Refurbishing my Gibson LP

[redman]

I have talked about my 83 LP Studio before but anyway the frets had finally worn past the point of no return so I decided to have a refret job done. I've never done a refret before so I had a local luthier do it for me. I had him replace them with medium jumbo SS fretwire. He did a great job so that was $250 well spent. A few days ago I got a scratchy pot on the thing and decided to rewire it. I have always used CTS pots and Sprague orange drop caps but after all the threads and articles I've read I decided to try Bourn pots and PIO caps. While I started looking around the internet for best prices when I came across Toneman they sell kits prewired or just the parts I opted to do my own soldering but did order the kit for a LP. it came with 4 Bourn 500k audio taper pots, a .015 uf Russian PIO cap for the neck and .033 uf for the bridge (I've always used .022 uf for both) a Switchcraft 3-way switch and output jack 1' of Gavitt push back wire, 4.5' of braded wire and even a piece of shrink tubing.
The parts came yesterday and I plan to install them tomorrow can't wait to hear it I have a couple of .022uf orange drops on stand-by just in case. Now I want to change out the machines for lockers the OME ones are getting a bit funky they are the old style M mount type and so far it looks like Kluson's Revolution series if anyone has any ideas on other tuners with the M mount please let me know.

[mickey]

I decided a long time ago that a Gibson/Martin is NOT where you want to learn to do a refret.
Instead you need something where you can just buy a cheap replacement neck if you screw up the refretting!
$250 for refretting a Gibson isn't a bad price from a luthier.

[mozz]

I put the Kluson's Revolution tuners on my wine red studio and think they worked out great.

EDIT: i forgot to say, check the bridge for collapse. I mean if you have radius gauges check to see that it matches the fretboard, often they flatten over time.

[honyock]

I have the Kluson Revolutions on a couple Fender style necks, Stewmac was blowing them out last year while I had a membership for free shipping and I wanted to get my money's worth on one last order.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[uwmcscott]

That looks awesome, and I'd agree that $250 is a very fair price to bring some life back into the guitar. Being a first year model and with the ebony board, I would bet that the collector value will only go up too. Are the existing pots/switch/wiring original? If so definitely stash them away.

Having said that, I bet it will be a heck of a player and cool to see it being brought back for those purposes. I have a 93 studio with an ebony board, I wish Gibson would have used ebony a lot more often than they did.

[redman]

It didn't work out to install my new parts today but I did get them soldered so I can drop them in tomorrow.

[ID10t]

It didn't work out to install my new parts today but I did get them soldered so I can drop them in tomorrow.

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That is some clean work.

I have a question for you or anyone else who knows.
I have a relatively good grasp on electronic theory, I wonder why we use 2 capacitors (same value) instead of using one and slaving to it? I'm not trying to save $9 but I wonder. Would we get crossover?

[redman]

Finally got time this weekend to finish wiring the LP and it still amazes me how much wire and components change the sound of a guitar the tone is outstanding to my ears. I'm posting pictures of the whole process of refurbishing this guitar.
I ordered a set of Kluson's Revolution tuners and a new set of speed knobs I like the looks of those better than the top hats. The reason I ordered new knobs is that the OME were 24 tooth fine spline and the Bourns are 18 tooth course so like most guitarist I kept trying to get them to fit until one exploded. The tuners and knobs are the last thing.
The last picture I'll post this time is trying to capture the finish it's not peeling but it is really cracked so do you guys think I should refinish it, put some type of varnish or something on it or leave it alone because it has been worked hard for 38 years and just consider it character marks.. I really could use your input about the finish. More pictures in next post.

THESE 1ST 2 PICTURES ARE HOW I FOUND IT WHEN I OPENED IT UP

THESE 2 I GUTTED IT

STARTED TAPING THE CAVITY WITH BUZZ KILL

[redman]

3-WAY SWITCH INSTALLED


WIRED UP AND READY TO GO



SHOTS OF THE FINISH

[redman]

FORGOT THE SHOT OF THE CAVITY NEWLY WIRED

[jtcnj]

Leave that finish; honest real relic.
Nice work!
I need to do the shielding on mine.

[tobijohn]

Normally I'm all about showroom new car shiny but under the circumstances, on that guitar I'd leave the finish well enough alone.

BTW, how do you like audio pots for volume? I have yet to come across an import that wasn't linear volume/audio tone with the exception of just a few with linear on all four corners (i.e. the early new style AL3100M/3200s w/o coil splitting and a Washburn WI-64)...)

[redman]

I really like them @tobijohn very smooth and roll through the volume up or down with no hesitation and no dead spots like going past i/4 turn before any change in volume you can hear the volume change through the whole wiper movement.

[mickey]

I really like them @tobijohn very smooth and roll through the volume up or down with no hesitation and no dead spots like going past i/4 turn before any change in volume you can hear the volume change through the whole wiper movement.

While guitar players refuse to believe it all EE's know that is why they were designed.
That is why they are called "audio" pots.

[redman]

My Klusons came today I installed them as soon as they got here glad I bought them they're very nice tuning machines now just waiting for the knobs to come.

[tonebender]

That is an awesome guitar. Great work too.

[uwmcscott]

My Klusons came today I installed them as soon as they got here glad I bought them they're very nice tuning machines now just waiting for the knobs to come.

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Looking forward to the finished project - hope the knobs arrive soon!

[nomadh]

Dont dare refinish that lp. The patina and wear on that has got to make it worth 30% more than any refinish you could do. Actually 60% more than a refin and it's currently worth 30% more than a nos of the same model.
I suspect someday double or triple

[andrewsrea]

@redman: as for refinishing, maybe sleep on it? Like others said - you have what I call an 'honest relic.' You got there by playing.

If resale is a concern, I would consult experts on this forum like @golem for example, who really know the resale market for impact of a re-fin on value for your model.

If resale isn't a big concern and you prefer a more 'new' looking guitar, then you'll need it stripped to use anything else besides nitro-cellulous lacquer. The nitro on it now has VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which means it is in a constant state of decay. The good news is, if you use nitro for your refin - you'll just have to scuff it with 330 wet paper and clean it with naptha. The new coats of nitro will melt the old stuff and level nice, as long as their is no wax or silicon present.

Keep us up to date on your decisions and any ensuing re-fins!

[Rollin Hand]

I, too am against refinishing. Honest mojo is hard to come by, and that guitar has it.

[redman]

I decided to change out the rest of everything I ordered a Graph Tech Resomax Bridge and stop bar and a set of Seymour Duncan Slash Pups

https://reverb.com/item/38656-graph-tec ... ack-nickel

https://reverb.com/item/33468616-graph- ... -tailpiece

https://reverb.com/item/38466116-seymou ... kel-covers

[golem]

@andrewsrea I wouldn't worry too much about refinishing hurting value on an LP Studio. Even one from the 80's.

[Mossman]

I'd keep it the way it is just the same. I like shiny new guitars, but if I put all that wear on a guitar, I'd want to keep it.

[redman]

I do like a shiny finish and never understood the "Road Worn" look and such but I hear you guys loud and clear and I will leave the finish alone. After all I am really not sure which year I bought it was somewhere between 86 and 89 and I really think it was in 88 I bought it used for $600 and I just put a little over $800 in it but except for the wood and that old bone nut it's brand new and is much better than it was originally. I've got 33 years of playing time in on that guitar and from 1988 until 2011 I was playing working bands with no more than a couple of weeks here and there that I was not with a band and a few times I was playing with 3 or 4 groups at one time and if I only counted 1 gig a week for 23 years and we averaged more than that for sure still that would be 1097 gigs that guitar played with me so it earned every character mark on it the hard way.

[mickey]

I couldn't agree with you more @redman! Paying more for "road worn", "relic'd", etc. makes as much sense to me
as paying more for a beat up old police cruiser off the surplus lot as compared to a new car off the dealer's showroom floor!