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does the gold in a goldtop stifle the tone ???

Dr. Green

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Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
683
Does the bronze powder have a notable effect on the tone of a Historic reissue ?

( I am posting this because I think it does - but my sample size of guitars I tested is small - I do understand that a vintage 54 burst would be amazing tho )
 
Last edited:

brandtkronholm

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Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,737
Does the bronze powder have a notable effect on the tone of a Historic reissue ?

( I am posting this because I think it does - but my sample size of guitars I tested is small - I do understand that a vintage 54 burst would be amazing tho )
Yes.
All gold tops sound terrible. Just awful.
This is why Gibson stopped making them in 1958.
Lord have mercy if you are so unlucky to own an "all gold" Les Paul. Modern reissues are made simply as a gag.
Just ask anyone who owns a gold top, reissue or original, they'll be the first to tell you how rotten they sound.
Also they say it's bronze in the paint, but don't believe them. It's real gold. If it were genuine bronze, they'd be called "bronze tops"!
Moreover, the gold in the paint interferes with the pickups further stifling the tone. The degaussing affect of the trans-orbital remodulation from the nickel/steel of the strings does tend to counter the interference, but only just a bit. Gold top players prefer copper strings with nylon cores.
You can try scrubbing off the gold paint, but the risk of electric shock or worse, sepsis, is simply too great.
The gold top is a failed experiment.
 

renderit

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Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
Yes.
All gold tops sound terrible. Just awful.
This is why Gibson stopped making them in 1958.
Lord have mercy if you are so unlucky to own an "all gold" Les Paul. Modern reissues are made simply as a gag.
Just ask anyone who owns a gold top, reissue or original, they'll be the first to tell you how rotten they sound.
Also they say it's bronze in the paint, but don't believe them. It's real gold. If it were genuine bronze, they'd be called "bronze tops"!
Moreover, the gold in the paint interferes with the pickups further stifling the tone. The degaussing affect of the trans-orbital remodulation from the nickel/steel of the strings does tend to counter the interference, but only just a bit. Gold top players prefer copper strings with nylon cores.
You can try scrubbing off the gold paint, but the risk of electric shock or worse, sepsis, is simply too great.
The gold top is a failed experiment.
This is SO correct.

Also: Now in the state of Kalifornia you can't legally dump them because they are known to cause confusion and bad feelings.

I am so sad I was forced to take all the ones I have.

The Princessa (my wife) has offered to sneak them in my casket to get rid of them.
 

Dr. Green

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Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
683
I figured someone might plead righteous indignation ..... but answer me this then :
if folks say that the amount of plasticizer in the nitro finish can be detrimental to the tone why wouldn't adding a pulverized matrix of metal compound change something in the tone also ?
 

J T

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Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
10,501
Nothing stifled here. Tone for days.

HuNu5VC.jpg
 

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
Just a vicious rumour stumpy..........they've always been good(gold) to go.
 

seafood

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Joined
Jun 11, 2003
Messages
379
it's the knucklehead player,that stifles the tone.......:rolleyes:......don't blame the poor old goldtop!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

AA00475Bassman

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Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
They really sound terrible all the tone is locked away under the paint & some say the dark back's are more impeded a real limp tone .
 

6L6

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Mar 30, 2002
Messages
1,978
^^ You're forgetting the all gold ones, which totally entomb the tone similar to truss rod sleeves :)
 

WillyW

Active member
Joined
Apr 17, 2021
Messages
125
I put gold tops in a wood chipper and harvest the gold from the wood chips....

not as financially sound as it would seem...
 

Dr. Green

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
683
Bronze powder - truss rod condoms - plasticizers in the nitro - wax in the pickups -non hide glue adhesives - wood not aged air dried for decades

TONE ROBBERS - ALL OF THEM
 

Ed Driscoll

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
4,691
Yes.
All gold tops sound terrible. Just awful.
This is why Gibson stopped making them in 1958.
Lord have mercy if you are so unlucky to own an "all gold" Les Paul. Modern reissues are made simply as a gag.
Just ask anyone who owns a gold top, reissue or original, they'll be the first to tell you how rotten they sound.
Also they say it's bronze in the paint, but don't believe them. It's real gold. If it were genuine bronze, they'd be called "bronze tops"!
Moreover, the gold in the paint interferes with the pickups further stifling the tone. The degaussing affect of the trans-orbital remodulation from the nickel/steel of the strings does tend to counter the interference, but only just a bit. Gold top players prefer copper strings with nylon cores.
You can try scrubbing off the gold paint, but the risk of electric shock or worse, sepsis, is simply too great.
The gold top is a failed experiment.
Yes. That's why goldtops don't have "burst tone." ;)
 
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