advice on restoring a guitar

[kylosius]

i got a harmony les paul knock off. needless to say, it has seen better days. it needs a new neck, input jack and pick ups. i also want this to look unique when it's all said and done. i would like a telecaster style neck instead of the traditional les paul style. this is actually my main concern. the neck is a bolt on. would a tele style neck work in its place? is this a stupid idea? any help would be appreciated. thanks

 

[gbdweller]

There are too many variables to give you a valid answer. Does the guitar have sentimental value or is it just a project? What do you mean by Telecaster style neck? Are you talking about the head stock shape? Are the pickups and input jack missing or not working? If you are planning a project to learn guitar repair or building, I would suggest a kit to get started. If you are looking to restore a piece that has high sentimental value, then you have a lot of research ahead of you, such as ascertaing scale length, neck pocket size, etc etc most of which can be found on the net. You will also need to assess your skill level and make a decision if this is something you honestly have the skill to do, or something you should trust to a professional. Good luck and keep us posted. I started by disassembling and ruining a few guitars in my teens , but now I build and repair guitars. I don't think I could have learned without failing once or twice. Don't get discouraged if this is your first attempt and it doesn't go quite as planned. Even guys with years of experience have a thing or two to learn.

 

[Light]

Well, the biggest problems I can think of right now are the neck pockets (which are likely to be different sizes), and the scale lengths (which are likely to be different, depending on how accurate of a Les Paul copy Harmony was trying to make). Neither of these are insurmountable, but doing it in a way which will look good is going to be a VERY time consuming job, and depending on your level of skill it may well not be possible.


Light

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