1958 Gibson LG-0 restoration

Post Reply
jread
Posts: 560
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:52 am
Contact:

1958 Gibson LG-0 restoration

Post by jread »

Every guitar has a story. I have been wanting to fix up this all mahogany '58 Gibson since about 1985.  It had been sitting in a corner in the house of her original owner, a family friend since about 1970. Sadly, the original owner passed on a couple of years ago.  This was his 1st guitar that he bought new and while he prized it, did not believe it could be repaired.  I recently inherited the guitar. The renovation is complete. 


1958 LG-0 (T serial )
solid mahogany top, back, and sides
24 3/4" scale, 1 11/16th nut
rosewood fingerboard and bridge
spruce ladder bracing
spruce bridge plate
no pore fill
satin type finish

The guitar had never been worked on. There were two loose back braces and the back was coming loose along the seam over those braces. There was disintegration of the top and buckling at the sound hole and it sorta fell apart on me. I shored up the sound hole area with CA and accelerator. I considered putting bracing behind but it seems stable enough.  Though the rosette may have been flattened some between aluminum plates I chose to leave it alone.  I had considered removing the back but the loose braces were easy to fix though the sound hole and there was no need really to try it. The bridge plate is spruce but in fine shape. 

I started by putting it into a big plastic bag with a damp sponge inside a Tupperware container with a few holes in it.  I kept the RH in the bag at 70% for about 6 weeks. Then I took the guitar out of the bag and let it sit in my 45% RH shop for another week. 

I removed the neck cleanly with my insta-pot pressure cooker pushing steam into the stewmac needle and hose combo. I got the neck off cleanly and let it dry out. I cleaned the body with naphtha, then gave the body a good wipe down with a very light cut of shellac and mostly baby oil then let it dry. I sanded the neck lightly w/ 1000 grit.  Then wiped it down w/ the same mineral oil and thin shellac.   

I stabilized the extension area and added a popsicle brace using tight-bond. There was rot and instability under there. I got it good and stable and dry, then raised the elevation of the neck a bit. The neck set was very smooth and dovetail in great shape. I stabilized a few grainline cracks with CA. I then leveled the frets with a leveling beam and 320 then 400g sandpaper.   Then used the Thomas & Ginex fret refinishing kit to crown and polish and oiled the rosewood fingerboard.

I decided to drill through the pearl dot inlays on the bridge and replace them as I was not able to steam them out to remove the bolts.  I removed the bridge bolts and used hot hide glue to reset the original bridge after setting the neck.  The original location was accurate. The bridge is rosewood and is .25" thick. I'm not going to put the bolts back in.  

The repair is done.  I'm waiting on black Waverly bridge pins, .25" MOP bridge dots, and replacement Restoration tuners from stewmac.   But it sounds and feels fantastic.   There is a rich, silky old sound to it. It is very responsive like a Martin short scale and has very dynamic sound. I'd never guess that ladder bracing is sometimes considered inferior to an x-braced conversion. I'd not want to change this for anything. It sounds fantastic, loud, and clear. 

I'll get a recording of the instrument and post when I can.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
TEETERFAN
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:43 pm
Location: Kansas City, MO

Re: 1958 Gibson LG-0 restoration

Post by TEETERFAN »

Thanks for sharing this wonderful restoration. A humble little instrument is ready to make some music! Sounds like the repair strategy was a good one. I look forward to hearing how it sounds.
Kevin Doty
Kansas City
Morecowbell
Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:51 am
Location: Fishers, IN

Re: 1958 Gibson LG-0 restoration

Post by Morecowbell »

Very cool!
"Facts seldom sway an opinion." - John Hall
"The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference." - Van de Snepscheut
jread
Posts: 560
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:52 am
Contact:

Re: 1958 Gibson LG-0 restoration

Post by jread »

Here she is with the dots, pins, and new tuners.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Post Reply