you're in a BBBIIIIIGGGG dilemma daveq. i can tell that. my uncle once in a condition just like you. he had his guitar, signed by one of the local guitarist that, plays extremely well, and a bit famous here. at the time (round the 80's) it's a bit hard to get your hero signed for you but him, he got his guitar signed! but then, he made a mistake. dunno if it's a big deal or not, but he had it signed on his custom guitar, which he planned in the beginning to sell it to a friend. he was in dilemma as the guitar now holds two things, his friend downpayment for the guitar and also the signature of his guitar hero. you know what he had done? rip the body off, make a new one, which he used avery hard but good wood, to make the body. he sacrificed a bit more but he got his guitar framed on the wall.
btw, that's a nice axe man. whatever that you do, don't regret your own decision man.