Mikey52Es125 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Hello all, I have a 1952 Gibson ES125 and the sides of the body need to be replaced . My grandad had this guitar and was playing in a bar and the guitar fell. Well it busted a hole in the bottom side where the jack for your cable is . I was wanting to know was it possible for a luthier to replace the sides and refinish the guitar. This guitar has been in my family since the Korean war , and is a very important keepsake. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Hello all, I have a 1952 Gibson ES125 and the sides of the body need to be replaced . My grandad had this guitar and was playing in a bar and the guitar fell. Well it busted a hole in the bottom side where the jack for your cable is . I was wanting to know was it possible for a luthier to replace the sides and refinish the guitar. This guitar has been in my family since the Korean war , and is a very important keepsake. thanks Is the damage that bad, that you can't just repair the worst area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Do you have any photos? As jedzep says, you may be able to have it repaired rather than re-built to the extent you're suggesting. Also, I doubt that you should be thinking in terms of refinishing the whole guitar. In the world of vintage guitars, refinishing is generally a bad thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Most things can be fixed. The cost would be commensurate with the damage. It sounds like the guitar has a sentimental value that may be higher than the utility/vintage value...so it would be 'your call' RRod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey52Es125 Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 heres the pics of the ES 125 damage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey52Es125 Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 The guitar is very playable the neck is smooth as silk . This damage has been there since the 70's . it was repaired with glue and a piece of plastic wood covering . i removed all the covering , cause i cant see a guitar like this in this shape. I also the pots and the p90 ,everything except the pickguard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Hey, that is some crazy-looking damage! It looks like someone already tried to "fix it"... Very strange! My suggestion is to do a search for a luthier in your area. Present it to them and get an opinion and estimate! Other than that, I am of no help. Maybe someone else can weigh in. Best of Luck, RRod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Mike, thanks for posting the photos. Ouch, that is pretty nasty stuff. I still suspect that a talented repairman could fix it without completely replacing the sides, but it could get expensive. I don't know, and have no expertise or first-hand experience, but I have seen reports and examples of some pretty amazing repairs, so I'd say there's hope. If I had an old family treasure like that, I would do all I could to have it restored as expertly and professionally as possible. So, I agree with Rod- ask around and try to find a highly skilled and experienced luthier or repairperson in your area (or, if necessary, you might consider sending the guitar to such a repairman or luthier). Good luck, and again- don't let anybody refinish the whole guitar. Hopefully someone with more experience with repair work will see this discussion (I think there may be at least one such person who visits this forum). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Having sone some repair & restoration work myself, I would say that the damage is definitely fixable and the sides do NOT need to be replaced. Where are you located? Maybe there's someone who can suggest a qualified repairman/luthier in your area to do the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Most luthiers would want to repair the whole thing by replacing both sides, as there is damage to both; it would be quicker, easier, come out much neater and basically be a lot less fiddly. Because that is quite a lot of damage! I would expect Gibson to do that if you put the repair job with them. However this would change the tone of the guitar not necessarily badly but away from the original even more, as well as affecting the value. So you need to find an older (i.e. very experienced) guy who knows wood and semis and acoustic guitars - not someone who builds solidbodies all the time. They are usually in demand and busy; vintage guitar dealers have to know good people, so you could put it with one of them but discuss exactly what is going to be done and get an estimate. It's quite repairable and worthwhile doing but will cost plenty. I'm certain if you look long enough you will find someone. Best wishes, it looks like a great guitar with a few stories to tell! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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