Ouch - "Modded" '68 381

325-at-2pm · Post by **325-at-2pm** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 8:48 am

Looks like a Forum member threw a big chunk at it too.....

chefothefuture · Post by **chefothefuture** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 7:21 am

Doesn't seem too high when you see it's one the has features unique to '68.
That and most with no issues are out there priced close to
6 Grand-
That guitar only needed between $500-$1000 depending...

Looks like a deal to me....

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:27 am

Out bid by only $20 this time......I'm getting closer

325-at-2pm · Post by **325-at-2pm** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:34 am

$500-1000 isn't going to fix Gibson-style Humbucker routing, but I guess people are more willing to compromise on condition.

I see it with 1950s Les Pauls in that a 1956 Les Paul Gold Top that's converted and had the top routed to accept PAF humbuckers is still going to be a $30-40,000 guitar. The pricing is swept upwards because original 1957 PAF equipped GoldTops are now north of $100,000.

INSANITY.

I know that you might get lucky and hide most of nastyness on this guitar with toasters, but I don't know too many collectors that wouldn't expect serious markdowns for the non-original routes. I think TBlair's had hidden humbucker routes.

Anyway, the Vintage Guitar Insanity is finally extending to Rickenbackers, I guess.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 11:05 am

Only 20 years ago, thos gold-tops were in the $10K range...

I passed on one in 1981 for $5K that had the serial number destroyed with a Dremel.

Suspicious, no?

325-at-2pm · Post by **325-at-2pm** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 11:31 am

Heck, I too, passed on a 1958 PAF GoldTop with Dremeled serial number within the last 5 or 6 years that I could have purchased for $5500.

People are paying $35-40K for GoldTops converted to Bursts.

INSANITY

chefothefuture · Post by **chefothefuture** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:07 pm

I bought in 1987 a 1960 LP Standard(Burst...) for $900.
I traded it a year or two later for a guitar then valued
at $5000.

Now what's a Burst from then worth? (That's rhetoric...)

I'm now preparing to get mighty silly on a 73 4001.
Not a decade ago when you didn't have to pay more than $1200....

As for the cost of the repair-
That's what I've paid in the past, and had very nice results I might add....

325-at-2pm · Post by **325-at-2pm** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:58 pm

John:

I'm kind of curious about the type repair and which luthier you may have used to fix humbucker routes.

I've got a 1960s 365-6 OS that's had some top work. Right now its MG, but it started off as FG. It would be nice to restore it, given what these things go for these days.

I'm all ears........

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:15 pm

Short of replacing the top (it's been done) or recreating the entire bodyshell, the only repair is to clean up the routes so that they are absolutely square in dimension and section, and glue in solid pieces of maple or alder (depending, of course, on the original material), slightly proud of the top surface but flush with the bottom, then to re-rout to fit the toasters. The top is levelled very carefully and refinished as a last step. The cleaning-up operation and the "routing", as well as the cutting of the patch pieces is performed, not on a pin router and table saw, but on a vertical mill, at least in my shop. This assures absolute squareness and dimensional accuracy.

There will always be a grain mismatch upon close inspection, but careful patch selection will minimize this mismatch. There is no way, however, short of making a new top, that the original appearance (if not the fact of originality) can be restored. So depending upon the degree of original abuse, it may be possible to get close to originality, but never will the instrument be the same as factory, appearance-wise.

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:24 pm

From 1958 thru 1960 there were a little over 1,800 Gibson Les Paul Standards(Bursts) made. They sell now days for between 250K and 500K if they are all original. Kinda like a Stadavarius Violin, cept they go for 2Million+

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:31 pm

Stradivarius built an estimated 1100 violins during the last half of the 17th Century, and about 650 are known to exist today. Kind of similar numbers to the flame top '58s-'60s, no?

And it took Strads 300 years to get to $2million. Flamers are already chipping at $500K.

Makes you think, don't it?

325-at-2pm · Post by **325-at-2pm** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 6:58 pm

The Les Paul guys do all kinds of incredible things, like airbrushing wood grains to match up over repaired holes and cracks as well as other sweet little tricks.......

Maybe they can afford to go to the ultimate because the prices are higher on Vintage Les Pauls.

I've heard of headstock repairs being made invisible by airbrushing and replicating mahogany grain over repaired and ultra smooth fill.

Technology and technique is enabling these kinds of dreams to come true on the more rare vintage instruments.

chefothefuture · Post by **chefothefuture** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 7:12 pm

Yeah-
The repair I had been thinking of doing was the patch.
I would have had it re-shot to a dark fireglo(I've seen 'em from '68-69 that are almost Burgandyglo...) and called it good. I will never be what it was, but would have new life.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 7:36 pm

The Les Paul guys and anyone who tries to replicate woodgrain, ignore the depth of wood, which can't be achieved with paint. They may get the color OK, but the fake will still look awfully flat.

The only difficulty with any burst shot over a patch is that the pickup corrections will be in the center of the burst (light area) which is never covered by any tint other than transparent amber.

But I like your last statement.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 8:08 pm

I saw an ad on Craigslist Detroit about 7 months ago, someone had mistakenly sold this guy's dad's guitar (which was just sitting under his bed all these years) at a GARAGE SALE, FOR $85. Turns out it was a '60 Les Paul Burst, and they were offering a few hundred reward for the guy to BRING IT BACK. Um.....I think I would keep driving.