The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #59422   Message #2649451
Posted By: GUEST,Matt
05-Jun-09 - 06:23 PM
Thread Name: Guitar: New? Gibson LGO
Subject: RE: New? Gibson LGO
I've rebraced and rebridged one LG0, a 1966 with that bloody awful bridge. The owner brought it in for a neck reset but was jonesing for a Martin 15-series mahogany guitar, and I told her she could just as easily get a better sound out of the LGO with re-bracing, for a good bit less.

The back came off pretty easily as it hadn't any binding, so a bit of effort with a palette knife and a bit of vinegar opened it right up. I carefully took off the ladder braces, smoothed the inside of the top (without removing much wood) and replaced it with X-bracing characteristic of an LG2 or LG3.   The bridge was replaced with an Allparts rosewood reverse belly-bridge.

I also reset the neck, which was necessary after all the other work, and gave the whole thing a wetdown with butyl cellosolve to reamalgamate the much-checked original finish. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to offer to spray on a fresh coat of tinted lacquer to darken it up a bit - the color of the wood has a greenish tinge from the yellowing of the lacquer Gibson originally used.

It turned out to be a very good instrument, and the owner who'd brought it in quite likes it in its upgraded state. Skinny neck, 14 frets, relatively small body....nothing bad there.