LPCustom Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 I had a fantastic bit of luck this morning at a flea market. I was going to the Radio Shack this morning and in the parking lot in front of an antiques/crafts store they were having a flea market. I'd not seen one before so I wandered over there. While I was looking through all the stuff people don't want but thought other people might actually pay money for. I spied a Gibson Les Paul Studio in fairly rough shape. I asked the guy how much he wanted for it. He said, "Why you want that? It don't work." I asked him again how much he wanted for it. He said, "About $100 I guess. It don't work." I whipped out $100 and plopped it in his hand before he could change his mind. It was really nasty. I managed to clean that off after about four hours of cleaning. I also put strings on it to see what it sounded like (it only had the B string on it). This is what I got for that $100. http://www.crystalblack.com/pictures/95LPSfront.jpg The back still looks pretty rough. http://www.crystalblack.com/pictures/95LPSback.jpg The output jack is very corroded and is rusty inside. I can't get a 1/4 inch plug in there. I'll have to change out the jack, I guess. You can see some of the "to the wood" dings here. http://www.crystalblack.com/pictures/95LPSbutt.jpg What you can't see in these pictures is that the guitar has got a lot of scratches on it. You can probably see some of the dings that go through to the wood. The switch is going to have to be replaced. It just floats free inside the switch housing. Also all the pots are going to have to be replaced two won't turn and one is broken on the outside (it still turns). There's rust inside the control cavity on all the pots, too. It also needs a refret. But I think it will be playable without one for a while. Every screw on the body was rusted. I replaced the ones on the pickguard but you can probably tell the pickup ring screws are still rusty. I'm amazed that the stop bar isn't corroded but it looks practically new. The pole piece screws on the bridge pickup are also rusty. I just hope that the bridge pickup works okay. It might be full of rust. I can't test that until I get the other electronics fixed. The guitar looked like it had been in a flood or something (there was mud in the switch cavity). Born on the Bayou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 Congrats - might be a good one to strip down and go to a natural finish, with tung oil. Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 still pretty cool and an excellent peice for a project. $100 for a body and a neck plus a little more seems like a good deal to me and its a gibson...good find! and have fun with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCustom Posted October 16, 2005 Author Share Posted October 16, 2005 Originally posted by Bluesape: Congrats - might be a good one to strip down and go to a natural finish, with tung oil. I'm thinking of doing just that. It may take a while to get the electronics sorted out. But I'll have fun doing it. Oh, yeah. The tuners were a writeoff, too. But I put a good set of Grovers on it. Born on the Bayou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 NICE SCORE! What year is it? (Check the serial number on the back of the headstock.) Is that an ebony fretboard? I can't quite tell from the pics. The middle-ish '90s LP Studios with ebony 'boards are often particularly nice, especially for their usually low prices. In your case, it almost may as well have been free! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 That looks like rosewood to me, Cav. Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCustom Posted October 16, 2005 Author Share Posted October 16, 2005 Yep the fingerboard is rosewood. I would have loved for it to be ebony. But it's rosewood. According to the serial number it's a '95. Must have been a rough 10 years. Born on the Bayou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCustom Posted October 16, 2005 Author Share Posted October 16, 2005 Originally posted by Dances With Werewolves: In your case, it almost may as well have been free! I don't know, yet, if the pickups are any good. I'm suspicious of the bridge pickup since it's got rust on the pole pieces. I don't see any rust on the neck pickup but the rust everywhere else makes me wonder about the neck pickup. I'll know as soon as I get the pots put back into it (I'm working on changing them out, now). I just finished with the switch and the output jack. Luckily, I have all the parts I need to fix it. I have a couple of Gibson burstbucker pickups in a box somewhere around here. Those will work nicely if I have to change the pickups. Born on the Bayou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCustom Posted October 16, 2005 Author Share Posted October 16, 2005 Well, BUGGER. Neither of the pickups shows continuity. Gonna have to yank both of 'em and replace them. I guess I'll do that tomorrow. Glad I hadn't soldered them onto the new pots, yet. Still, I can't complain about the price. At least I don't have to go _buy_ new pickups just to make it work. Born on the Bayou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 Hey, you aughtta put in a pair of those Seymour Duncan Phat Cats (or Fat cats, or however they're spelling it), those humbucker-sized P-90s. I've got a '97 LP Studio "Gem", similar to that but with a translucent ruby-red top, gloss-black sides, back, and neck, gold hardware, and P-90 "soapbars". Cool guitar. Really does it for Open-G/Open-A and Open-D/Open-E tunings. Or you could load in those EMG Zakk Wylde pickups and controls, if mo' modern over retro would do it for ya in an extra axe. It'd be interesting to see just what's under all that Gloss-Ebony lacquer, if you do decide to strip 'er down 'n' oil 'er up... Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 Originally posted by LPCustom: Well, BUGGER. Neither of the pickups shows continuity. Gonna have to yank both of 'em and replace them. I guess I'll do that tomorrow. Glad I hadn't soldered them onto the new pots, yet. Still, I can't complain about the price. At least I don't have to go _buy_ new pickups just to make it work. If it was me, I'd not strip it, I'd just clean it well, then I'd rip out all the electronics, pickups and all, and replace the whole electronics system. I'd probably replace the bridge (or at least the bridge saddles) with Graphtech parts, as well as the nut. I'd replace the missing cover lates, and play the darned thing. How beat up the body is, is just a part of the charm that the guitar will have, and will enhance the story you have to tell, once you get the mechanical/electrical system straightened out. It's funny how we glorify beat up old axes owned by famous people (to the point where we will even pay extra to by replicas) but we seem to always reach for the sandpaper when it comes to 'just and old axe'. Bill "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 I kinda agree with Bill there; I do believe that the finish is real nitrocellulose lacquer... It'd be kinda cool to try your hand at lacquer touch-up and repair, at first on the back of the guitar; you can find ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you could possibly need to do the job, including instructional books (and vids, too, I believe) at Stewart-MacDonald. What guitar could be more perfect to hone your lacquer-repair skills on? Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 Yep that one is gonna be a player allright! yep I would get everyting working great electrically and mechanically complete great setup and just gig the heck outa it!! NICE FIND!!!! You did good! http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbach1 Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 That's a fun find for you and a nice project guitar. You will likely have more into it in the end then a reconditioned studio will bring, considering your time (labor), but it will be a fun and enlightening project. You should have tried to wittle the seller down a little, like: "oh it doesn't work? Well, I'll give you $50 for what you got left there", something like that, You might have gotten him down a bit, but $100 is cheap for a body and a neck. bbach Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCustom Posted October 16, 2005 Author Share Posted October 16, 2005 Originally posted by Dances With Werewolves: I kinda agree with Bill there; I do believe that the finish is real nitrocellulose lacquer... It'd be kinda cool to try your hand at lacquer touch-up and repair, at first on the back of the guitar; you can find ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you could possibly need to do the job, including instructional books (and vids, too, I believe) at Stewart-MacDonald. What guitar could be more perfect to hone your lacquer-repair skills on? That's a good idea, Kevin. I can always strip it later if I screw it up royally. I've done lots of work on guitars over the years (even done a few refrets -- what a PAIN). Stewmac.com is a great resource for working on your own guitars. I've bought a good bit of stuff from them lately. I've seen a couple of these stripped down to natural and then just clear coated. They look really good. But the dings also give it character that would contrast with the new hardware. I'm going to have to think about this for awhile. I can always strip it or try to fix the finish later. But I can't put it back the way it is if I change it. I think, for now, I'm just going to leave the finish like it is and play it. I'll decide about the finish later. Born on the Bayou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
force Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 Just curious,,, did you ask the seller if he had and idea what kind of guitar it he was selling? A great aunt of mine once sold a Martin D-28 for $15. I still wish I could find the guy who bought it from her, though I'm sure he thought he 'd found a "steal"; on second thought, delete those quotes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCustom Posted October 16, 2005 Author Share Posted October 16, 2005 When the guy asked why I wanted to know how much he wanted and added "It don't work.", I told him that really like Gibson guitars and that they were fine guitars. I also told him that even broken ones were usually worth fixing. He just gave me a blank look. My guess is that it was never "his" guitar. I don't feel guilty at all. It's not as if I tried to rip the guy off. He's the one who set the price _after_ I told him that it was probably worth fixing. Born on the Bayou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
force Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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