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Basket Case 52 Goldtop .... Conversion Candidate Just For Me

boogieongtr

boogieongtr

Active member
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
944
Wilko said:
While you have obviously got the bridge placement accuracy with your template and all, a lot of guys would have made the tailpiece line through the knobs a top priority. To do that you have needed to do the bridge/tail before the controls.

Doesn't make it sound any different, but is one of the "tells" that make personal conversion/restoration jobs unique and interesting!
Click to expand...


Not so, the line thru the knobs will be very close from my template & control boring technique. It is very deceiving to see the line without the tailpiece & knobs installed.

IMG_8318_zps71fd972d.jpg


IMG_8317_zps853ca1e9.jpg


IMG_8319_zps490989b2.jpg


Fully dressed and with Grovers the guitar weighs 7lbs 15oz.
IMG_8315_zps6db5e865.jpg
 
cjp54

cjp54

Member
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
499
Wow! Great job Jim! What a stunning guitar.
This has been my favorite thread in quite some time. What an education!
BRAVO!
One last question?
How does she sound?
 
boogieongtr

boogieongtr

Active member
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
944
cjp54 said:
Wow! Great job Jim! What a stunning guitar.
This has been my favorite thread in quite some time. What an education!
BRAVO!
One last question?
How does she sound?
Click to expand...

I'm glad you enjoyed the thread. To answer your question I tried the guitar with both ThroBak & VooDoo 57's (my favorite 2 winders) Both sets sounded great. I played it thru a Komet Concorde, Jim Kelley & Bludotone amps with & without pedals. I wanted to see where the upper mids sat to make my final evaluation of the guitar. I have never had this light weight of a guitar before and was skeptical that a lightweight guitar could have great mids or not be too thin & trebly. Wow was I wrong. The neck pickup just sings above the 8th fret and an open E chord was so clear and articulate (not muddy in any way) The bridge pickup was very full & not overly bright. The guitar is super resonate & sustains forever & you can feel the notes in the neck. What a great connection to your amp. I was so impressed with this guitar I broke out some vintage parts from my stash. It's worth taking it to the next level. I have a complete 58 harness, pots & caps, never used 50's ABR1, 2 sets of original PAF's (DC & Zebra and a virgin set of untouched Double creams, TR cover, 50's tailpiece. I thought I had 2 sets of vintage knobs but I gave Ed King a free set & I guess that was my last. No worries, I'm glad the knobs are on his guitar. Enjoy them Ed...
IMG_8320_zpsdfa5fd11.jpg
 
Tom Wittrock

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Beginning to end, a fantastic thread! :dude:

[and yes, I know the thread isn't over ... I mean the conversion :ganz]
 
T

tulsa

New member
Joined
Jan 17, 2005
Messages
82
what a great thread!!....just fantastic documentaion and work!.....
boogieongtr said:
I'm glad you enjoyed the thread. To answer your question I tried the guitar with both ThroBak & VooDoo 57's (my favorite 2 winders) Both sets sounded great. I played it thru a Komet Concorde, Jim Kelley & Bludotone amps with & without pedals. I wanted to see where the upper mids sat to make my final evaluation of the guitar. I have never had this light weight of a guitar before and was skeptical that a lightweight guitar could have great mids or not be too thin & trebly. Wow was I wrong. The neck pickup just sings above the 8th fret and an open E chord was so clear and articulate (not muddy in any way) The bridge pickup was very full & not overly bright. The guitar is super resonate & sustains forever & you can feel the notes in the neck. What a great connection to your amp. I was so impressed with this guitar I broke out some vintage parts from my stash. It's worth taking it to the next level. I have a complete 58 harness, pots & caps, never used 50's ABR1, 2 sets of original PAF's (DC & Zebra and a virgin set of untouched Double creams, TR cover, 50's tailpiece. I thought I had 2 sets of vintage knobs but I gave Ed King a free set & I guess that was my last. No worries, I'm glad the knobs are on his guitar. Enjoy them Ed...
IMG_8320_zpsdfa5fd11.jpg
Click to expand...
 
K

Kim R

Guest
This has all been so cool, Jim!

Congratulations on a wonderful build/guitar.
 
moonweasel

moonweasel

Active member
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
9,427
Super nice work.

Do you have the ABR facing that way just out of personal preference?
 
saxosim

saxosim

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2012
Messages
174
Wow that looks absolutely fantastic thanks for sharing your conversion progress and photos. I love threads like this and it is tempting me to carry out some sort of Les Paul repair and refinish project myself :)
 
bluesforstevie

bluesforstevie

New member
Joined
Jun 20, 2002
Messages
12,771
Just killer Jim....since this one is just for you...what is your honest opinion on the tone? Does the instrument lose / gain anything from the new top or does it sound pretty similar to how it did before the transformation? Anyway, I think you are very talented cat. I'm bummed that this thread is getting near its end.

I had a very lightweight conversion ( a 52, as well) and it sounded as you describe. Rang like a bell and just wanted to sing. What are K numbers from your pups if I may pry?
 
Last edited:
boogieongtr

boogieongtr

Active member
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
944
bluesforstevie said:
Just killer Jim....since this one is just for you...what is your honest opinion on the tone? Does the instrument lose / gain anything from the new top or does it sound pretty similar to how it did before the transformation? Anyway, I think you are very talented cat. I'm bummed that this thread is getting near its end.

I had a very lightweight conversion ( a 52, as well) and it sounded as you describe. Rang like a bell and just wanted to sing. What are K numbers from your pups if I may pry?
Click to expand...

Tone is so subjective but IMOP the majority & building block tone of a LP is the mahogany. I don't think a retop done right & with the correct glue will suffer any in tone. I have done over 24 conversions from 1) Plug & route for humbuckers keeping original top & finish, 2) plug & re-route for humbuckers and neck reset keeping original finish, 3) plug & route for humbuckers total refin 4) Retop conversions 5) owned a veneer top conversion 6) 50's LP Jr conversions The 2 best sounding conversions I have done were retops. The outputs of the pickups were 8.2 Bridge & 7.8 Neck
 
Red Baron

Red Baron

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
6,812
I'm really interested to see what you think of the vintage parts compared to the new parts after you've installed them in this guitar...

The guitar looks sensational :salude
 
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