1969 Les Paul Goldtop - Western Australia

[P5B]

I have a 1969 Les Paul Goldtop that I have owned since 1983. In a previous life this guitar has had the gold colour removed and has a clear finish. It has a three piece maple top which is quite attractive. It has also had the P90 pickups removed and been professionally routed to accommodated humbucker pickups. Grover machine heads have also been fittted. It plays and sounds great but I am contemplating restoring the guitar back to original, namely having vintage P90s fittedalong with new mahogany and maple, vintage machine heads and a goldtop finish.

I am currently trying to get a small quantity of the bronze powder used in the goldtop finish. Reranch do an aerosol but do not send there product overseas. I would appreciate anyone who can assist with information on how I can obtain the illusive bronze powder. Any comments regarding this project would also be welcome.

[verhoevenc]

Where do you live? Perhaps someone here could get sent ReRanches stuff and then forward it to you. However, that's up to you, cause you'd be looking at doubling the shipping costs... so yeah, all depends on where you are and how OK with the most likely high shipping you are.

Chris

Ops, just read that you're in Western Australia duh

[marksound]

I have a 1969 Les Paul Goldtop that I have owned since 1983. In a previous life this guitar has had the gold colour removed and has a clear finish. It has a three piece maple top which is quite attractive. It has also had the P90 pickups removed and been professionally routed to accommodated humbucker pickups. Grover machine heads have also been fittted. It plays and sounds great but I am contemplating restoring the guitar back to original, namely having vintage P90s fittedalong with new mahogany and maple, vintage machine heads and a goldtop finish.

I am currently trying to get a small quantity of the bronze powder used in the goldtop finish. Reranch do an aerosol but do not send there product overseas. I would appreciate anyone who can assist with information on how I can obtain the illusive bronze powder. Any comments regarding this project would also be welcome.

I think I'd look for a custom guitar builder in Western Australia who might have or be able to source the product for you.

[Drak]

I could see refinishing it if that's what you wanted, but to even remotely consider replacing the Maple and Mahogany is pretty ridiculous. At that point, you'd be far far better off selling it and buying what you want, you will completely and utterly destroy ANY vintage value the guitar has by doing that.

Basically committing guitaricide.

What's been done so far really isn't that bad, and was commonly done to a lot of guitars, so it's still acceptable as a vintage instrument, but your ideas go FAR FAR past that level.

Anyway, look to finishing suppliers for your powder, my local finishing supplier has that powder in 4-5 different shades.

By the way, that stuff is VERY toxic and dangerous to use, it is ground metal powder for real, and if you inhale it, you will not live a very long and prosperous life, it usually gets double-canned because that powder will drift around and infiltrate everything around it, ruining all your other supplies if you have it near them.

You will need a separate gun to shoot it thru, then you will have to throw the gun away when you're done with it because you can never get all the powder out of the gun and it will infect and ruin later jobs.

Then, once you shoot it, you need to get a clear coat on top of it before it starts to oxidize green on you.

That stuff is to be used with the highest caution.

[P5B]

I could see refinishing it if that's what you wanted, but to even remotely consider replacing the Maple and Mahogany is pretty ridiculous. At that point, you'd be far far better off selling it and buying what you want, you will completely and utterly destroy ANY vintage value the guitar has by doing that.

Basically committing guitaricide.

What's been done so far really isn't that bad, and was commonly done to a lot of guitars, so it's still acceptable as a vintage instrument, but your ideas go FAR FAR past that level.

Anyway, look to finishing suppliers for your powder, my local finishing supplier has that powder in 4-5 different shades.

By the way, that stuff is VERY toxic and dangerous to use, it is ground metal powder for real, and if you inhale it, you will not live a very long and prosperous life, it usually gets double-canned because that powder will drift around and infiltrate everything around it, ruining all your other supplies if you have it near them.

You will need a separate gun to shoot it thru, then you will have to throw the gun away when you're done with it because you can never get all the powder out of the gun and it will infect and ruin later jobs.

Then, once you shoot it, you need to get a clear coat on top of it before it starts to oxidize green on you.

That stuff is to be used with the highest caution.

I could see refinishing it if that's what you wanted, but to even remotely consider replacing the Maple and Mahogany is pretty ridiculous. At that point, you'd be far far better off selling it and buying what you want, you will completely and utterly destroy ANY vintage value the guitar has by doing that.

Basically committing guitaricide.

What's been done so far really isn't that bad, and was commonly done to a lot of guitars, so it's still acceptable as a vintage instrument, but your ideas go FAR FAR past that level.

Anyway, look to finishing suppliers for your powder, my local finishing supplier has that powder in 4-5 different shades.

By the way, that stuff is VERY toxic and dangerous to use, it is ground metal powder for real, and if you inhale it, you will not live a very long and prosperous life, it usually gets double-canned because that powder will drift around and infiltrate everything around it, ruining all your other supplies if you have it near them.

You will need a separate gun to shoot it thru, then you will have to throw the gun away when you're done with it because you can never get all the powder out of the gun and it will infect and ruin later jobs.

Then, once you shoot it, you need to get a clear coat on top of it before it starts to oxidize green on you.

That stuff is to be used with the highest caution.

Many thanks for your comments.

The refinishing and the installation of P90 pickups was suggested by a guitar technician. I must admit I have had similar reservations regarding the mahagany and maple inserts. Thanks also for the safety info on the bronze powder - I think I will give this stuff a miss.

I now feel that what has been done to this guitar in the past has been done well and should not be changed.

Thanks very much for your thoughts.