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Would you leave this 53 GT LP as it is if you bought it ?

jubelo

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Joined
Oct 30, 2001
Messages
92
I have no connection to this shop or this guitar's present owner if it is a consignment piece.

But I am wondering if most people here on this forum would leave it as it is, convert it to original or maybe just convert it to a wrap around bridge and have the neck re-set or maybe give it the full PAF, T.O.M with the neck re-set or even go PAF, T.O.M & sun- burst re-finish.



http://www.12fret.com/content/2014/02/19/1953-gibson-les-paul-gold-top/
 

sunburst1

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Joined
Sep 3, 2002
Messages
3,989
Looks nice and the price is very fair. Betting it sells quick now that you posted a link. :hee

Don't know what I'd do , but it looks fine the way it is , IMO.

Since I couldn't do the work there would be a turnaround factor + the cost. Think it would be a great candidate , but would never reset the neck. Given those things ,if it were mine I'd leave it the way it is or add one of those traps made to give it perfect set-up and intonation.:salude
 

Stratoben127

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Joined
Jun 30, 2013
Messages
301
I don't know how that bridge is attached but I'd probably put on a shaved ABR-1 and leave it, maybe throw some humbuckers in it. The tailpiece location kind of pisses me off though. I might Bigsby it.
 

hogy

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2005
Messages
715
Leave it alone.

If you do hack it up, sell me the pickups, please.
 
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yeti

Guest
Looks nice and the price is very fair. Betting it sells quick now that you posted a link. :hee

$10K for a butchered trapeze '53 Goldtop seems very high to me. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to find a piece like that and just play it as is, but it should only cost about 40 % of what a clean 100% original goes for, $6K to $6.5K tops, IMO.
 

mistersnappy

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Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
7,321
I'd plug those tailpiece holes and put some kind of stoptail in where that bridge is. One thing is it will keep that Kalamazoo-sprayed GOLD
 

Greco

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Apr 23, 2006
Messages
2,181
Sure there are a few guys that REALLY want a P90 goldtop, but for me I don't even know anyone who played one in the kind of bands I like, or find them that desirable other than they are a vintage Les Paul.

The problem is that many people buy these BECAUSE they are a cheaper way of getting into the vintage maple/mahogany gang, especially with a basket case guitar, and nothing to do with actually owning a P90 goldtop, regardless of if they are kind of cool. I think I would only buy one for the sole purpose that I could "do something with it" as there are plenty of 335 and other guitars I have more GAS for for the money. The thing with goldtops too is that guys who own them might always wonder just what is under that gold paint.

I think for me, you can almost be 100% sure that there is a non-centre seam and you have plugs to deal with so a burst might not look great, I would go for a 53-57 PAF conversion keeping the original finish and resetting the neck as needed. Given that I could do all the work myself means it would be a no-brainer for me. I would have trouble keeping it the way it is as I find that tailpiece/bridge combo pretty ugly.
 
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yeti

Guest
Sure there are a few guys that REALLY want a P90 goldtop, but for me I don't even know anyone who played one in the kind of bands I like, or find them that desirable other than they are a vintage Les Paul.

The problem is that many people buy these BECAUSE they are a cheaper way of getting into the vintage maple/mahogany gang, especially with a basket case guitar, and nothing to do with actually owning a P90 goldtop, regardless of if they are kind of cool. I think I would only buy one for the sole purpose that I could "do something with it" as there are plenty of 335 and other guitars I have more GAS for for the money. The thing with goldtops too is that guys who own them might always wonder just what is under that gold paint.

I think for me, you can almost be 100% sure that there is a non-centre seam and you have plugs to deal with so a burst might not look great, I would go for a 53-57 PAF conversion keeping the original finish and resetting the neck as needed. Given that I could do all the work myself means it would be a no-brainer for me. I would have trouble keeping it the way it is as I find that tailpiece/bridge combo pretty ugly.

Maybe this is hard to fathom but there are those who buy guitars for what they are, not who played the same model. I don't own a GT or any vintage mahogany&maple guitar, but I've played many and IMO a good wraptail GT will kick the snot out of most Bursts. Just saying.
 

DonRowe

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Joined
Feb 1, 2005
Messages
840
I'd have that abomination ripped off her ass and get her wrap tailed and play the snot outta her ! Nothing would be too good for baby girl ! LOL
 

Greco

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Apr 23, 2006
Messages
2,181
Maybe this is hard to fathom but there are those who buy guitars for what they are, not who played the same model. I don't own a GT or any vintage mahogany/maple guitar, but I've played many and IMO a good wraptail GT will kick the snot out of most Bursts. Just saying.

No it is not hard to fathom, but thanks for being so condescending. I don't think many people could argue that the Les Pauls popularity is largely due the Clapton, Beck, Page, Bloomfield, Gibbons, etc, etc, etc. I'm just saying, given $10K or even $6K there are plenty of other guitars I would buy first, but that just me.
 

mistersnappy

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Jan 20, 2006
Messages
7,321
The problem is that many people buy these BECAUSE they are a cheaper way of getting into the vintage maple/mahogany gang, especially with a basket case guitar, and nothing to do with actually owning a P90 goldtop, regardless of if they are kind of cool. . The thing with goldtops too is that guys who own them might always wonder just what is under that gold paint.


Its insanity. If folks want a vintage guitar with flame, they might think about an old ES-something or other instead. It might even be cheaper. The modern sunburst refins miss the whole point of trying to be a Burst because its not a sunburst painted by Gibson. They look like Historics or makeovers.

Or get one of these: vintage maple and sunburst with one of the top three pups ever made by Gibson and can be had for around 1K:
-125302005274741130_zps360274aa.jpg
 
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yeti

Guest
No it is not hard to fathom, but thanks for being so condescending. I don't think many people could argue that the Les Pauls popularity is largely due the Clapton, Beck, Page, Bloomfield, Gibbons, etc, etc, etc. I'm just saying, given $10K or even $6K there are plenty of other guitars I would buy first, but that just me.

I wasn't trying to be condescending, I wasn't even talking specifically about you. It just seems to me that many folks see a conversion candidate in every GT because a PAF Lester is somehow better. It isn't better, prettier maybe but not better and the GT's should be preserved as close to what they actually are. mentioning Burst players and using it to justify this stuff is crazy, IMO.
 

Greco

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Apr 23, 2006
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2,181
Some folks see a conversion candidate in every GT because there are a lot more GTs made than bursts, we aren't the goldtop preservation society, and there are a lot of weird things done to GTs with low neck angles to get them to be somewhat playable. Some guys think if they're going to get all that work done to make it as playable as it can be, then a little top refinish, or new pickups routes ain't going to hurt.
 

RAB

Active member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
2,122
Yup, conversions are your best bang for the PAF Les Paul buck!
 
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