photoguy
03-12-2006, 04:41 PM
I have a '65 Gibson J 50, that I've owned for about 15 years. When I purchased it, it had suffered a broken headstock and had been repaired by a *friend*. While the repair was stable, it was ugly as sin. You could clearly see the two splines that were inserted, and it was covered with some black spray paint from a can that had been tapered to a pretty sever "V" in the back. Additionally, the front of the headstock had been covered with a piece of rosewood. Trust me when I say that it was butt ugly.
The guitar also needed a neck re-set and a re-fret wouldn't hurt. Consequently, despite it's booming Gibson sound, it didn't get played very much.
I searched around for someone to repair this and finally found a local guy...Bill Tippin of Tippin Guitars http://www.tippinguitar.com/ Bill makes some very high end guitars, the likes of which I could never afford...but also has a repair business as well. I called him on the phone and he invited me and my guitar over. Bill spent a good amount of time with me that first day, showing me around his shop, letting me play some of his finished guitars, and just "talking guitars". I left the guitar with him, and he promised a good repair.
Despite my calling him regularly, I knew that this would take some time, and I also knew that he wouldn't let me rush the job. When I walked in his shop last week and saw my guitar lying on the bench, I couldn't believe what a great job he'd done. He made a backstrap of rosewood that he inserted into the back of the headstock, and blended it expertly into the neck. If I didn't mention it, no one would ever guess that this had been repaired. In addition, he re-did the front of the headstock, applying a period correct Gibson decal and shot the whole neck with laquer, blending a darker color on both ends, with a nice warm color in the middle.
The neck re-set and fret job made this guitar sing like I suspected it could...now, I can't put it down!
Just wanted to pass on a public "thanks" and a big thumbs up for his talents.
The guitar also needed a neck re-set and a re-fret wouldn't hurt. Consequently, despite it's booming Gibson sound, it didn't get played very much.
I searched around for someone to repair this and finally found a local guy...Bill Tippin of Tippin Guitars http://www.tippinguitar.com/ Bill makes some very high end guitars, the likes of which I could never afford...but also has a repair business as well. I called him on the phone and he invited me and my guitar over. Bill spent a good amount of time with me that first day, showing me around his shop, letting me play some of his finished guitars, and just "talking guitars". I left the guitar with him, and he promised a good repair.
Despite my calling him regularly, I knew that this would take some time, and I also knew that he wouldn't let me rush the job. When I walked in his shop last week and saw my guitar lying on the bench, I couldn't believe what a great job he'd done. He made a backstrap of rosewood that he inserted into the back of the headstock, and blended it expertly into the neck. If I didn't mention it, no one would ever guess that this had been repaired. In addition, he re-did the front of the headstock, applying a period correct Gibson decal and shot the whole neck with laquer, blending a darker color on both ends, with a nice warm color in the middle.
The neck re-set and fret job made this guitar sing like I suspected it could...now, I can't put it down!
Just wanted to pass on a public "thanks" and a big thumbs up for his talents.