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All Gold Goldtop to gold Hardware Update

Turbozag

Banned
Joined
Jun 6, 2002
Messages
369
Almost there!

I have most of the gold hardware on my 1990 Classic Gold Top.

Some of you may remember way back a few months ago when I posted that I was going to do this project.

Several here expressed their disapproval. But having done one before, I knew it would be a beauty. And it is IMHO.

Of course, my opinion is the only one that really counts.

:wow

Anyway, here is a photo of the nearly done project. I simply replaced all the hardware with the exact same Gibson parts, only in gold. I still have a couple screws to replace, and the tuner bushings also need to be swapped. I'm also going to gold-plate a set of knob-pointers and add them later.

Oddly, the bridge pickup cover hole spacing does not match up perfectly...? Yes, I used the Gibson neck and bridge pickup covers respectively....

Anyone know why the bridge pickup cover would not fit the pickup in my 1990 Classic? The front cover fits perfectly. The pickups are the stock from the factory. And I saw the labels on the pickup covers new in package clearly stating which pickup they fit.......?

Here is the beauty!!!

Goldtop%20Gold%20body1.JPG



I'll get a better photo when I can...

Whataya think?
 
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Widespread25

New member
Joined
Nov 14, 2002
Messages
237
At first when you said gold on gold..I was thinkin...ok, this guy doesnt know what hes talkin about.

Now that I take a look at it, that thing turned out beautiful! Great idea!
 

Turbozag

Banned
Joined
Jun 6, 2002
Messages
369
Thanks guys!

I'm really liking the way it looks.

I still need 4 gold bridge-post wheels, 6 gold pickup pole-screws, and 9 gold rear-cover screws to finish it up!

I used all new Gibson parts (except for the Dunlop Straploks) and everything I did is non-destructive and easily reverseable to original.

I bagged and labeled all original parts in small ziplock baggies.

It looks better every time I look at it!
 

Lars

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2002
Messages
2,082
I might have to do that to my goldtop!Awesome bro'.
 

DvnLesPaul

All Access/Backstage Pass
Joined
Sep 17, 2002
Messages
816
Me too

I have a honeyburst Heritage 80 Elite (not the one in my avatar) that I did the same thing to. Gold grovers, covers, bridge, TOM,... I think it really looks great with the honey...
 

Turbozag

Banned
Joined
Jun 6, 2002
Messages
369
Hey Herc,,, Funny thing is, the front cover fit perfectly. The holes line up perfectly over the pole-screws. The rear cover fits fine, just that the three holes on the the treble side get progressively out-of-line with the pole-screws.

I thought maybe the rear cover had been mis-labeled from the factory, but when I compared it to the new front cover which I had already installed, it was definitely different (as in the hole-spacing was not the same!) Any rate, I'm sure something is not quite right there. I'll figure it out and correct it.

And Lars...

I was fortunate enough to find a fellow Forum member who sold me most of the new Gibson parts at a great deal. With new tuners, all screws, pickup covers, bridge assembly, tail assembly, jack plate, switch knurled nut, pickguard bracket, and straplocks, you could spend $200 to $300 for the parts not including the setup and labor.

I really love the way it turned out. The beauty that is inherrent in a GoldTop with a bit of added "class" that the gold adds IMHO.

I admit that before seeing it completed, I was afraid that all the gold might make it look cheap. In reality, it has just the opposite effect. It makes a nickel-hardware Goldtop look "plain" when sitting side-by-side.

I'll get a better photo soon.
 

Dwell

New member
Joined
Jul 18, 2001
Messages
1,128
Now you just need a Crown Royal air freshener and a neon kit!
 

Dan Erlewine

New member
Joined
Jul 18, 2001
Messages
2,153
Looks good!

Don't listen to any negative remarks . . . especially if YOU like it.

I think the gold on gold looks good.

I used to combine gold/nickel or gold/chrome on electric guitars that I made or did custom work on. I thought THAT looked cool!

Looking at yours, I thought that "aged" gold would be better than shiny gold. But you can do that whenever you want (age the gold), and BETTER yet the gold plating will quickly age and "tone-down" just from playing and oxidation.

nice!

dan
 

SteveB334

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Jul 30, 2001
Messages
1,352
I didn't think I would like it but I love it rock on:dude
 

RickN

New member
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
7,143
Turbozag said:
Hey Herc,,, Funny thing is, the front cover fit perfectly. The holes line up perfectly over the pole-screws. The rear cover fits fine, just that the three holes on the the treble side get progressively out-of-line with the pole-screws.
Hey, TZ... That looks beautiful. As a GT owner myself, I've always preferred a traditional look on a GT, down to the point of not even considering running without pickup covers.

But that look you're getting is really something!

On the subject of pickup covers, I think I have an unused "bridge" pickup cover in gold in a box somewhere. I'm restoring the gold hardware on my '76 Braz rw LPC, and a local shop ordered all the hardware direct from Gibson. Gibson sent two different pickup covers... but my guitar doesn't have the "bridge"-spaced pickup, so the cover just went in a box. Send me an email with your shipping address and I'll dig it up and mail it to you. Maybe it will fit a little better.

:dude
 

Turbozag

Banned
Joined
Jun 6, 2002
Messages
369
Thanks again for all the comments everybody!

I keep going to open the case and look at it. I swear it really is pretty!

Rick, thanks a bunch for your offer! Very cool of you! I'll drop you an email with my address, and I'd be most happy to compensate you or return the favor if I can!

I'm thinking that I will send it to Dan Erlewine and let him do the setup for me and replace the tuner bushings. Spoke to him on the phone today and he was most supportive and helpful.

Also, I was told by a local guy that I couldn't get a gold ABR-type bridge. Dan informed me today that he has a new Tone Pro gold bridge with the small posts and ABR design! So if anyone needs a new Gibson gold Nashville Tunamatic bridge cheap, let me know!
(it has NOT had notches cut in the saddles!)

Do they make gold fret-wire?

:wow
 

RickN

New member
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
7,143
Turbozag said:
Also, I was told by a local guy that I couldn't get a gold ABR-type bridge.
Lee, are you talking about a gold ABR-1 Gibson bridge or a gold Tone Pros bridge?
 

Turbozag

Banned
Joined
Jun 6, 2002
Messages
369
mofinco said:
Lee, are you talking about a gold ABR-1 Gibson bridge or a gold Tone Pros bridge?

Well, I was told there was no gold ABR-1 type "Gibson" bridge.
Then when I spoke to Dan, he told me he had a Tone Pro ABR-1 type gold bridge. Tone Pros are better than stock, right?

The one I show in the photo is a Nashville type that mounts differently. I simply have it sitting on the silver original posts.

The ABR type has smaller diameter posts that screw directly into the wood top. The Nashville type has two bushings that are mounted in the wood. Then the larger diameter posts of the Nashville bridge screw into the bushings. I don't really want to drill out the top to mount the bushings when I can just screw in a gold replacement, which is really what I wanted to begin with.

So, I'm going to get the Tone Pro bridge from Dan and sell the Nashville bridge I already have. The slots have not been cut, so the bridge is as new (with original posts and bushings and original Gibson packaging).

I also noticed that the tuner bushings have a "wide lip" on the original nickel ones. The new "gold" ones I have are push-in type also, but have a smaller diameter lip. No biggie.

I'm going to send off a set of 4 knob-pointers and have them gold plated. I may end up plating a set of the wider bushings too! But I'd say the smaller ones will look good too. They are after all, gold.

;)
 
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