Rebuilding Vintage Guitars - The Conversion Process

Baxter and Jonathan talk about the conversion process, for both vintage harmony and Kay acoustic's and Vintage Gibson Les Paul Gold tops being converted into Bursts. Let us know what you think in the comments.

[@bradswanson6788]

"I like to call myself thrifty...have you seen my stable of Two Rocks?"😀

[@TheGeniuschrist]

I play one guitar all day everyday- but I love the esoteric guitar stuff you guys dive into.

[@jeffsaginaw1769]

I sent my girlfriends Harmony Sovereign to Scott and It plays great and sounds better than her Martin D18. They virtually rebuild the whole guitar - remove the top shave and redo the braces, reset and refret the neck. Deal is Harmony used REALLY GOOD WOOD in the 1960's and it's aged naturally 60 years! Really worth it if you got one!

[@Funkybassuk]

Goldtop to Burst conversions which were done in the late 50s - those seem cool.

[@ericsmith7287]

So I'm trying to see my Silver Sky in the background for proof of life and now am wondering what am I looking at over Johnny Rob's shoulder? It looks like a bunch of zip ties holding a Tele together. I don't mind Murphy aged, etc. guitars, but I've never understood the ship of Theseus guitars or conversions.

[@jameswhite1450]

I’m a huge Matt Smith fan from Doctor Who, so it was hard to see him as Daemon. The 2nd and more so the 3rd episode really brought it home for me. It’s a decent series thus far.

[@216trixie]

Old growth plywood.

[@johnwashburn3793]

I have a Harmony from about 69 or 70 that is all solid Sitka and mahogany. It was my first guitar.

[@kenthughes6895]

Not plywood on earlier Harmonys. Ignorance is, apparently, bliss...

[@216trixie]

@@kenthughes6895 okay, because I'm mistaken about the wood on a seventy-year-old guitar, then I am ignorant, all right yes about this one fact, but then I am in bliss? Bliss? Like I revel in not knowing something? Did I make a statement like this is definitely plywood And it couldn't be anything else? Lol 😂

[@kenthughes6895]

@@216trixie Way to double down on idiocy...

[@216trixie]

@@kenthughes6895 I love when people put "..." after a sentence. Precious. Just spit out your thought. It's not a movie review.

[@babagadoush1]

By the way very cool y’all are supporting John Cruz!

[@ronmorey3475]

Totally agree. John got shafted by Fender.

[@justinguitarcia]

I have a Baxendale Conversion Harmony from 62’ and its my secret weapon during sessions. Guitar rules

[@jsking1294]

Love Scott Baxendale and his guitars! Great guy, builder, and player!

[@BrianGay57]

Yeah. Scott is an all around great guy.

[@caseypycior5296]

Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley of the Drive-by Truckers play Baxendale guitars. Cooley plays a T-style Baxendale (as well as a custom acoustic), and I’m pretty sure Hood plays some small-bodied Baxendale conversions.

[@Taurencowpew]

ED-209. I can totally understand reworking 'vintage wood', and I'm in favour of improving cheaper (at the time) old instruments - if they've survived. I'm not in favour, however, of "converting" a Gold Top to a "Burst" (but I'm biased towards P90s and have a fine LP Trad; thank you very much). I feel it's a little foolish to spend that much on what is surely the smallest increment in the 'diminished returns' equation. But it's not my money , and not my opinion that matters to someone who desires this. Good luck to them.

[@fillmanrow11]

It’s pretty amazing how many of these old guitars are out there that look as though they were never played

[@thomasdorris1122]

id buy that for a dollar.

[@rexomatic8667]

Thanks for the shout out! Hope one of you has a turntable to check out the red vinyl!

[@jeffsquires6620]

Excellent topic, bringing a old guitar back to life is awesome. Seen a similar video on ASK ZAC.

[@philsequeira3180]

Many, many Harmony guitars available at Goodwill online.

[@_rafael_b]

Hi guys! First time commenting. Keep up the good and entertaining work! One of my first guitars was a Kramer Focus 1000. It had many things happen to it over the years. When I was 14, my mother broke the neck in a rage, then had an ill fitting generic neck put on to replace it. I put an EMG in it in the late 80s, James and Kirk were my idols then. The original Floyd bar broke on me and when I went to get it fixed, the salesperson convinced me to put on a new Ibanez edge system in it's entirety, and kept my original floyd. I was 15 and didn't know better so I caved to the sales pressure. At this point the only original thing left was the body itself. I've long since graduated to Fenders and Gibsons and the old used to be Kramer has been in a closet now for the better part of 2.5 decades. Then I recently started seeing Kramers becoming all the rage again. I thought "wait a minute, I have one of those". So now I've started an effort to find some original or period correct parts to restore it. When it's finished it will be a single hum, one volume, original floyd having Kramer with the non tilt back banana headstock. Very mid 80s VH. After playing Gibsons and Fenders for so long now, I never thought that this guitar would get a new life but all of a sudden I'm super inspired to bring it back. I'll send pictures of the finished project if your interested.

[@alistairwallace77]

"you have 20 seconds to comply..."

[@crsstephen72]

good video as always. I'm up here in NB Canada...would love to come down to your store.

[@thomasbombadil8190]

Great content! My cousin Quasimodo in France was getting rather agitated that you have not mentioned ringing the bell in the last few episodes. He was greatly relieved today! Many thanks!

[@rlauck]

I wonder if there is hope in restoring my old Kalamazoo KG-2 electric. Probably not.

[@curtiseverett1671]

man I LOVE your show, but please consult a professional hair stylist...... I mean............people can see this.....

[@stevensiegel1426]

I’ve been hearing about a guy who is updating Hondo 2 guitars, same reason, better wood than what you can get today. Haven’t seen or played one yet. I’d be curious as I had one and traded it in for a real Les Paul years ago. Can’t wrap my head around paying a premium for a Hondo 2, but cool concept and would love to try one.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

The shop down the street from me had a refurbished Hondo single cut thing; looked like a LP Jr with 2 humbuckers. Was $800 and would be mine had I the money! Has a great neck and is light and resonant!

[@grinkashman7884]

My #2 bass is a 1970ish Harmony SG style bass. Well built, ply body. I put in a Mudbucker and a Seymour MM pup.Replaced bridge and tuners. Sounds huge! Oh yeah, of course I defretted it!LOVE IT!!

[@Heavymetallord1]

My Grandma's partner has a 1954 Harmony guitar and amp he got brand new in the 50's and he never played it so they're both in mint shape... And I tell you that Harmony amp is one of the best amps I've ever played

[@RichBriere]

Pssst........ It's RickenBACKer....... :). Call Ben.....He'll BACK me up. :)

[@bbrotherton6345]

I had a PLASTIC body Hagstrom with a SMALL maple neck in 1964. I wish I still had it!

[@michaeltodd2061]

I have a mid-60s Silvertone acoustic I paid $7.00 for that I love. I also have a 2010 First Act acoustic that is very good.

[@surfgod509]

A couple thing's with these less expensive instruments and or guitars of the day... yes! The wood is good book matched frount & Back...in some cases the action was ridiculously high, between the upper neck nut and bridge the intonation was not always perfect.... keep them from stage or professional instruments.... if the correct adjustments are made.... you've got a decent instrument! Thanks again fun topic...

[@tomperkins6389]

My brother, who gave up learning guitar, had a Harmony H-51 arch top electric that I took for my own and learned on. Action so high it made my fingers bleed. It was tossed decades ago. Now I see they go for $900. Damn....

[@rickyauman7565]

Hello again guys! Wanted to weigh in here. I have a 1969 Fender acoustic guitar, I believe made by Harmony since Fender didn’t make acoustic guitars in 1969, and there’s an “H” in the model number. I would like to see this one after this makeover you’re talking about, but the Martin 00-15 I purchased from you last March probably was a better choice…

[@danielconrad764]

I have a 1952 to 1959 les paul burst conversion (original centre seam top, not a retop), as well as a 1953 to 1957 les paul goldtop conversion (also not a retop, since it stayed gold). Apart from the M69 rings, they are otherwise both fully spec'd with late 50s period correct parts. Both sound absolutely insane. Is it the old wood, the old glue, the original PAFs, the original nickel bridge/tailpiece, or just luck of the draw, I have no clue, nor do I really care. All I know is I have owned and played countless 1990s and up les pauls, including top of the line collectors choice models, and none of them have the same feel and tone as these conversions. Just make sure your conversion project is handled my a world-class luthier. Mine were done by Florian Jaeger (53/57) and Cris Mirabella (52/59). I can vouch for both of them. Bottom line: if converted by the right luthier, a conversion is an excellent alternate to an actual 57, 58, 59 or 60 les paul, for a fraction of the price.

[@homegrownson]

Between searching for impossible to find Original Replacement Parts can be a Pain in the Behind, to be willing to invest Lots of Time and many times repair delicate instruments and even cases. I am retired and used this time building Guitars for Charities focusing on Kids, Seniors and Veterans and these tired old hands are nearing end of that now wondering if I ever will use all the Tim Shaw Pick ups I hoarded and stashed away. To my fellow builders I have a Schaller 458(gold)version of Tommy Iommi Monkey Bridge, a Modulus Carbon Graphite 6 String 24 fret Neck , ask you never know what I might have

[@BrianGay57]

I have a couple of old guitars that I wouldn’t mind getting playable again. One Stella flat top dreadnaught, and and Harmony Monterey arch top. I think the Stella is restorable but probably not worth. The Monterey “might” be worth restoring, but I don’t know if would be possible as it is in very poor condition!

[@CocoKoi321]

It seems returded and immature and acting stupid with money To go so freakishly crazy about it needing to be taken all apart? Then to just put Brazilian rosewood on it? When itll literally CHANGE NOTHING?.... It seems so redundant and only a lunatic would do that, a custom by itself is still good and what's being made *better* by changing the board ? Also Bob Taylor already proved indian rosewood is identical and just as good as Brazilian

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

I have a TV yellow one from 2006. It has a Duncan Pearly Gates at the bridge but a P90 at the neck. I like different sounds from a guitar in a tune not shades of grey of the 'same' sound.

[@baileywatts1304]

Ah yea, the old 'good wood' found in even the student models back in the day. There's some exceptions though, I've managed to pick up a few USA made 1960s guitars for under $700 each and that price was largely because there was precious little wood in them at all. Don't get me wrong. I still love a Danelectro but that thing's body is pretty much a closet door.

[@1968joseph1]

I play an old Silvertone parlor with a Kay bridge for slide in my solo/duo show. Mother in law bought it for me at a Goodwill for $5. It was unplayable because the strings are WAY up of the frets. Maybe this guy could save it?

[@YTPartyTonight]

The elementary pieces of a playable, even superior playing guitar, ain’t exactly rocket science, if the main wood parts are still sound.

[@Chad_M_NY]

I sent a post war Kay (with Gretsch silkscreened headstock) to Scott Baxendale to go through his conversion process. This was done not long before he moved out west. It took a totally unplayable POS and turned it into a great guitar. No regrets, at the time it was a just above 1k to get done and shipped back.

[@homegrownson]

So Fans who would make the Better Bad Santa Baxter or Jonathan? I choose Baxter for his weird side as Jonathan reminds me of the Happy Jolly Mall Santa's we loved as Kids and wouldnt have the Bad Santa Edge Baxter does

[@larryalexander900]

Kane. Lot of bad guys in movies are named Kane. Don't convert vintage guitars.

[@Boomsterblak]

I have a 78 ibanez cn250 concert series isvery good was ibanez best effort with the artist series..there answer to the crap gibson and fender were putting out in the 70's..have had hagstrom kay etc none were very good except the newer hagstrom acoustic very well built quality parts sounds great..tried taks taylor martin it out performed the lower end models 2,500> so i bought it inlay is sweet too..600 ..10 years ago

[@steveatkinson9123]

I have a friend at home work who loves Harmony electrics. I believe he and his son rework them using orinal or as close to original parts as possible, and he's a tremendous guitar player. Only used old small solid state amps

[@Bob-Whiting]

Booo! Nah, I ain't no ghost. I'm a lifelong fan jeering. This is horrible.

[@pamelaarmstrong3612]

I have a Novo Guitar I call Space Cat. IT has a sticker of a cat in an astronaut suit on it. Go SpaceCat!

[@mitchmatthews6713]

Let me know when Magnum guitars have a resurgence.

[@charlieschopmann1427]

We all know Baxter is cheap! The hair!!!

[@stevedix3695]

I used to hear that all the time " hey cats what's happening"

[@itaintmebabe714]

Watch the movie prey. Amazing

[@tysoncloster1074]

Jimmy Page used a Harmony. Just sayin.

[@0burrus]

Never played a true vintage but would love to

[@LakesideWeldingJerry]

ED209..... Keep the kittens!

[@patriciavancamp2909]

Love your channel.

[@ryangunwitch-black]

🤘 hobbit lyfe🤘🦄

[@CindyBallreich]

It's ok to talk about cats!

[@andrewhess2978]

Bad Santa. Classic

[@zachsmith3376]

Jason Isbell used to play Baxendale. Baxandale has lived in Colorado and Georgia

[@billbonanzinga2635]

And owned Mossman Guitar Co. for a while. Legend. Kind of weird that they don't know who he is.

[@jomomma8291]

Petter Weller....... Bukaroo Banzia

[@jen3800]

i ADORE my 1962 Harmony Archtop ! just had the neck re set and the whole thing worked up by my local repair guy...and it kills! the frets are crap but it's still in tune and easy enough to play perfectly. amazing tone. little sustain but great overtones. all birch ! great intonation too! Richard Gorton in Toronto did the work. He did all my guitars and is amazing!

[@babagadoush1]

Cool topic

[@larryzink8978]

DOOOODS!

[@babagadoush1]

ED 2000?

[@GinraiMinor]

Ed-209 😸

[@ZonkerRoberts]

Robocop's nemesis was, of course, the ED-209! (And if you want to watch an outstanding Peter Weller movie with your kids you have to check out The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai.)

[@Guitar5986]

Converting original Goldtops should only ever be done if they are significantly damaged or have previously been altered (ie routing, shaving, etc mods) & therefore are considered a "conversion candidate". If the guitar has potential to be restored to its original condition without too much work then imo it should not be converted. I own an all original '53 Goldtop w/ the trapeze. The only thing I've done to that guitar is fitted it with a Mojoaxe bridge which is completely reversible & doesn't require altering the guitar in any permanent way. The original P90's are tonally in the same league as the PAF's in my '59 ES-355. There is no good reason to change those old 50's P90's for humbuckers unless the pickups are non-original or damaged. And if they are damaged I would still suggest having someone like James w/ ReWind Electric do a rewind/repair rather than just replacing them.

[@kenthughes6895]

Scott is now in Santa Fe, selling exclusively through Stay Gold Guitars. I can't say enough about his quality work and incredible sound!!

[@hansgauvin8076]

Some years ago, I found a grainy picture of my father playing a mid 1960 black tuxedo Silvertone 658, been looking for one ever since.

[@paulvanheuklom6439]

Recently had Steve Chipman restore a 1938 Harmony parlor guitar with the original ladderback bracing. Haven't sold my soul to the devil yet but conjures up those old-time Delta blues.

[@Ninjametal]

About old Harmony guitars... I don't get along with most acoustics. In my time, I've smashed two Samicks, a Martin Sigma, a Harmony Sovereign with back bracing that kept coming unglued, a clunky-necked, no-name dreadnought, and a no-name, nylon-string classical. They all had issues with intonation and playability that I couldn't handle. (Quacky piezo systems annoy me even more, and that's why the Samicks had to go.) ...Exception being: my beloved 1962 Harmony H-162. It was very cheap, and I'm obviously okay with bringing harm to acoustics, so I modded it liberally. With JB weld and pieces/slivers of an additional bridge blank, (from a smashed guitar) I was able to cobble a compensated bridge that achieved near perfect intonation when strung with an electric set of 08s. The light strings on the small-bodied acoustic elevated its playability to fantastic. When I gigged with the guitar, it sported a Gibson P90 super glued into the soundhole. The pickup had wires extending out to a modded strap equipped with a volume pot/knob, and that set up could melt faces where only acoustics are allowed. I took the pickup out later on, and have recorded with the guitar and kept it an even twenty years now. I don't see me parting with it until the grave.

[@cojohnso80]

I have a late 60's Kay solidbody that is very playable. The goldfoils are magic and it absolutely sounds like a golden bell. I didn't procure this one to be an everyday player but it had other plans for me.

[@Bob_at_OZDiggzguitars]

My 1st solid body (questionable) guitar was a 1961 Kay Style Leader K1983....It was basically kinda playable, at best. Worth a hot $500 today, if I'd have kept it 40 years. No, it's my Ibanez Bob Weir Pro, that I sold to buy a 1983 Kramer Pacer Special with a Floyd, I wish I'd kept. Ah, but that is not how the 80s went...

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

I wouldn't turn my 61 junior into a standard so I'm with yall on the early 50s gold top les paul burst conversions. Those 50s p90s roar.

[@jamesonpace726]

Who luvs a $250,000 LP, seriously, it's just ridiculous....

[@DavidHBurkart]

I grew up on two Silvertone acoustics and a St. George electric as my very first guitars. I still search Reverb and the like to find and procure that same yellow 3 pickup St. George mashup of a Strat-Mosrite

[@stratmagic6893]

I had a 1983 Cherry sunburst LP that I loved but was thinking about doing a conversion but I sold it instead for good money and bought an R9.

[@scottkidwellmusic9175]

I have my dad's mid-50s Stella Sundale. I don't know that there'd be much hope for it, but it has a cool/ dirty slide tone to it. My high school guitar teacher told me if I could make it sound good, I could make anything sound good. Somebody else told me the best thing to do with it was cut the strings off, fill it up with potting soil, and plant flowers. Then a few years back I watched a guy at an open mic/ jam with a few Stellas play some mean, raunchy slide ... Thanks y'all for doing what you do Be good to you 🤍💛

[@makukumydude7393]

My first guitar was my grandmothers harmony Soverign h1203 from the mid 60’s and it sounds incredible but the action is crazy high so I want to find out more about this guy

[@randa4382]

I was just thinking about this yesterday... i know a pawn shop down south thats been full of old squires and harmonies and things like that that now with the harley benton level guitars have taken the place of... what does that do to the price of all these old squires specifically that are hanging on walls. The pawn shop asks about 120 for anything with a known name but you can get a better playing brand new instrument for not much more... theres an opportunity for everyone to benefit by doing something like this.

[@rexomatic8667]

This summer I just took an old Epiphone into shop in Kalipell Montana , Flathead Guitar Works to install a pickup and the owner did a great job adjusting the setup and cutting a new saddle,. The guitar plays and sounds great now.

[@Emas4646]

Converted a ‘63 Harmony Broadway my uncle gave to me to lefty and enjoy playing it often. Lot’s of childhood memories for me, and definitely has its own unique sound. 👏🏻

[@levanblevins5401]

As always wonderful video. Raises the questions how many old Yamaha's laying in closets could be refurbished to be wonderful instruments? They have always been favorite beginner guitar tough as nails , bit hard to play .with some different bracing and a good set up . Instant airloom. Unlike most solid tops these tops very seldom crack.

[@legomasterthe3rd240]

The old harmony bobcat is a fun little guitar. A made un the USA vintage guitar that still goes for about $500. Get one if you can find it.

[@Bona-Who]

Thanks for the vid! My wife started paying on a Stella so now we have 6, mostly wall art, but in good physical condition. To your point when they were new they didn't play all that well. Just so happens that I drive by Athens everyday on my way to work...... On another hand I have a '74 hardtail Strat that has had some mods over its years. The worst being a Kahler. I intend to have that reversed, but I will be leaving the other holes in the pickguard from long removed switches and the holes in the headstock from the removed locking nut. Playability is one thing, but the guitars journey is another, that should be preserved as much as possible.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I learned to play on my grandfathers 70s Kay copy of a Martin acoustic. When he died I would love to have taken that guitar for my own, but he lived in a very dry part of Texas and wasn’t caring for the guitar so it basically fell apart. In 30 to 40 years it might have been worth enough to pay someone to glue it back together; probably would have needed a new bridge and a neck reset I wanted the 1940s Kalamazoo parlor guitar but one of my cousins swiped it

[@phillippitts6294]

Nash guitars are pretty dumb . There’s 3 sitting in a local shop . Been there at least 10 years .

[@stevenpipes1555]

I found an old Silvertone Catalina with the blue and white two tone with f holes. Got it at a yardsale for 75$ its got brass frets that look amazing when polished

[@amberwoodstudio]

I have an old Rocket that plays and sounds great. I use it for recording a lot. I don’t gig with it because it’s a hollow body and feed back is tough to control. But for a second rhythm track on the other side of a mix it is great. It’s also great for lead words on r and b music

[@davedavid7061]

theres a guy here that modifies the old acoustics by putting giant stickers and speakers on them. Does that count?

[@ianbrailsford5843]

The stuff Historic Makeovers do to Les Pauls is frankly amazing.

[@babagadoush1]

Can y’all both show your personal gear collections?

[@allenhayesmusic]

Botched: Gibson Les Paul Edition

[@babagadoush1]

Cool idea as long as they insanely priced

[@gosticwavingsun9377]

ed-209 was robocops nemesis

[@jameswhite1450]

Ed-209?

[@treadhead1945]

ED-209

[@RootRoad]

Ed209

[@shanewalton8888]

We all love Les Pauls? Really? I can tolerate a Les Paul.

[@jen3800]

if i ever went to the USA i would head straight to your shop! i'd bring primo weed too.