Player Grade Vintage Guitars, year in review.

jumping@shadows

Happy New Year all!
Hope you marked the occasion in whatever way suited you best, and may 2018 bring health, wealth and success  

While it sometimes seems I’m getting nowhere fast with my restorations and custom refinishes, it’s gratifying to look back on completed guitars and see I’m chugging through them at a solid rate :-)

Here’s a few 2017 highlights, and I’ve a good stash of projects lined up for this year too  

Here’s to a bumper 2018! 

2003 Tokai LS320 nitro refinish.



1956/59 Les Paul Burst conversion.



1959 & 1956 Les Paul TV Yellow refinishes.



1968 Gibson Les Paul conversion.



1980 Greco refinish and flame veneer retop.



1962 Gibson SG Pelham Blue refinish. 



1955/59 Les Paul conversion.  



1963 Gibson ES330 Pelham Blue refinish with humbuckers.



1952/59 Gibson Les Paul conversion.

Bridgehouse

This thread needs a bloody health warning on it!

Schnozz

Bridgehouse said:

This thread needs a bloody health warning on it!

+1

Bridgehouse

Oh, and I'm really really pleased you don't do basses - or I'd be screwed.

stuagu

Man .... 

Jez6345789

Very nice you should do a calendar next year lol

jhumber

Incredible work, thanks for sharing. Do you have a site detailing what you’re currently working on / what’s coming up for sale, or is each guitar done on a per-commission basis? (Apologies if this has been answered before, I couldn’t find it)

skaguitar

Bridgehouse said:

This thread needs a bloody health warning on it!

I agree....

designerseye88

Get me some tissues....

jumping@shadows

@jhumber Thanks for the positivity  
I’m on Instagram under ‘playergradevintage’ as well as Facebook under the same, so you can PM there for projects in hand, and updates  

ellwood

Have already started the search for a candidate for a vintage refin.....

jumping@shadows

ellwood said:

Have already started the search for a candidate for a vintage refin.....

Good to hear! I have a few early SG’s, a couple ‘50s Les Pauls and a ‘64 Firebird V on the pile if those would fit the bill? 

Teetonetal

Nice work!

LooseMoose

What does ‘conversion’ mean? Sorry for the noobish question, feel like it’s probably really obvious!

ellwood

jumping@shadows said:

ellwood said:

Have already started the search for a candidate for a vintage refin.....

Good to hear! I have a few early SG’s, a couple ‘50s Les Pauls and a ‘64 Firebird V on the pile if those would fit the bill? 

Without doubt they would fit the bill.....just not my bank account!

Reckless1

PM sent

Teyeplayer

Flipping heck, they are amazing.

WezV

LooseMoose said:

What does ‘conversion’ mean? Sorry for the noobish question, feel like it’s probably really obvious!

Conversion from one spec to another.

in les Paul terms it often means a pre 58  getting converted to the more desirable burst specs. 

LooseMoose

Thanks Wez.

Would that not destroy the value? Honest question - I’m not a cork-sniffer, a good guitar is a good guitar as far as I’m concerned!

jumping@shadows

@LooseMoose A ‘conversion’ in this context is taking an abused/modded/refinished ‘52-‘56 Les Paul Goldtop and ‘converting’ it to late ‘50s PAF humbucker spec with sunburst finish etc, so you have the look, feel and tone of £275k ‘Burst’ for the price of 3-4 custom shop Les Paul reissues  

WezV

LooseMoose said:

Thanks Wez.

Would that not destroy the value? Honest question - I’m not a cork-sniffer, a good guitar is a good guitar as far as I’m concerned!

Early les Paul’s with issues used to be pretty cheap, at least compared to the burst spec.  

It used to be a way to fake a burst, but it’s also a good use of old broken guitars.... and that’s what would have been used here

Conversions can be quite valuable in their own right... certainly more value than a broken or modded pre 58 Les paul