved stop tail although the Glasser Trapeze is interesting. The finish will be naturally tinted in next few weeks, and should be all done in 6 weeks. The last pics are with iphone so apologies for their quality. Enjoy!

As a burst:-

Headstock break:-

Routes/holes plugged

Latest pics:-

BurstWurst · Mar 17, 2012

I'm loving it that she's getting a wrap-tail. I am so jonesing for a wrap-tail 50s LP.

MapleFlame · Mar 17, 2012

What it boils down to, is what you like and want. I thought the Burst was killer with that slightly off center Seam. Great project and thanks for sharing

boogieongtr · Mar 17, 2012

And there you go, a conversion... unconverted. Great project. Thanks for the thread and enjoy!!!

gerry fischer · Mar 17, 2012

great
i think such threads we will see more often in future

Ken Fortunato · Mar 18, 2012

Well... It's no secret that I'm a P90 wraptail Lester fan, so I'm going to give this project two thumbs up. :salude

Black58 · Mar 18, 2012

Fuzzface said:

Nice ORANGE. :salude .. Which one is that? :hmm

Fuzzface · Mar 18, 2012

Black58 said:
Nice ORANGE. :salude .. Which one is that? :hmm

No idea! This pic is at Charlie Chandlers shop.

The pics make this guitar look much more gold than it really is by the way. Much paler in reality.

yeti · Mar 19, 2012

gerry fischer said:
great
i think such threads we will see more often in future

:3zone :3zone :3zone

Fuzzface · Mar 19, 2012

gerry fischer said:
great
i think such threads we will see more often in future

If this project was to land on my lap again, I would PROBABLY gone the full conversion.

This was definitely not the best financial route! A full conversion would poss have cost more and prob made it more finacially desirable. It will always be a refin 52 with a typical shallow neck and plugged holes that migfht begin to show as the finish sinks/ages. But I did this to get the guitar I wanted.

IF I ever buy a un-molested 53/54, it would make me think again about converting this...i HAVE to be honest here.

On a diff note, does the top look a bit oversanded? Not bothered, but is it too much of a pronounced dish?

My UN-CONVERSION project!

Fuzzface

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