Gibson Les Paul Conversions

[mistersnappy]

Anyone have some good 50's Les Paul conversion pics that they would like to share?

Y’all got to embrace the weird Conversions! Are there any left? Ive got a hack job I bought in ‘87 and flogged thru all my “glory days”. I’m frankly ashamed of the tailpiece location, therefore will not post any pictures.
The refin is absolutely beautiful complete lemon fade with greening. Which is astonishing for the time period? Despite the shitty tailpiece, its stays in tune. I may’ve put a PAF ( or as some say, “paahf”) in it.
Wait, it also has one of the ugliest headstock break repairs you might see.

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

Y’all got to embrace the weird Conversions! Are there any left? Ive got a hack job I bought in ‘87 and flogged thru all my “glory days”. I’m frankly ashamed of the tailpiece location, therefore will not post any pictures.
The refin is absolutely beautiful complete lemon fade with greening. Which is astonishing for the time period? Despite the shitty tailpiece, its stays in tune. I may’ve put a PAF ( or as some say, “paahf”) in it.
Wait, it also has one of the ugliest headstock break repairs you might see.

Was just revisiting a few old threads and saw your post. How about just for fun a picture of the back so we can see the green lemon.

 

[GStone]

I'm a rookie about some of this stuff. And this is the 1st time I heard the term LP "conversion". From reading the 1st page of posts in this thread I gather that a LP conversion is taking a original older than '59 Les Paul and converting it to '59 specs and appearance. That is changing the bridge, adding a stoptail if it din't have one, changing the pickups to the appropriate humbuckers and refinishing to a sunburst. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Wilko]

Yep, that's the gist. Some models have different bridges to convert from. I converted a late '55/'56 that already had a Tune-O-matic bridge. It only needed pickups and sunburst.

 

[thin sissy]

I'm a rookie about some of this stuff. And this is the 1st time I heard the term LP "conversion". From reading the 1st page of posts in this thread I gather that a LP conversion is taking a original older than '59 Les Paul and converting it to '59 specs and appearance. That is changing the bridge, adding a stoptail if it din't have one, changing the pickups to the appropriate humbuckers and refinishing to a sunburst. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You got it! It is a heartbreaking thing for us goldtop and P90 lovers, but to each their own

 

[gary buff]

If you don't absolutely have to have a sunburst but want the old wood and everything else, just get an aforementioned 55-56 with tom and rout it for HBs. I did exactly that years ago when it wasn't that big a deal to do so (and PAFS could be had for $100-150 each) and it turned out great.

 

[asapmaz]

Yeah, spend $60-70k for a 55-56 and then hack it up for humbuckers.

 

[gary buff]

Yeah, spend $60-70k for a 55-56 and then hack it up for humbuckers.

Lot less work involved. I'd rather go that way than have to reset the neck, drill for the tom and tp, etc.

 

[asapmaz]

Let me repeat... spend $60-70k (and an additional $6-8k for paf's) for a nice piece of Gibson history that has absolutely nothing wrong with it and drill into it to end up with a "not a 1957-58 goldtop" and "never will be a 1957-58 goldtop"?

 

[asapmaz]

.

 

[gary buff]

Let me repeat... spend $60-70k (and an additional $6-8k for paf's) for a nice piece of Gibson history that has absolutely nothing wrong with it and drill into it to end up with a "not a 1957-58 goldtop" and "never will be a 1957-58 goldtop"?

Yep. You'd be doing the same thing to a "nice piece of Gibson history" if you used a 52, 53, or 54 too.

 

[jb_abides]

I am not in the fight because of the dearth of lefty options; however, it seems to me finding an unmolested vintage Gibson is worth keeping as intended, give the wealth of reversible modifications available to enhance playability such as the compensated bridges, the trapeze replacments from Music City Bridge and MojoAxe, the repro parts, the boutique pickups, etc.

I know 'Old Wood Matters' ... then again, adding a really good Historic Reissue outfitted to your liking, while simultaneously keeping your vintage guitar pristine as far as 'non-reversible' changes, seems to be the best path today. That's what I opt for.

I am not so overly precious as to demand an owner do anything but what they want in the end, I'd just urge thoughtful consideration for preservation. For converstions from the past, when all aforementioned options weren't available... fully understandable.

All that said: I've also seen some FUBAR Juniors "up-converted" to nice 59 specs, with an added maple top. Seems like giving new life to a desparate case.

 

[Wilko]

Let me repeat... spend $60-70k (and an additional $6-8k for paf's) for a nice piece of Gibson history that has absolutely nothing wrong with it and drill into it to end up with a "not a 1957-58 goldtop" and "never will be a 1957-58 goldtop"?

I converted a previously messed with guitar.

It's not a '59 burst, but it walks like a duck. If you're in it for the sound, then you've got a '59 burst.

If' you're looking for the monetary value, it's not.

 

[GStone]

You got it! It is a heartbreaking thing for us goldtop and P90 lovers, but to each their own

^^^Trufe dat. I loves me some GOLD!

Must have GOLD!

 

[bern1]

If you don't absolutely have to have a sunburst but want the old wood and everything else, just get an aforementioned 55-56 with tom and rout it for HBs. I did exactly that years ago when it wasn't that big a deal to do so (and PAFS could be had for $100-150 each) and it turned out great.

I did the same years ago when it wasn’t such a big deal either. Yes, it sounded the same and I loved it but it wasn’t real. 25 years later I got tired of the cheap paint and powder, fake tits, lip filler and other plastic surgery. It’s been gone for years, no regrets. I have other, more satisfying guitars now.

It’s not the guitar anyway, it’s the playing that counts.

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

I did the same years ago when it wasn’t such a big deal either. Yes, it sounded the same and I loved it but it wasn’t real. 25 years later I got tired of the cheap paint and powder, fake tits, lip filler and other plastic surgery. It’s been gone for years, no regrets. I have other, more satisfying guitars now.

It’s not the guitar anyway, it’s the playing that counts.

That sounds like a pretty weird conversion. Would love to see pics of that thing.

 

[bern1]

That sounds like a pretty weird conversion. Would love to see pics of that thing.

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

View attachment 30308

Thats not too bad. The way you mentioned a few things I thought it was going to be horrendous, lol.

 

[bern1]

Thats not too bad. The way you mentioned a few things I thought it was going to be horrendous, lol.

It is actually truly horrendous when any perfectly good old classic guitar that is not actually broken is mutilated simply for the purpose of making it resemble something that it is not. That was a long time ago now and I haven’t done it since.

 

[jimmi]

It is actually truly horrendous when any perfectly good old classic guitar that is not actually broken is mutilated simply for the purpose of making it resemble something that it is not. That was a long time ago now and I haven’t done it since.

I sort of get what you are saying but honestly it is just adding 2 pickups that were added to guitars 1-2 yrs later. If you keep the original finish (easy to do if you leave it a goldtop) then you really have only changed 1 thing and the only difference between it and a ‘57 is it was done after it left the factory