Finish checking on vintage Les Pauls

sws1 · Jun 27, 2017

Tom Wittrock said:
Several views of the same guitar:

My GT is a lot like this one...checks in both directions. It's hard to get a photograph which shows both at the same time, however.

Tom Wittrock · Jun 27, 2017

sws1 said:
My GT is a lot like this one...checks in both directions. It's hard to get a photograph which shows both at the same time, however.

Try taking the photo from an angle that has both line directions at an angle, like the third photo in this group.

JJ Blair · Jun 27, 2017

What I find on gold tops is that the gold lacquer layer and the clear layer may check separately, and in different directions. The top layer may deepen into the gold, but they don't necessarily check together off the bat.

Ed A · Aug 5, 2017

JPP-1 said:
Thanks Ed for the insight,

I could be wrong but I think it quite possible that the checking we find most aesthetically pleasing typically happens gradually as you described.

On another note, I guess that was the sweet conversion you had. I didn't know it was ever for sale. Loved the sound of that in your Youtube video. While a lot of it is your playing which is excellent, -though I did wish you would slow it down every now and then and savor the notes like you do when you're playing an ABB song because you got that Duane thing pretty much down pat, I thought that GT was one of the best sounding Les Paul videos I've heard. While it did seem to have a good bit of bite and brightness, it still had plenty of sweetness too and that woody, singing, twangy honk and moan which to me are essential qualities for a good Les Paul.

Man whomever got that axe got a helluva great guitar afaic.

Sorry, just seeing this now. Yeah I had that conversion in many YouTube videos and yes you're right sometimes I do need to slow it down LOL! It was very hard for me to part with that guitar but it went to a good friend of mine who lives close by so that made it a lot easier because I can see it and play it whenever I want. And I kept the PAF's which are a favorite pair of mine as well as all the other vintage parts.

Kanga Blue · Aug 6, 2018

JJ Blair said:
Murphy uses a razor. I've only ever seen one person use a razor in a manner that looks like real checking, and it ain't Murphy. I've seen his work, and I've watched videos of him doing it. This is what top grade razor checking looks like, and I've never seen a Murphy with this amount of patience and detail.

That looks Great! With my name I should be doing this! Would you mind sharing who the artist is that did it?

StSpider · Aug 6, 2018

As stated before by JJ Blair:

Joel Wilkens at JW Restoration. He also does cold checking, but I think for that guitar, he wanted a certain amount of control. Full blown ninja.

Black58 · Aug 6, 2018

Sorry, don't have anything vintage :dang, but my black '97 R8 is checking VERTICALLY .. like a lot of Goldtops that I've seen. Just pondering, I wonder if that has anything to with paint/pigment, as opposed to, clearcoat with dye in it. :hmm

JJ Blair · Aug 8, 2018

)2azer said:
That looks Great! With my name I should be doing this! Would you mind sharing who the artist is that did it?

Joel Wilkens. His website is old and not great, but you can follow his wizardry on Instagram @jw.restoration. Really cool stuff.

Arnold M. · Aug 8, 2018

JJ Blair said:
Joel Wilkens. His website is old and not great, but you can follow his wizardry on Instagram @jw.restoration. Really cool stuff.

I just visited this gentleman's website and saw how how he transformed a beat to hell GoldTop into a brand spanking new GoldTop ... these days isn't it usually the other way around ... here's he shiny new guitar ...make it look like it's been beat to hell for 60 years ... for $5,000

Finish checking on vintage Les Pauls

sws1

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Tom Wittrock

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JJ Blair

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Ed A

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Kanga Blue

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StSpider

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Black58

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JJ Blair

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Arnold M.

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