B25-N from 1969

[Captain Momo]

Hello, I just bought a B25-N from 1969 in a pretty good shape.

I'm about to make it re-varnished, because the old one has aged. What do you think about it? Any advice?

Also, I'd like to buy a pick-up, can you help me? What should I buy?

Thanks,

Cyril, from Paris, France

[Taylor Player]

Hi Cyril and welcome to the Gibson forum!!!

 

I hope you have access to a camera and can post some photos of the B25. My thoughts may be different from others, but if the guitar has aged and shows finish cracks or weathering... I would leave it as it is. To me that is part of the guitars "Mojo". Unless you were afraid that the finish was not protecting the guitar, re-finishing may take away from any collector value the guitar has. People are paying a fortune today to have brand new guitars "Relic'd". I would rather have a naturally aged/relic'd guitar.

 

As for a pickup, I can highly recommend a K & K pure western Mini pickup:

 

http://www.kksound.com/purewestern.html

 

I have one in my Gibson Advanced Jumbo and love it. It sounds great all by itself into an amp, but since it is a passive pickup with no battery needed on the guitar, a preamp helps if you are playing in a band or group situation. I have a LR Baggs PARA DI that really is nice and can be used either with an amp or a PA system and the guitar.

 

http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/products_preamps.shtml

[Captain Momo]

Well, I have to think about it, thank you!

[brians356]

Most everyone here will agree, do NOT have it refinished, unless other major repairs are being undertaken anyway, and even then a luthier will avoid refinishing if possible. If you look at a few luthiers' repair service price lists, you may notice that refinishing is one of the most expensive services they offer. To do it properly requires various permutations and reiterations of stripping, sanding, filling, staining, sealing, color coating, clear coating, leveling, and buffing. A proper refinish job would probably cost several times what you paid for that guitar. There are a few less drastic options available, for example an area of bare wood might be refinished to protect it. A heavily crazed but intact lacquer finish can be treated with a kind of solvent that will make the lacquer "flow" and the crazing disappear, but it requires skill and few luthiers would agree to try it, since the finish crazing is harmless and the guitar is worth more in it's original condition anyway. The analogy here is when you find an old and possibly rare coin, the last thing you want to do is polish it!

[onewilyfool]

Oh...come on....B-25 N's aren't that rare.....plus it is a Nolan B-25....let him refinish it if he wants.....lol....might be a good project for him. Most likely at that age it probably needs a neck reset and a fret job too.....do the whole thing.....

[brians356]

Very wiley of you.:)

[onewilyfool]

Of course, no way would I refinish that guitar, if it were mine......lol

[Captain Momo]

Thanks for the advice. Anything else about pickups?

Thanks...