Silverburst Project - pic heavy!

[samzadgan]

first, a bit of background.

i've always wanted a silver burst LPC from the late 70's/early 80's, its my holy grail of guitars. The problem is that they cost a lot of money...money which i don't have...and can't justify paying on a guitar (well, not at this stage of my life anyway)

So I talked to a few people and a new idea came up, what if i had a LPC type guitar and got it refinished? after a bit more research and chat on forums (in the UK) i found a guy who wanted to do the job. I just had to find a donor guitar with the right specs and a set of pickups...as luck would have it, a guy was selling an Epiphone LP custom in Silverburst.

This was lucky, because although i hate the style of silver burst the Epi's have, its one of few LPC's that have the right shape and chrome hardware. The issues, I don't like style of silver burst, i much prefer the tear drop shape, and secondly i don't like the epiphone headstock shape. I'm not fussed about the "gibson" name, i do however like the gibson headstock shape...so Tokai, Edwards etc are cool by me. But after discussing the job with the builder, we decided that its; a. easier and b. cheaper to buy a NOS Gibson Custom headstock overlay, than trying to make a blank one or putting a different name on it.

So with that in mind and other details we started the build, with this guitar being the what we wanted to replicate:


First, the donor guitar, an Epiphone LPC, excluding the pickups...


And...pickups were bought...


so...enjoy the progress pics...

[samzadgan]

First step...strip back some of the finish on the guitar...

[samzadgan]

next the re-shape of the headstock. He cut off a slice fro both sides then stuck on two new reshaped parts, then put on the gibson overlay.

[samzadgan]

After sanding down the body, and finishing the headstock, the first layers of paint...

[samzadgan]

Next tear drop silver bust (black paint) on the body, neck and headstock

the serial number on the back of the headstock is my wife's birthdate.

[samzadgan]

Finally a few layers of yellow tint to give it some age...

[samzadgan]

Finish off with some nitro to make sure it continues to age and check...then assemble new electronics and wiring as well as new pickups...and we have a replica of a late 70's Silverburst.

This is not something i plan on selling...even if i don't like it in the long run, i know i would be happy to just hang it up and admire the beauty of it!







I could no be happier...also...as a guide on the total cost, its a little under a quarter of what a real vintage gibson would have cost me.

[KaosCill8r]

That is beautiful dude. How does it sound?

[samzadgan]

thanks man...thats the one issue...i'm ampless at the moment, so don't know...but feels great!

the builder did say when he played it through his little amp in the workshop, it was heavy as fuck and sustained for days!

[morange]

So gorgeous.

[Jäke]

Nice work! You've already committed so much effort to the cosmetics, you should consider dying that rosewood board to a more ebony look. Lots of people don't notice, but a nice black fretboard is really part of what makes a Custom such a handsome instrument to me.

http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Finishing_Supplies/Colors_and_Tints_and_Stains/Black_Fingerboard_Stain.html

Oh, and a nice 5-ply pickguard, with that deep Custom bevel is always a really nice touch.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181388649517?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&var=480374521381&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[skullservant]

So good dude!!

[Iommic Pope]

Sam, this is amazeballs!
Makes me want to do something similar to a V.

[t-rey]

So. Much. Snazz.

[KaosCill8r]

So. Much. Jizz.

Ftfy