Recently acquired '06 Les Paul - No idea how to restore or maintain. Help!

[jojo_iso]

Alright, I've read a few posts, I know the drill!
https://imgur.com/a/Ys2utyb
(Lots of pictures, 500kb limit was too little).

I recently inherited this Les Paul, it was my Father's. I remember him buying it when I was a teen and playing it with his band - though not long after he stopped playing for health reasons. It sat in a garage for what I would guess would be a decade, and this is why I'm here.

First of all, while I've played most of my life, I've never had a guitar like this one in my possession. I've always played on cheap Squiers and I was happy enough, we're people of little means. I'm used to cleaning bodies made of plastic with either a damp rag or sometimes a little bit of alcohol and leaving it at that. I don't even know what type of wood any of this is!

Anyway, now that I have this Les Paul, I want to restore and maintain it to the best of my ability. I already fixed a solder point: the Pickup Switch only worked in the Rhythm position. Easy enough to figure out, I know my way around electronics.
However, as you'll see in the pictures, the instrument is fairly beat up- My father was never one to take care of his things, frankly. I am, however, and seeing this beautiful thing in such a state hurts my soul.
With all of that said, let's go point by point.
Please keep in mind that I would like to keep the original pieces wherever possible. If replacement is unavoidable, then I ideally want the exact same piece made by Gibson. 
All of the following parts are in the pictures, please take a look!

• The metal cache of the Tuning Pegs is really tarnished. Any tips on how to get them back? if impossible, acquire new ones and where?
• The Bridge is filthy as all hell, how should I go about cleaning it?
• The caches on the Pickups are pretty beat up, and the screws are rusted to all hell. I'm guessing I'll have to replace them? Where should I go?
• The Rhythm-Treble little plastic label doo-dad is also pretty beat up, I'm guessing I'll have to replace this as well?
• Any tips on cleaning that Pick Guard and ideally buffing out some of the scratches?
• I think the Fretboard has shrunk ever so slightly. Nothing uncomfortable, but is there a solution to this and how do I keep it from shrinking further?
• The Fretboard is really dirty, how should I go about cleaning it? 
• The Fretwire is blue in a lot of places? It reminds me of the way copper oxidizes, is this rust? I've never seen this before and have no idea how to remedy it.

Now, these are all fairly straightforward questions which I hope will get fairly simple answers... So let's get into the main reason I'm here: the Body.
First of all, what kind of wood is it? I'm guessing the fretboard is Ebony but I truly have no idea. Is there a web page somewhere with all of its specifications? I'd love to know what the pickups are as well. 
Is there some kind of finish on this guitar, or was there supposed to be? I'm guessing the wood has been tinted but it definitely doesn't have a gloss or varnish like I'm used to seeing on acoustics.
With all of this in mind: is there anything I can do about about the area in between the two pickups? I'm guessing my father was hitting this area with the tip of his pick, and it's made some pretty unfortunate marks. I thought about a light sanding or maybe wood filler, but I simply don't know enough and care too much about the instrument to just try stuff out. Additionally, you'll see some pretty rough marks from what I'm assuming was a pick holder and a rash from his belt buckle. Anything I can do to remedy these?

Finally, just for shits and giggles, any idea how much this guitar is worth? This thing will never get sold and get passed on to my son, but one can't help being curious.

Don't be afraid to ask for any more pictures if they will help. Ideally we'd keep the cost down on most of these fixes, like I mentioned earlier we're not rolling in gold. 

Thank you all very much for your time,

John.

Edited September 16, 2021 by jojo_iso

[NighthawkChris]

For things like the finish and such, this might help you out on some cosmetics. 

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/gibson-vintage-reissue-guitar-restoration-kit/420390000000000?cntry=US&cur=USD&utm_content=420390000000000--Gibson+Vintage+Reissue+Guitar+Restoration+Kit&source=3WWRWXGS&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIutG1v8yD8wIVTD6tBh237gG8EAQYAiABEgLWv_D_BwE

Post some pics if you can.  Best to use an image hosting site like Imgur IMHO. 

[jojo_iso]

9 minutes ago, NighthawkChris said:

For things like the finish and such, this might help you out on some cosmetics. 

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/gibson-vintage-reissue-guitar-restoration-kit/420390000000000?cntry=US&cur=USD&utm_content=420390000000000--Gibson+Vintage+Reissue+Guitar+Restoration+Kit&source=3WWRWXGS&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIutG1v8yD8wIVTD6tBh237gG8EAQYAiABEgLWv_D_BwE

Post some pics if you can.  Best to use an image hosting site like Imgur IMHO. 

Thanks for the link!
Pictures were already in the post! https://imgur.com/a/Ys2utyb

[NighthawkChris]

My bad man… yeah having trouble embedding it for some reason today… either way good luck with everything

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by NighthawkChris

[IanHenry]

There's not much wrong with the guitar as it is, the finish on that model is supposed to be satin, anything else is just part of the guitars "character".  All it needs is a good clean and a set-up.

[jojo_iso]

34 minutes ago, IanHenry said:

There's not much wrong with the guitar as it is, the finish on that model is supposed to be satin, anything else is just part of the guitars "character".  All it needs is a good clean and a set-up.

What do you mean by "Set-up"? And as mentioned before, I'm not sure how to go about cleaning a wooden guitar like this one. Any tips appreciated!

[kidblast]

On 9/17/2021 at 5:28 AM, jojo_iso said:

What do you mean by "Set-up"? And as mentioned before, I'm not sure how to go about cleaning a wooden guitar like this one. Any tips appreciated!

setup would be the action (string height)  setting the neck relief aka: truss rod adjustments, intonation, .. standard stuff

that is a satin finish, you can use gibson pump polish, or any other cleaner made for nitro or satin guitar finishes.  just a soft cotton cloth with warm water will do wonders too.

The neck could use a decent cleaning.   

You can 0000 steel wool, and a fret board conditioner.  Cover the pickups completely with a low tack tape (like painters tape)

Take the steel wool and going WITH the grain, buff out the rose wood. 

Use a clean paint brush to remove the steel wool dust, or some compressed air.

Then rub in some fretboard oil (Nomad F1 oil, Guitar Honey.. etc) with a cloth or some paper towel. let it sit for a few then with dry cloth or paper towel, wipe off any residual fretboard conditioning oil.

(Goolge this: clean rosewood fretboard on guitar  for more details)

Edited September 18, 2021 by kidblast

[IanHenry]

Jojo, there's a very good series of video's by Gibson's  Master Luthier Jim DeCola on Youtube, just search "gibson TV setup and you'll find them.  Alternatively you can contact Gibson via their "Virtual Guitar Tech" service (I think in your position I'd do this first): 

  Gibson | Virtual Guitar Tech Service

As Kidblast has suggested make sure you use only compatible guitar polish like Gibson Pump Polish because some types of polish can harm the nitro finish.

It really doesn't look like it needs much work then it's ready to be enjoyed 🙂  

p.s I've just noticed there's an icon at the top of this page for Gibson TV, click on that and scroll down to find the set-up series.

Edited September 17, 2021 by IanHenry

[merciful-evans]

I agree with the others here. A general clean up is all you really need.

Area between pickups: Sanding will get under the finish & will look wrong. Filler will likely adversely affect value. I cant see the pick damage in the photo, so it cant be that bad.

Looks like it might have been kept in a damp environment. The hardwear should clean up ok & the frets will look great after polishing (fine grit papers or pads).

[Pinch]

I swear by Gorgomyte cleaning cloths for fretboards. No need to use steel wool and masking tape, it's awesome! 

[Larsongs]

The body appears to be be mahogany & the Finish looks to matte. I’d make a Phone Call, not email or text, to Gibson Customer Service & ask whats the best way to clean the body, Pickups, Tuners etc.

If you know your way around Electronics check & repair as needed… Put a new set of Strings on it & see how it plays & sounds. Adjust the Neck relief, Bridge & intonation.. 

Bear in mind people pay additional $1000’s for old looking distressed Guitars with Patina that look like they’ve been rode hard… I wouldn’t obsess about making it look pretty & new.. Just that it’s excellently set up, plays great & everything works as it should.. Then play it in memory of your Dad.. That would be cool..

[Dub-T-123]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned but in the pics the only important thing that stands out is that this guitar is in need of a fret leveling, crowning, and polishing.

 

The cosmetic issues are not a big deal, but the guitar will not play nicely with the frets in that condition. 
 

As a small tip, once the frets are made right, make sure to only use the minimum amount of pressure needed with your fretting hand. It is apparent that your dad was pushing way too hard, which is common when switching from a cheaper guitar to a nicer guitar. Just remember pushing harder won’t make anything sound better but it will bend the intended notes sharp, damage the frets, and slow down your playing