Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

1963 headstock clearcoat issue


1963JayFifty

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 78
  • Created
  • Last Reply

 

Isn't this a 1969 J-50 that got a itself a new top in the 70's, , , and maybe a new decorated Heritage/Dove bridge too.

 

A semi-strange character, which appartly sounds'n'plays good and has a lot of history/mystery oooozing.

 

I repeat boldly : Exchange those tuners to cream-ovals and be happy. .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Isn't this a 1969 J-50 that got a itself a new top in the 70's, , , and maybe a new decorated Heritage/Dove bridge too.

 

A semi-strange character, which appartly sounds'n'plays good and has a lot of history/mystery oooozing.

 

I repeat boldly : Exchange those tuners to cream-ovals and be happy. .

 

This gets my vote! Retopped '69, to be played and enjoyed...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

he doesn't remember much about the repairs because it took the luthier close to 3 years to repair it

 

After looking at a pile of broken pieces for 3 years, maybe the luthier just gave him a 1970's J-45 and told your Grandpa he had "fixed" it? [biggrin]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

'Xactly - one last detail we need to know is whether it is single or double X.

 

Are you catching anything in the fog, Chester. . .

 

 

Remember, the new top did not necessarily come from Gibson, so the top bracing could be completely unrelated to standard Gibson bracing, just as the rosette style could be misleading.

 

I haven't caught anyone in the fog, but I have a dog I'd like you to take care of...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(clipped)... my only issue is the headstock logo, my grandfather kept putting the capo on there and the clearcoat is looking like ****, do any of you think it'd be safe to sand or wet sand until the whole clear coat is off and leave it natural or should i just leave it alone?

 

thanks in advance for the help,

-Chester

 

Regardless of the age of the various parts, a few people have recommended just leaving it alone. But if the looks still bother you--it seems to me that sanding the finish off would be pretty risky, although I am at best a hack woodwork/finisher. If I tried it I'm sure some or all of the Gibson decal would be lost by the time the finish was off. FWIW I had a half-moon-shaped finish chip on a Martin headstock where a replacement tuner had been installed years ago. While some other work was being done on the guitar I asked my luthier if he could make it look better. He did a finish touch up that looks just fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remember, the new top did not necessarily come from Gibson, so the top bracing could be completely unrelated to standard Gibson bracing, just as the rosette style could be misleading.

 

I haven't caught anyone in the fog, but I have a dog I'd like you to take care of...

 

Oh sure - perhaps the double X logic isn't relevant here. But look at this rosette and bridge - it's from a same era Gibson Heritage.

 

This indicates the top came from Kalamazoo (and wasn't pulled in from fx Nazareth. . )

 

 

http://www.guitarrepairman.co.uk/photos/heritage/Heritage1.JPG

 

 

 

A dog, , , I'm sitting here with Anna Lee. . .

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Oh sure - perhaps the double X logic isn't relevant here. But look at this rosette and bridge - it's from a Gibson Heritage from the same era.

 

This indicated the top came from Kalamazoo (and wasn't pulled in from fx Nazareth. . )

 

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/3097486/p3_u2hg1ttwo_ss.jpg

 

 

 

Like you, I suspect the top and bridge came from Kalamazoo via an unknown route to whoever did the final repairs.

 

I think that batwing bridge came in around 1971. Normally the bridge wouldn't be located and installed until the top was on the guitar. It may be that the repair guy had some connection with Gibson that allowed him to buy factory parts, or he got them through a third party that had factory connections. That was a long time ago, and the rules might have been quite different then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sorry but this may be the screwiest story I have ever read. We have the square shoulder body off a pre-1969 something or the other (based on grandpa's marriage), a neck off a 1969 something or the other, and a top off a mid-1970s something or the other and a bridge from yet another something or the other. Me, I am having trouble with a "grandpa" being married in 1969. My parents were married 20 or so years before that. Lawdy, all of a sudden I am feeling very old. May be a bit touchier than usual though as I had recently had a birthday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

here are the images, i had deleted them to resize it,

 

Hey Chester, is this repair something that you wish to do yourself? If not, I would ask the competent luthier in your area about it also. Its possible that the peghead face could be oversprayed with clear lacquer to a saitisfying result that you can live with.....?

 

.....and yes, this has been a screwy story [scared]

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

....ONLY to get SCREWIER!

 

My Gawd, I have just discovered that the bridge on Chesters guitar is the same one used on the "fabled" and "rumored" 1970 J-300 Artist. Maybe only 1 or 2 in existence/prototypes for a trade show that never went into production.

 

That bridge looked familiar from a picture in an out of print vintage book by Ian C. Bishop. I dug it out of a box and shazzam....there it was...!

 

Little to be found on the web, but this link has a picture of the J300...

 

http://www.acousticg...tiste-from-1970

 

How bizarre is the story now.... [unsure]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

That bridge looked familiar from a picture in an out of print vintage book by Ian C. Bishop. I dug it out of a box and shazzam....there it was...!

 

 

A terrific sherlock there, retro.

 

The beautiful - to me unknown - French lily J-300 has a Heritage bridge, , , , with French lilies. . .

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great job, 62burst. Great comparison shots. That bridge is ultra-rare, IMO.

 

Makes me wonder who did that inlay work in 1970? while I was young and dumb and having fun...Ha!

 

What a set of circumstances, IF when the guitar was in need of a top that Gibson sent a 'stray' J300 Artist bridge in on 'the deal' [thumbup]

 

I find it hard to believe, however, that Gibson, Inc would send a 'sunburst finished' top to an 'independant' luthier to install????? With a J300 bridge (attached or not).....Somehow it does not (as em7 would say).

 

"ring true/@ a French Lily restoration by a lone luthier [confused]

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hah yeah boys its a frankenstein, it was definitely repaired in the 70's, my grandfather told me the top came in the mail from Tennessee or Memphis, not kalamazoo, he doesn't remember much about the repairs because it took the luthier close to 3 years to repair it on his own time, he did however tell me it used to be a natural top j50, at this point i imagine its possible that the whole neck/fretboard could have been replaced as well, is there any other serial number on the inside of these?i know this was before they put stickers on the inside of it but i haven't taken off the string to take a look inside yet, let me know,also for time of guitar, my grandfather told me he had the guitar before he met my grandmother, they married in 69 , this is as confusing for me as it is for you guys on trying to figure out the true age of the body.

 

 

Be careful when You take the strings off. If You put some blue masking tape on the headstock You won't scratch it up.

And, whatever You do, don't clip Your capo to that bridge. The bridge is worth more than the entire guitar. That's just insane that the bridge came from a J-300. I think that the repair work was done by Ren Ferguson when he was in Junior High School. Very possibly the first guitar that Ren ever took a glue bottle to. It could be worth millions of dollars. Don't touch a thing!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thank you for finding that photo of the bridge! J300 thats ridiculous , also to make it clear the repairs were done by a independent luthier in Canada with original gibson parts, he stained the top when he was refinishing this guy was known for his custom sunburst.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Chester, is this repair something that you wish to do yourself? If not, I would ask the competent luthier in your area about it also. Its possible that the peghead face could be oversprayed with clear lacquer to a saitisfying result that you can live with.....?

 

.....and yes, this has been a screwy story [scared]

Yeah i'll just bring it at a luthier see what he thinks of it, im in the toronto area if anyone knows a good one let me know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

also to make it clear the repairs were done by a independent luthier in Canada with original gibson parts, he stained the top when he was refinishing this guy was known for his custom sunburst.

 

 

That helps explain a lot, actually.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Me, I am having trouble with a "grandpa" being married in 1969. Lawdy, all of a sudden I am feeling very old. May be a bit touchier than usual though as I had recently had a birthday.

 

 

As a step-grandpa who started living with his first wife in 1969 (not yet married then, but not that many of us opted for traditional marriage in 1969), I resemble that remark.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...