Gibson 1957 Les Paul TV Special Restoration

IvisonGuitars

I don't think I ever posted a NGD thread about this one but I've been playing it a lot recently and fallen in love with it all over again.

I bought it as a project last year, a 1957 Les Paul TV Special. Unfortunately it had lost it's TV Yellow to a Poly Silver/Gold refin somewhere down the road.



I actually really liked the Silver/Gold as it was a little unusual but, as i've hankered after a TV Yellow Special for YEARS, it had to go. 

Stripping commenced...



Burn marks suggest the original finish was removed with a blow torch...



Found a little bit of original TV Yellow in the cavity and also in the lower horn - obviously the previous 'stripper' got bored and left it!





Anyway, 2 days with chemical stripper and an evening with some acetone and a short bristled brush revealed some beautiful, deep grained one piece Honduran Mahogany, 59 years since it was first painted.



Now I was fully expecting to uncover all manner of horrors given the thick poly refin, a headstock crack at least, perhaps a heel break too....Nothing, not a single blemish! Result!



There was a ding on the back of the neck and a couple on the body which I steamed out and I did find a repair on the wood around  the pickup selector switch but that was it. On to the TV Yellow finish.....

Strangefan

Wow really looking forward to following this. 

WezV

I love seeing them stripped like this, all the history laid bare

AndyR

Fascinating stuff. I'm not allowed a TV Yellow guitar - missus does NOT like yellow!! (Mind you, she's helped me buy lots of other guitars etc, so she's forgiven!)

JookyChap

Cool, looking forward to this..

Jez6345789

lovely tagging along with interest

stimpsonslostson

I hate it when a stripper gets bored and leaves it. 

richardhomer

'Wow'd' - I'm definitely 'in'. Please continue....

IvisonGuitars

Proper TV Yellow is a right bitch to get right as there is no 'right' shade. It changed every year from it's introduction from a lime wash to a 'banana pudding' Yellow. I used the Curtis Novak method which is different to the current Gibson method and looks more like how Gibson did it originally (http://curtisnovak.com/vintage/TV-Yellow/), I went for a '56/'57 shade.

Ready for the white mist coat:



White on:



Clear Grain Filler on:



Then the fun part, building up the amber/yellow coats. I must thank @Trotter & @woody_89 who put up with many emails and pictures at this point in the restoration so I could get some opinions on how the TV yellow was looking. Fine gents indeed!



Also re-did the headstock face and got a new restoration quality decal from Crox Guitars - I know the originals were silk screened but making up a silk screen and applying it was just too much faff, I wanted to get it done and played! ;-)



After a lonnnnng 3 weeks, I got it back together and with a little ageing it was done.



Plays and sounds absolutely killer. I was never a neck pickup guy at all....but that neck pickup.....exquisite! :-)

IvisonGuitars

And you can just make out the lacquer cracking here...

Moss

What a stunning restoration - top work

richardhomer

A friend of mine used to own a vintage guitar shop in Rochdale and had an original TV Yellow Special in once. It was an amazing guitar - looking at the colour of that, you've nailed it.

Fantastic work. 

Andyjr1515

Fabulous job

Danielsguitars

That's lovely, I want one of those one day

AndyR

Excellent stuff - superb.

earwighoney

I think I got a bit too excited seeing those pictures. 

Stunning stuff. 

Iamnobody

Excellent work.  

I was was convinced I wanted a Jr in a proper sunburst. I'm now thinking TV yellow would be perfectly acceptable...

Trotter

Perfect. Just perfect 

stickyfiddle

Fantastic! 

Dibs!

Panama_Jack666

Wow! That looks great!

shaunm

Super work! Fantastic