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Anyway to find out if there is flame underneath the gold top?

Tarcisioo

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Joined
Oct 5, 2014
Messages
385
Looks like a stellar top, I love mismatched ones. But that finish is something out of this world... Very fine example of what a goldtop should look like to me. Gorgeous guitar
 

Snappy Joe

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Jul 7, 2011
Messages
196
LOVE that guitar.

I don't see flame coming through the paint on the treble side. VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY few of these have decent flame on both sides. KILLER guitar.

The flames on the treble side are not seen on the photo. I had a hard time finding them but they are there although less pronounced than in the upper half of the top. Today I found out that I could see them better w. normal bulb light. They are more of the Gary Moore/ PGreen narrow pattern. Well not that narrow but considerably smaller and narrower than what you can see on top. The top is way more spectacular than I could catch w. the camera. The flames reach all the way down to the seam.
It's very hard to decide on a burst convert because my GT has s.th. to say about its' history. When I bought it in 77 it was already almost looking like that. It was only nine years old and already had these honest marks from the former owner that I unfortunately had never met. I found it in a music store in my home town. I wonder who the guy was that obviously must have been a pro musician playing the hell out of it within this relatively short period of time.
 

Jumping@Shadows

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Joined
Dec 11, 2003
Messages
1,330
Very cool guitar :salude

Here's an early '68 I'm currently refinishing:

image_zps1xkz3zvt.jpg


The flame is mismatched, but still very cool and it'll look killer with an aged '59 cherry burst IMO.

This example has an old headstock repair, a stripped top and a previous attempt at a humbucker conversion, so is an obvious candidate for a full burst conversion, but I'd personally think long and hard before removing the beautiful original gold on yours IMO.
That said, if you do decide, drop me a PM and I'll be happy to burst it for you :)
 
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Doc Sausage

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Nov 21, 2006
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1,707
I know this is a vintage section but what do you think you'd find under a modern day, GT Trad Pro, ground-up maple bowling pins? :hmm

And for my own edification, why not sand the GT off?
 
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Tarcisioo

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Oct 5, 2014
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385
And for my own edification, why not sand the GT off?

Because goldtops age in such a specific way that it's almost impossible to replicate. That's why you hardly see artificially aged goldtops, and even less with greening, wich as my knowledge goes, few to none can replicate in a convincing way
 

Doc Sausage

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Nov 21, 2006
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Because goldtops age in such a specific way that it's almost impossible to replicate. That's why you hardly see artificially aged goldtops, and even less with greening, wich as my knowledge goes, few to none can replicate in a convincing way

But we're not talking replicating, he was looking for flame under it. That ostensibly involves removing ALL of the GT. So why not sand???
 

Mars Hall

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Nov 26, 2008
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But we're not talking replicating, he was looking for flame under it. That ostensibly involves removing ALL of the GT. So why not sand???

I could be wrong but from the warning I gather, as to not damage the top.
 

Snappy Joe

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Jul 7, 2011
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196
The gold finish is a very thin layer over the filler as it appears to me on my LP. I can see it at the rubbed off areas. I think I could almost just polish off this layer and end up w. a perfectly shiny factory filler. If I decided to convert to a burst, then I would favor this way instead having s.o. stripp it. he would have to build it all up all from zero. looking at the current Gibson finishes I think it's a horror. They are fat layers that get sanded and polished down to a luster but they lack the perfection of the traditional way of multiple thin coating and polishing surfaces. Gibson guitars are produced at a much faster production speed these days. And that unfortunately is reflected in the results. Not sure if the makeover artists do a better job. I haven't seen any in front of me, just asking myself.
 

Holgar

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Joined
May 11, 2003
Messages
222
If it was my guitar, I would leave it just the way it looks now. It represents a piece of your life and is a very special and great looking guitar, aged by use and with a history. I don´t find a reason to make it look like other Les Pauls.
 

Snappy Joe

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Jul 7, 2011
Messages
196
Very true. That's exactly what every serious guitar player should appreciate on his instrument. I keep telling people the same thing. But you can't imagine how it feels finding a nice flame under your finish after you had been asking yourself for over 36 years. It's such a powerful disease that, like a sleeping virus, reactivates like a vulcano. And then, there is my love for humbucker pickups. I'm s.o. who loves changes, but yeah, I'm gonna heal it as time goes by. Hopefully. Thanks for the input
 

FuneralBill5150

New member
Joined
May 5, 2018
Messages
5
Years ago I was thinking about getting the ABR back, but first of all, I don't trust anybody to get the touch up right as it has it's unique greened gold finish. Then I realised that this odd combination was squeezing the best sound out the guitar. Meanwhile I have no problem, because it's part of my own silly history, so to speak.
A refin job is totally out of question because the way it appears w. all its' authentic marks should be preserved. I was thinking about keeping them even if I'd decide on a burst convert. Kind of masking some of the more sever scars.
Anyway, if I had to decide what to do, it should bei either a burst convert or leaving it as is.
BTW, I took off the pickguard for the first time since 30 years just 2 days ago. It's interesting to see the grade of greenish it had become compared to the gold underneath. When I bought it in 1978/79 there was no difference at all.
What is a LSLP by the way?


If it's perfect like you keep saying then why mess with it? Think about it like this, what if you strip the Gold away and put it back together and the sound you love is gone? You'll never get it back just buy repainting it gold. If you love the sound as is then leave it alone. There are 1000s of stories out there of people who messed with their "perfect" guitar and ruined it forever. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!! Just my opinion. I'd hate to see a new post of you saying "here it is, looks great but sounds terrible now, wish I left it gold."
 

Wizard1183

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Jan 20, 2018
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781
Look on YouTube. There’s a vid you place a piece of poster board and shine a light to reflect the flame. Works wonders.
 

Bruce R

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Mar 2, 2007
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1,029
Gibson utilizes these guitars as Goldtops for a reason. I've never seen a stripped Goldtop with an especially nice top. Too many reasons to just buy one with a top you like in the first place.
 

El Gringo

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Apr 8, 2015
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5,657
Gibson utilizes these guitars as Goldtops for a reason. I've never seen a stripped Goldtop with an especially nice top. Too many reasons to just buy one with a top you like in the first place.
Exactly , because Gibson paints the more plain and less figured tops
 

Bruce R

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Mar 2, 2007
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Exactly , because Gibson paints the more plain and less figured tops

I've wondered why my Plaintop R8 wasn't utilized as a Goldtop. I don't personally care for flame tops and bought my '06 R8 because I liked the sunburst (Iced Tea) on it. My maple top is really not very attractive though, and it seems that the varying colors in the wood have become more apparent through the years. It's a great guitar, sounds fantastic, and it has a huge '57 type neck. I can't complain!
 

copernicus

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Joined
Feb 28, 2007
Messages
64
Don't touch that guitar, it's beautiful as it is. Just play the hell out of it, eventually the treasure will reveal itself.
 
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