Take a vote

[JOEY B.]

I just got my 1971 goldtop (Deluxe routed for full size humbuckers) back from Gibson with a mechanical makeover. New toggle, jack, pots, wiring, nut, Tonepros bridge and tailpiece, and a plane/re-fret. My wife cannot understand why I didn't go ahead and have it repainted???? I have my reasons, but what are your thoughts? Just curious.

 

[Strategy500]

I would say, if it play and sounds good, and you're happy with it.......I'd leave it. But I must ask, how did it get to look the way it does?

 

[kiff]

it looks like someone pulled a hendrix on it. you know, lighter fluid and all. and then played it for many years after that and skin-sanded the bubbles smooth

I say it adds "character" :mrgreen:

 

[MrMarkIII]

Keep all the old parts and never refinish (It's one of those anal "collector" things).
I wonder how much they would have charged to "relic" the new parts to match the rest of the guitar, although I think the practice is dumb.
I wanna do my own relic-ing.
Rule Of Thumb: Whatever your chick says to do with your guitars, do the exact opposite, and you'll be fine.

 

[Rocky]

In this instance the original parts wont make a diff to the value of the guitar. The routing killed any original value that can ge assigned to the guitar.

I'd leave it as it is....that looks cool. However repainting it now won't really do much to the value since it has already been modded for the full sized humbuckers.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I say, yes, have it repainted. It looks like it would scratch the hell out of your forearm! And with all the new parts it would breathe new life into it IMO. I'm a stickler for a 'mint' guitar though...

 

[JOEY B.]

I would say, if it play and sounds good, and you're happy with it.......I'd leave it. But I must ask, how did it get to look the way it does?

When I bought it back in the late '80s, it already had some of the "gangreen" on the top. The previous owner must have had some very acidic sweat, or something. The parts that are worn into the wood are all my doing from years of playing. Can you tell that I used a copper pick for many years? :lol: My logic was that if I made it too pretty, then I would always be afraid of scratching it. As has been pointed out, it is not original, so it will never be worth a ton of money to anyone but me. The back of the neck has only a little bit of laquer left at the top and bottom, not sanded but worn in perfectly. It is kind of like a wolf in sheep's clothing with the SD Pearly Gates neck and Custom Custom bridge pickups. It has laid waste to many of the "pretty" guitars throughout the years. :shock:

P.S.- I never have felt the paint scratch my forearm, but I might have just built up a callous :lol: .

 

[PG13]

Leave it alone! Women do not understand the relationship guys have with their guitars... they never have and never will. My wife thought I was nuts when I had a complete cavity shield, complete re-fretting, new pick ups & wiring and installation of a genuine Floyd rose on an 70's reissue pink paisley Jap Strat I bought new in '88. She completely missed the point on the sentimental value and the sense of invincibility that a "frankenstein" guitar imparts on a player. ( IMHO, every true guitarist should has one of these in their life time) Yeah, I bought the guitar new for $375.00 back in the late 80's and invested big $$$; it's beat to ****, but I'll never get rid of it. There are some instruments that simply say YES" when you pick them up.

 

[Thrash Till Deth]

If you like it then leave it alone. Plus reliced guitars seem to be all the rage these days.

 

[lesterpaul]

if you guys could hold this puppy....i can tell you from experience, this one has voodoo all over it-it feels "alive"-the worn neck is magic....truly one of the few righty's I have held that made me wish I wasn't a lefty

 

[jay]

+1 Lesterpaul. I have also played this guitar and it does have the voodoo. It was supposed to be my guitar-lol. Our local music store (GT'S Music) had the guitar hanging on the wall. I asked how much and said I would have the money tomorrow. I come in the next day and it was gone. Joey beat me to the punch. I believe alot of the worn guitars have something special or the people wouldn't play them. I have had some nice older Les Pauls that were (pretty) but played and sounded like crap. I had a Les Paul with the same pickups as Joey's and we A/B them and his Paul had by far the best tone. It is just one of those one in a millions. Like he has said they will have to pry it from his dead hands. :twisted:

 

[BobSwanson]

Do NOT repaint - that puppy is perfect. Green is good when it comes to Goldtops
I bought my 74 LP Deluxe GT in 94 for $500. After a succession so PUp's
I've finally settled on a WCR Godwood in the bridge and I've stuck with the P90 neck pu.
Doesn't have as much green as your's but I'm workin on it.
(No -I'm not gonna relic the thing - Just keep playin man)