Naked '72 Gibson SG Custom Body score!!

[Texsunburst59]

I just picked this up from my amp guy for $300. The neck and body are in pretty good shape. The main flaw is someone at one time routed out the bridge for a Kahler bridge. Anyway my guitar guy in Austin saw some pics and says he can fill in the body and prime, paint and put all the hardware and pickups in it for about $550-700. I'm still on the fence whether to paint it black with chrome hardware or cream with gold hardware. I'm still not really sure what kind of pickups to install either. Anyone have suggestions on the pickups and tuners I should consider? Thanks in advance.

http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...t=100_0556.jpg
http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...t=100_0557.jpg

[dragonworks]

Originally Posted by Texsunburst59

I just picked this up from my amp guy for $300. The neck and body are in pretty good shape. The main flaw is someone at one time routed out the bridge for a Kahler bridge. Anyway my guitar guy in Austin saw some pics and says he can fill in the body and prime, paint and put all the hardware and pickups in it for about $550-700. I'm still on the fence whether to paint it black with chrome hardware or cream with gold hardware. I'm still not really sure what kind of pickups to install either. Anyone have suggestions on the pickups and tuners I should consider? Thanks in advance.

http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...t=100_0556.jpg
http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...t=100_0557.jpg

I would try and do it myself first. What can go wrong, it is already fucked up, if you fuck it up you send it your guy and he fixes it. If you do it right, you probably save yourself 4 to 5 bills?

[dave.....]

but if you screw it up worse than it is now it will cost you 3x as mutch to have it fixed the right way ......... take it to a pro ........ it will be worth it in the end

[jimistone]

Originally Posted by dave.....

but if you screw it up worse than it is now it will cost you 3x as mutch to have it fixed the right way ......... take it to a pro ........ it will be worth it in the end

I would definatley do it myself. It's not that hard of a fix. I would fix it with a piece of mahogany, and paint it with reranch aresol can nitro, cut it and buff it out, and it would look as good as new. (step by step "total novice" instructions are on the site)

Hell, if you dish out $500 To have it done (I would say more like $700 if it was done by a pro), you're into the $1000 range on the total cost of the guitar...and it will ALWAYS be a butchered SG. (a players guitar in other words)
Honestly, I think that is a lowball quote for pickups, electronics, hardware, paint, and labor to have all that done. I would be skeptical of the one quoting that and curious about the quality of the componets he was planning on using. A complete guitar assembly from scratch, a body repair, body preparation for paint, and a finished had rubbed nitro paint job is ALOT OF HARD WORK.
They will do all that for $90 labor?
(better get it done before they go bankrupt then)

If you do the work and paint yourself:

The cost of the guitar $300
Everything you need to finish the guitar yourself will run around $400 (quality parts and paint)
The 3 cans of nitro and the buffing compound $50
set of good keys $60
set of good humbuckers $200
hardware, pot's, and odds and ends $100

$700 is better than $1000+...and you could say that YOU brought it back. (with some cool before and after pics)

That's pretty cool to accomplish that on your own...something to be proud of.

[marshall409]

im with jimi on this one. even i would probably take it on myself. the only difference, you have a chance at not fucking it up like i would

do it. cream and gold all the way.

Adam

[rayc]

Cream would look more trad. I had an SG copy bass that was cream & chrome & looked quite nice. I'm not sure about the gold hardware - it's a hassle to keep looking good.
I have a million & 1 projects in various states of unstarted/unfinishedness. Do you want to use the guitar? If Y get it done - but select the hardware you want.

[true-eurt]

I vote for cream and gold and do-it-your-selfer....what a freaking awesome project!!!!

Congrats Tex....on your great purchase!!!

[mrT]

IMO...fuck painting it. Throw three good Gibson pickups in it. Wire it up and slap a pickguard on there(if you want). I think it would look better than a cheap paint job (which is what it would be unless you and this guy are so tight that he wants to give you a $500-1K paint job for basiclly free). It would sound every bit the same and you could say that you have an original SG custom that you paid a total of $700 for!

but again this is just what I would do with it.

[rayc]

Having looked at the snaps again I think I'd prefer it natch.

[true-eurt]

I think the natural is pretty.


The Cream with Gold compliments, the shape and looks of the guitar.

[Hard2Hear]

If you pau to have it done by a good professional, that guitar will be worth some jack. If you screw it up, it will be worth less than you paid for it. The early 70's Gibsons are currently going up quickly, especilly SG customs.

H2H -He who owns many SGs. (and loves my 73)

[jimistone]

Originally Posted by Hard2Hear

If you pau to have it done by a good professional, that guitar will be worth some jack. If you screw it up, it will be worth less than you paid for it. The early 70's Gibsons are currently going up quickly, especilly SG customs.

H2H -He who owns many SGs. (and loves my 73)

A refinish, even one by a professional, knocks at least half the value of the guitar off (as a "collectable" guitar)

Original paint is THAT important on a collectable guitar.
IMO a refinish is a refinish is a refinish...might as well have a go at it your self on the paint. Fresh laquar comes off very easily, so, the worst thing that could happen is that you don't like your refinish and take it off.

[timthetortoise]

I wish nothing but bad things on a person who would deface such a beautiful guitar. Great find and good luck with it!!

[Zaphod B]

I just now noticed that the headstock is bound. What a beauty.

I'm going to side with Jimi, Marshall, and Daisy, and recommend a DIY mahogany plug and refinish to natural with cream pickup surrounds and selector switch, and gold hardware.

The body looks like a two-piece bookmatch. If you find a piece of mahogany with similar grain width as the body you'll want to match the direction of the grain and bookmatch it as well. Since the stop piece and bridge will mostly be covering the upper and lower end of the repair, there won't be that much showing in between and I'm betting that it will be all but invisible.

What a fantastic project - good luck!

[timthetortoise]

Originally Posted by Zaphod B

The body looks like a two-piece bookmatch.

Hate to disagree... but I disagree! Take a look at the pic of the back. I see no grain patterns ending early; I think that this is a one-piece body.

[Anfontan]

Is it my imagination or aren't the pickups holes routed for P-90 single coils?
I'm not sure about the gold hardware-I have an Epi Sheraton and the gold wore off quickly-it's very thin on the stopbar tailpiece and pickups anyway...just my 2 cent-and I'd vote for creme for the color.

[Zaphod B]

Originally Posted by timthetortoise

Hate to disagree... but I disagree! Take a look at the pic of the back. I see no grain patterns ending early; I think that this is a one-piece body.

Yep, right you are. I was just looking at front.

[goodbyebluesky]

Do the people here reccomending a DIY job actually KNOW how hard that is? If your boy can give you a pro-finish for what you quoted I would go for it.
My vote is for white with chrome hardware. And don't dare put a pickguard on it. White + Chrome x 3 humbuckers = ROCK 'N Roll!

I've owned 2 gibson style gits in white; an LP junior style and an SG copy. And SG in white to me is like..... a 50's Les Paul in Gold. Its classy looking but pure rock and roll.

[azraelswings]

Originally Posted by goodbyebluesky

Do the people here reccomending a DIY job actually KNOW how hard that is?

I didn't, but I'm curious, how hard is it?

I was thinking about buying a kit guitar and doing my first DIY project - is a finish that tough?

[goodbyebluesky]

Originally Posted by azraelswings

I didn't, but I'm curious, how hard is it?

I was thinking about buying a kit guitar and doing my first DIY project - is a finish that tough?

You need a decent sprayer, a dust-free environment, good quality paint, flawless prep work, and some experience.

I tried the DIY bit when I was a teen. Telecaster body strung up by a coat hangar through the neck boltholes, using automotive type laquer. Turned out terrible. Dust in the finish (environment), uneven color tone (lack of professional sprayer and experience), wouldnt cover wood grain even with 3 coats (lack of prep)

Getting cars painted by a pro cost a lot of money for a reason. Its a skill to lay paint evenly. I work for a major furniture company and see some of the pieces that get repaired. They only trust one guy in the whole shop crew to run the spray booth (you wouldnt have one of those would you?) and he does a great job..... because he has the right equipment and paint, and does it every day. Don't mean to discourage you. I built a drumset a little later in those teen years and didn't even consider painting them, just wrapped in blue sparkle wrap- wish it was that simple with other instruments.

[jimistone]

Originally Posted by goodbyebluesky

You need a decent sprayer, a dust-free environment, good quality paint, flawless prep work, and some experience.

I tried the DIY bit when I was a teen. Telecaster body strung up by a coat hangar through the neck boltholes, using automotive type laquer. Turned out terrible. Dust in the finish (environment), uneven color tone (lack of professional sprayer and experience), wouldnt cover wood grain even with 3 coats (lack of prep)

Getting cars painted by a pro cost a lot of money for a reason. Its a skill to lay paint evenly. I work for a major furniture company and see some of the pieces that get repaired. They only trust one guy in the whole shop crew to run the spray booth (you wouldnt have one of those would you?) and he does a great job..... because he has the right equipment and paint, and does it every day. Don't mean to discourage you. I built a drumset a little later in those teen years and didn't even consider painting them, just wrapped in blue sparkle wrap- wish it was that simple with other instruments.

Well, let me address this post and the other "Do the people here reccomending a DIY job actually KNOW how hard that is?" post....since I recomended the do it yourself refinish.
Here is a pic of my '66 strat that I did in lake placid blue nitro laquar. I used 3 cans of spray paint from www.reranch.com. They offer nitro laquar in spray cans that shoot the paint as good as an air powed paint gun. There are complete step by step instructions on the website for preping the body, priming, applying the paint, and cutting and buffing the finish. My "paint booth" was a tiny 5 X 6 metel utility shed in my back yard. Plastic bisqueen over a makeshift frame....in the back yard...would even work well for a makeshift paint booth .

A complete moron could do it with this much help (my finished guitar is proof of that)
I have not seen a better "pro" finish than the one I did myself.
The pic doesn't really do my strats paint job justice IMO...there is a deep gloss and glassy smoothness that didn't really translate to this pictiure.

I would NEVER advise someone to tackle something I thought they couldn't handle, and that I had not ALREADY tackled myself.

[muttley600]

Originally Posted by jimistone

Well, let me address this post and the other "Do the people here reccomending a DIY job actually KNOW how hard that is?" post....since I recomended the do it yourself refinish.
Here is a pic of my '66 strat that I did in lake placid blue nitro laquar. I used 3 cans of spray paint from www.reranch.com. They offer nitro laquar in spray cans that shoot the paint as good as an air powed paint gun.

That simply is not true. Those cans are not even close to even a cheap HVLP setup.

I don't want to get involved in the is it easy or isn't it debate. My thoughts on the subject are legend as are those of other experienced guitar makers here and elsewhere. But just a few words

If you want to have a go at it yourself by all means do. However do some SERIOUS research first. The finish on a guitar is the hardest part to get right and easiest part to get wrong. Budget on a good deal on man hours even if you have the equipment. Be prepared for some mind numbingly boring prep work and flat sanding. And then some more for rework. If the guy who has quoted you has examples of his work that you believe are good go for it now before he changes his mind.

My "paint booth" was a tiny 5 X 6 metel utility shed in my back yard. Plastic bisqueen over a makeshift frame....in the back yard...would even work well for a makeshift paint booth .

I'm not disputing that you did this and turned out a very nice finish on your strat. But this is seriously bad advice and potentially dangerous don't even think about shooting Nitro in such circumstances or other finishes for that matter.

Seriously Jimistone I'm not getting at you but please be aware that finishing a guitar with any form of spray equipment is neither easy or entirely free of risk and there are many dangers to health and environment if it is not tackled correctly. I'm all for people tackling stuff themselves and try and help where I can by posting advice from my years of experience. Finishing is not something that should be undertaken lightly.

[muttley600]

Oh and just to add to your decision making process. Black is about the hardest solid colour to get a decent finish with. Cream or white are no walk in the park either.

[dave.....]

re ranch has some cool stuff ... i used there spray cans for the two color sunburst on my strat ... after that i used my clear [nitro] to finish it w/ lost of sanding beteween coats ........ and yes i am a pro w/ nitro i have a spray booth and all the proper equipment .......... thats why i recomended taking it to a pro ........ not that some guys cant get a pretty good finish at home ...... but having all the right equipment and a lifetime of spraying nitro defenitly helps ......... hope i dont offend anyone

[muttley600]

Dave, no one is offended I'm sure. Its not the stuffing up the finish thats the problem. That can be put right. Its the potential hazards involved with shooting lacquer without the correct gear and guidance that concerns me. The damage to health or even worse explosive burns that are harder to put right The risk is very real. Unless you plan on doing a good deal of finishing then it really is best left to someone who is geared up to do it. If someone is really keen to have a go themselves fine but do some serious research and be prepared for a steep learning curve.