• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

** 54 Goldtop ** Or Should I Say Flametop - Conversion Candidate

boogieongtr

Active member
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
937
I bought this as a Christmas & Birthday present to myself last December. It is probably the most perfect conversion candidate you could wish for. Let's start with the flame. You can actually see the flame under the gold. Not just in one place but the whole top, also flame in control cavity.

IMG_9447_zps3d9bee90.jpg


Perfect neck angle 3.9.

IMG_9474_zps77432bf7.jpg


Perfect height for the bridge off the body.

IMG_9471_zps34e1a1ad.jpg
 

RAB

Active member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
2,122
Cool...best wishes for a wonderful conversion experience! I am very happy with my '56 LP Standard conversion (all cherry red and PAFs)...the resulting fiddle compares favorably in tone and playability to the multiple original late 1950's Bursts and PAF Goldtop Standards I owed over the decades...and at a much more favorable price point (though I did get my first '59 Burst for $1,000 in 1970. Players in my town thought I was crazy to spend that much for a "used guitar!")
 

Frutiger

Active member
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
727
If this is all original then I see no reason why it should be converted, regardless of how much flame there is.

If it's a refinish, I'd still leave it alone.
 

moonweasel

New member
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
9,427
Sorry, but it would insane to convert that guitar. What a shame.

(ignore me, it's America, do what you want to it.)
 

jimmi

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,077
Did you get this from Mikes music in Cincinnati ? I looked at this one last year I think....I believe it had a bigsby and a dog bone bridge at the time.

I agree with the above. Conversions should be guitars that need major work already or that have already been converted by someone else in the past when these guitars were not viewed how they today. Keep it as a great p90 guitar and leave it as it is. There will be a conversion candidate or a guitar already converted come available just wait and then you will have two great guitars.

If it matters, it will be worth more long term as is than converted.
 

boogieongtr

Active member
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
937
Did you get this from Mikes music in Cincinnati ? I looked at this one last year I think....I believe it had a bigsby and a dog bone bridge at the time.

I agree with the above. Conversions should be guitars that need major work already or that have already been converted by someone else in the past when these guitars were not viewed how they today. Keep it as a great p90 guitar and leave it as it is. There will be a conversion candidate or a guitar already converted come available just wait and then you will have two great guitars.

If it matters, it will be worth more long term as is than converted.

Yes I bought it from Mike. The Bigsby and bridge were free floating and no holes bored into the top for the Bigsby. I put one of the MoJo compensated bridges on and had it refretted. Plays great...
 
Last edited:

Greasy G

New member
Joined
May 6, 2013
Messages
285
It looks awesome! I wouldn't convert it either. But then again, I would leave the Bigsby on it as well. As long as you play and love it, it doesn't matter what you do with it. :hank
 
Last edited:

Prototype

New member
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
373
I'd cherish that guitar as it is.

Or, as it was - with the Bigsby & dogbone. Now it has stoptail holes drilled in the top, and I guess those will be filled and converted to ABR bridge posts. I'm not really seeing the "most perfect conversion candidate" here, more like "once a perfect 1953 dogbone".
 

jubelo

New member
Joined
Oct 30, 2001
Messages
92
That guitar has got great character just the way it is.

I would leave it alone and I would not modify it one bit .
 

boogieongtr

Active member
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
937
Or, as it was - with the Bigsby & dogbone. Now it has stoptail holes drilled in the top, and I guess those will be filled and converted to ABR bridge posts. I'm not really seeing the "most perfect conversion candidate" here, more like "once a perfect 1953 dogbone".


It's a 54 NOT a 53 and came from the factory as a wraptail. When I bought the guitar the Bigsby & dogbone bridge were on the guitar. The bridge post bushings are under the dogbone.
54_zps930431d0.jpg
 

jimmi

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,077
It's a 54 NOT a 53 and came from the factory as a wraptail. When I bought the guitar the Bigsby & dogbone bridge were on the guitar. The bridge post bushings are under the dogbone.
54_zps930431d0.jpg

That is what it looked like when Mike pitched to me. I almost bought it but got a better deal on the one I got from Gruhn. I would leave it and the arm wear. Kind of like a girl lifting her skirt so you see a bit of what's underneath :)
 

Don

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2001
Messages
5,732
Wow! That's awesome! My dream guitar twice in one day (wrap tail/bridge, P-90 Les Paul)!
 

jimmi

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,077
If you burst it, you still have to dowel it.

Actually you can do a good job hiding those. Either way, I would leave it. Besides, who knows what the rest of the top looks like. It could be must a piece of a multi piece top has flame.
 
Top