What Year Is This Old Gibson SG and Invader AMP

[Lake Marine]

Hello - New to site. I have had this old Gibson SG and GA30RVT Amp for 40 years. I have no idea what year it is (guessing late 60/70ish) no idea its worth or if its worth having restored. Unfortunately someone had "refinished" before I bought it around 1980.  It has a stress crack on the neck and a local fiddle maker injected/glued/clamped circa 1980 as well.  No tremola or pickup covers (assuming it had them). It is playable when re-assembled and the amp works as well. The Amp works fine and seems to have the original speakers (12" is a Jensen and the 10" is a Gibson). There is no S/N anywhere and if it had one it was removed before I got it. Its pretty much as found for 40 years in the photo and additional photos in link below.

Anyway...Im no player by any means. I have a couple of acoustics and this one electric over the years and occasionally played  it before I disassembled a bit to put on the new pick guard and never put back together.  Im thinking its time to see if this is worth having a professional "restore" it or maybe selling to someone who would use it.

Any help on identifying and/or who/where is a place to restore.

Thanks

Hopefully this link will work.........

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8sAZhturNQucbgJp6

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by Lake Marine
Add new photo link

[ashtone]

My guess is 1968 on the SG, based on the only date code I can read on the pots. 137-68?? on the treble tone pot.

Im not sure on the amp, but someone here will know.

Restoring this guitar will be expensive, to say the least. It appears that the sanding was done without a block, so corners are rounded over and contours have been distorted. Correcting these issues is possible, but it’s not certain what the changes from “factory” specs would be in the end. That neck break could be done properly, but maybe not. I can’t tell from the pictures. Also, a stop tailpiece was added, which is a modification from stock specs.

If your desire is to keep it and play it, the expense may be justified. If you want to sell it, restoring it will cost too much to justify. I’ve restored a few SG’s over the decades, and if the contours on that body style are distorted it will require a lot of work. Be aware that in this case you really do get what you pay for. Craftsmanship and experience are expensive. 
 If your goal is to make it nice and keep it, it may be worth the expense. But if you want it to be nicer so it brings more money when you sell it, you will be lucky to break even. So if selling is your goal, my suggestion would be to part it out. T-top humbuckings are valuable as is what’s left of the Maestro vibrola. All the original parts have value.

Edited July 22, 2020 by ashtone

[rct]

The amp looks like a garden variety 60's GA30RVT, in spanktacular condition they go for about a grand.  I had a really gnarly one like that, I let it go in a trade with another old Gibson amp I had, I didn't get more than 200 for the GA30 I don't think.

The guitar is something.  It looks like, and I'm using my old eyes, hairy ears, and thick glasses to look at my laptop, so it looks like someone filled and spring clamped the very end of the headstock, a place that often split back then, especially if it took a whack to make that neck crack.  So that's probably where the serial number went, got taken off if a sticker, filled in if engraved.

If'n I was you, and I'm not, I'd put it back together and when the guitar shows start up again I'd take it as is to a nearby big one, a B3 show or one of the other biggies.  I'd schlep it around, see who is interested, you might get a few hundred for it as is, and you might just get a really good trade on an acoustic you like that some dealer wants to unload.  

Depends on where in the world you are too.

Good luck with it.  

rct

[Lake Marine]

Thanks for taking a look. I'll put it back together and clean up the Amp a bit and tinker with it. A few guys I know have always been interested in it but Im in southern Virginia and not sure of a lot of big guitar shows around. My nephew plays alot and would love to have it so I'll probably give it to him in a few years.

Where could I find "stock specs"? I'd like to maybe try and get it back to original. I looked on the web for '68 SG Standard but the tremalo area looks like im missing a quite a bit.

What are the tremalo parts called and anything else its missing and where might I find those parts to refurbish?

Thanks again for input!

[ashtone]

What I meant by “factory specs“ is the thickness of the body and the way the contours were originally cut. When people strip and sand without having good woodworking skills and the awareness of maintaining the contours, edges and general dimensions, it’s usually a bad outcome for the guitar. Not that it can’t be played or enjoyed, just that it can’t be restored to its original state if the contours are gone. Which only means it won’t have the value of a properly restored instrument. 
so, my best advice would be to put the parts you have back on it, string it up and play it. Maybe take it to a qualified luthier and have it set up correctly, so you know it’s playing at its best. Then give it to your relative in the future as you mentioned. 
the part you are missing is the bent steel spring that attaches to the tailpiece in that slot you see. It is pinned into it; another thing to have someone experienced do for you. Then you need the actual tailpiece that holds the strings and the tremolo arm, and is held on the bent steel spring by the string tension. Look up some images of an SG standard with the Maestro Vibrola, and you will see what I’m talking about.. And you’ll still have the holes where the stop tailpiece bolts are now. If you can find those parts, they won’t be cheap. I think you might want to check the Allparts website because they sell a reproduction of that whole bridge. It should fit right where the original one is, and probably cost less than $150. But again, I would just put the stop tailpiece back on there, get it set up correctly and play it.