Musicman
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Whatever you do I hope it looks as good as it does now.
** 54 Goldtop ** Or Should I Say Flametop - Conversion Candidate
- Thread starter boogieongtr
- Start date
Y
yeti
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I don't think Jim came here to check whether he has the right to do the conversion or not. Of course he can do with it as he pleases but we don't have to like it.
EdKing
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JIM CANNOT DO AS HE PLEASES!!!!
Rev.WillieVK
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YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!!
........................................- John McEnroe
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:rofl :biggrin:
........................................- John McEnroe
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:rofl :biggrin:
ted149
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Yeah I also implore you not to convert it. In 20 years time the fad for PAF burst conversions will look as strange as guitars with all that solid brass on from the eighties. 50's guitars are like land: they ain't making them any more.
etzeppy
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Looks great with the wraptail.
Looked great with the Bigsby.
I'm sure it would look great converted to a '57
I'm sure it would look great converted to a burst.
If it were mine, I would leave as-is.
Looked great with the Bigsby.
I'm sure it would look great converted to a '57
I'm sure it would look great converted to a burst.
If it were mine, I would leave as-is.
jalevinemd
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Regardless of how people feel about it, you know everyone's going to be loving the thread if he does one of his amazing step-by-step documentary types...
I know I will.
I know I will.
jalevinemd
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capitalbear
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garywright
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not me
jimmi
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Only to make myself sad. Rescue an issue guitar and convert? Sure. Take one that still has a great finish and no breaks with original hardware and convert it? Lunacy.
Funnily enough, I think the 20 (ish) years later is right now.
It seems to me that the golden age for Conversions was in the 80's. People were a bit desperate for some flame and were asking the worlds best luthiers to help them. But 25 years later, those guitars are more desirable than ever. If you follow the classifieds ads in both forums you will be aware that there is a fairly healthy/OK market for nice vintage guitars. But the guitar which has 10 buyers interested just moments after it is posted is the (expert) Conversion.
Today is different. Flame is everywhere (Historics, Replicas). A guitar converted today is just as likely to retain the gold paint.
My views on Conversations may not tally exactly with other forum members. I believe that a Conversion involves a neck re-set and that the neck angle of a 52/53 Gibson Les Paul is really the only factor which justifies the modification of a vintage guitar. There are still large numbers of untouched 52/53 guitars in collections (and more in use with reversable trap-bar mods) so I don't see that there is any need to feel concerned about Les Paul's legacy.
boogieongtr
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I don’t know who made you God over the conversion world. You are the biggest hypocrite posting in this thread. Here are a couple of threads you started about your 2 Burst conversions. In this thread you show your 53 Burst conversion http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186047 and in this one your 54 Burst conversion. http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185449 In that thread you write: Compares well to bursts back to back ...one of those owners tried to buy it from me. In another recent thread: Show your #1 there are 9 conversions and guess what... you post your 2 Burst conversions. So let me see if I understand your hypocrisy. It’s OK for you to own 2 Burst conversions then bust my chops for converting this 54. Oh wait.... I forgot...your absolution is the fact that you didn’t convert them but bought them already converted. OK now I understand.... If you were true to your post wanting to rescue these lonley 50’s Goldtops you would have your 2 Burst conversions restored to their original P90 Goldtops but I’m sure that will NEVER happen. Your self righteous attitude makes me puke!
jimmi
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I haven't been a forum member here that long so I want to thank you for my first real attack from a other member. I feel like I belong now. :salude
Notice i didnt say, no guitar should ever be converted did I? While it is true I own 2 conversions, as you say, I didn't do it. They had already had their identity and originality stripped when I got to them. Is it a matter of degrees? Maybe. The first conversion I know for a fact and been done (reportedly at Gibson) before I was born by its original owner and before these guitars had reached the status they currently occupy. Also, the fact it was done by the factory gives it a little originality. When I got it it was virtually unplayable. I brought it back and gigged with it for years. The second's history is less certain. I was told it had been done in the 70s I did buy it because of the top, wt and the fact that much of the hardware was still original including the case. You are right to say that I could have refinished it back to gold ...,but at that point it is still a refinished guitar. Put the p90s back now more plugs and a refinished guitar. Point is that nothing I was going to do could take it back to original. I will concede that sharing pictures etc could motivate others to do what you are doing so maybe I should re think that.
I said in the very post you quoted, I could see converting it if it were an issue guitar. But it isn't. It has no breaks, original hardware, original finish that looks better than the '54 that I have now and had Mike been willing to come down another couple grand I might have bought this one instead....and kept it original just as I have the original 54 I own now. (Which also has a flame top under I can see in the control cavity and through the cracks under the arm wear. This guitar IMHO is in too good of shape to do anything to it when there are a lot of other guitars that have that aren't as in close to the same shape you could convert. But then I would not retop a guitar either regardless of condition and you have done several of those already.
There is a difference Many here also see it (several others who comment in this thread have conversions that were issue guitars they found) despite recognizing the value of a conversion. The strong reaction tells me you have made up your mind to do it. If you don't want to hear opinions then don't post in a public forum.
Y
yeti
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It takes a bit longer here than over at the other forum but eventually someone will "make it official":dude:
Dishimyuh
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What you like isn't a consideration, what Jim likes is.
Hardrockmapletop
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My take is wrap tail conversions with original tops look wrong anyway, with their plugged stud holes.
I know I sold you a '53 that you converted Jim, and your work is 1st class, but that's just my 2 cents.
Flip side is, it's only a freaking guitar, do what you like.
I just gutted a completely original '59 345 of it original harness.
Felt kind of torn, but I want to PLAY the thing the way I want.
There will be other examples kept intact and original for future generations.
To quote FZ, "whatever you can do to have a good time, let's get on with it, so long as it doesn't cause a murder!" :biggrin:
I know I sold you a '53 that you converted Jim, and your work is 1st class, but that's just my 2 cents.
Flip side is, it's only a freaking guitar, do what you like.
I just gutted a completely original '59 345 of it original harness.
Felt kind of torn, but I want to PLAY the thing the way I want.
There will be other examples kept intact and original for future generations.
To quote FZ, "whatever you can do to have a good time, let's get on with it, so long as it doesn't cause a murder!" :biggrin:
Greasy G
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Okay, guys. Group hug. That's an order!
jimmi
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I have seen a couple where the were able to blend the finish and cover the dowl holes without any problem.
I agree that Jim does excellent work. I actually talked to him once about refinishing a guitar but he was backed up for over 2 yrs at the time. Guess he wouldn't take the business from me now :rofl