new project in the works :]

[nikko18]

hey guys. looky what i found on craigslsit, it my next project. what seems to be an ancient les paul custom, now missing every thing except the wood, two pots and the back binding. i am going to totaly repair it with all new pickups, hardware, etc in all gold, put the binding back on the top and the headstock and new electronics, and finally a new black finish. it's gonna be alot of fun. after im done with it i will probably sell it for money for the johnny A guitar i want, unless i fall in love with it that is. best part is the guy doesn't seem to know what he has and is selling for 100 dollars. i will probably need to put in another 200 or 300 dollars, but once it is done i will be able to sell it for alot more than that.

 

here's the pictures.

[STAR CHILD]

Sorry man, it does not look like a real Gibson Les Paul!!!

[STAR CHILD]

If you look, you can see particle board in side the pickup cavities, and a Custom

has an ebony fret board, not rose wood!!!

[nikko18]

i know it may not be a real gibson, but i would still like to go through with the project anyways because it is something that i enjoy doing. and i noticed the rosewood fret board just after i posted it and was like "oh! hmm that doesn't look good.." i have also noticed it is missing the fret board binding, but i can fix it.

[Thundergod]

best part is the guy doesn't seem to know what he has and is selling for 100 dollars. i will probably need to put in another 200 or 300 dollars' date=' but once it is done i will be able to sell it for alot more than that.[/quote']

 

Believe me the man knows what he is selling... actually 100 is a little to much for that one... seems to me YOU dont know what it is (and it is not a gibson IMO). Stay away from her... you'll spend more than 200-300... with 3 pickups you should look at 300-450 just for the pickups. Hardware? (if gibson or shcaller, tuners, bridge, tailpiece, straplocks) another 200-350, wiring, knobs, pots, nut, jack, jackplate, covers, pickup rings: 200-300.

 

So, 100 + from 900 to 1400 + lots and lots of woodwork... (that if you had to pay a luthier to do would cost more than 300 (at least down here)). And it still wont be a gibson les paul custom.

 

You can end up spending months and from 1200 to 2000 on that one, and wont be able to sell her for more than 500.

 

I'm sorry, and I am just tryting to help.

[STAR CHILD]

Yeah, that's cool; I just didn't want you to get ripped off !!!

I just got a new Custom 68 Les Paul Reissue, it's really

awesome!!!

[nikko18]

even if it isn't a gibson it seems like a really good deal. those are some nice looking peices of wood there. and it looks like it follows the gibson specs pretty closely.

 

oh and thunder, i allready have all the parts i would need except the pickups and the electronics. and i can do all the wood working myself and with my grandpa. soo 200 to 300 isn't to bad for just the electronics.

[STAR CHILD]

I think it may be laminated wood, veneers you know?

[nikko18]

???

[STAR CHILD]

Hey Nikko,

 

Didn't you want a Gibson Black Custom a while back? What's this Johnny A guitar that you want now?

[solacematt]

I agree with Thundergod, you're going to put a lot more money into that than it's worth. I mean, great that it's a cool project, but I'd keep saving the money for that Johnny A you want kid.

[KSG_Standard]

I agree with Thundergod' date=' you're going to put a lot more money into that than it's worth. I mean, great that it's a cool project, but I'd keep saving the money for that Johnny A you want kid. [/quote']

 

 

+1

[littlekenny]

even if you do restore it and what not, it's illegal to sell a fake

[nikko18]

well if it's fake i wouldn't call it a gibson! i would say it's a jensen or something. also i'm pretty sure i could get more money out of it when i sell it then i put into it.

[littlekenny]

well the gibson logo kinda gives it away

[Dynadude]

WTF?

 

Kid, haven't you learned anything while you've been hanging out here?

 

DO NOT waste your time and money on that chunk of crap. You will be sorry if you do. I doubt that the fret spacing is even close.

[littlekenny]

???

 

 

what he means is that it is probably some really cheap particle board with a very thin sheet of flamed maple on the top and mahogany on the back and sides to give it the appearance of better wood.

[daveinspain]

Hey Nikko, I'm working on a Project LP now... Just so you know, if you put on good pick ups, electronics, tuners, pick up rings, back covers, bridge, tail piece and then bindings and refinish... It's going to cost you alot more than you can get back if you can sell it.... If you are going to do a project LP make sure you get a real Gibson. I bought a 2006 Les Paul Vintage Mahogany body in perfect shape on Ebay for $445... I figure the project will cost me all together around $1000... That's about what you might pay for a new LP VM...

[KingMetalHeart]

Not trying to pee in your wheeties or anything but I think it would be similar to pouring some gas into a car that is sitting at the junkyard.

However at least you seem to understand that modifying an already piece of crap is a much better thing than to mod out an already fine Gibson.

I agree with kenny,you'll have to get rid of the ugly fake a55 diamond and the logo on the headstock to respect Gibsons reputation.

 

 

Heed the advice from the guys here.......they are here to help and to gain you some knowledge.

[the_HEWC]

I see it from a different angle here, if you have the money, this could maybe be a good first project to try out. And if things don't work out then you at least learned a lot, and you didn't ruin a genuine guitar either.. But thats just my opinion, off course I also agree with the others saying that it will be an expensive project, but then again the choice is yours and you seem to have made up your mind. So best of luck to you!

[guitarbob123]

i suggest saving up the money and getting the real thing

because otherwise you're just wasting time and money in my opinion

then again, if you like it thats all that matters (although at least get a real gibby body)

[Bluemoon]

I would keep focused on saving for a real Gibson. These projects tend to cost a lot more than you initially think. And in the end it still won't be a Gibson. Just a nice, modified reproduction or fake (if you keep the Gibson logo on it)

[BIGBENDS]

Snatch the pebble from my hand, grasshopper.

[LM-LP]

Ive always wanted to make a guitar but i never got around to it is it hard? is it more pricey than buying one

[retrosurfer1959]

a complete restore and replacement of all electronics is a expensive and time consuming process. That said it a good way to learn about building and finish that is hard to learn otherwise. You would be much better off though looking for a older LP or similar that has been cosmetically hammerred etc at least the work would be a guitar worth having or selling. This won't be worth anything but the parts a hacked up fake body is a hard road to clean up and try to sell. My Grandfather was a great furniture restoration guy he always said that he didn't care what something looked like because he was going to change that anyway but the base unit had to be quality or you were wasting your time. he said it more colorfully though

 

he said that you needed to always pay close attention to the wood and the construction because you can polish a turd just fine but you still only have a shiny turd and that wasn't the idea behind restoring something.

 

he would always just smile at some crappy items people showed him at auctions just saying yep that's gonna really shine if the right person buys it. It always made me laugh knowing what he really meant.