Guitar Collector Forum

Hello,

This is my first post, and I'm not sure if this is the correct forum for my question, so please bear with me! Have searched all the forums here, and have not found what I'm looking for, so here goes....

My customer's 1970's Les Paul needs a re-fret, and the fretboard needs to be planed. My customer's intent in commissioning me for this project is to restore the guitar to better-than-new playability; he is the second owner, purchased it in 1980, and he plans to keep the guitar forever.

I am concerned about destroying any collector value in this instrument by planing away the binding nubs adjacent to the fret ends. I suppose I could figure out a way to not plane the nubs, but that's obviously quite a bit of extra time spent.

My question then, is twofold: is there collector value in this guitar, and, would I be destroying said value were I to plane away those binding nubs??

Thank you for your considered replies!

Mark Mestman
RedFeather Handmade Guitars
Sacramento CA USA

G'day mate, welcome to the forum---

I guess the answer lies in the quoted para. If the guy intends keeping it forever, I guess he isn't interested in resale value.
I would be surprised if there weren't a lot of nice collectors guitars out there that have been refretted, and the fretboard adjusted a bit.
BTW like the guitar in your newbie post

Verithingeoff,

Thanks so much for your speedy and friendly reply, and greetings to you and yours in the land down under!

Further conversation with the Les Paul's owner yesterday confirmed that he absolutely wants that fretboard planed to a correct profile, and that he definitely plans to keep the guitar until the day he dies, so, off with the nubs!!

Thank you again, and it was nice to meet you!

Mark

I agree with Geoff; a players guitar is not the same as a "collector's guitar", when "collector's guitar" is about financial value.

Just about any refurbishment will have a detrimental effect on value to the high-end serious collector, but for us mere mortals it's about owning great guitars that we can play and enjoy owning. So as long as your client is happy for you to plane his Les Paul I'd say do it - give him a great quality historic guitar that he can play and enjoy.

Let us know how you get on - I hope you've got a steady hand!

Well the answer was right in front of you all along-call and ask lol. If working around the nubs was extra work then you would just tell him, and would have to be compensated for it.Never take matters into your own hands without asking first as you could find yourself with a big headache one day. By the way even the most uptight collectors are finally accepting re frets and they are not frowned upon that much anymore. I guess you can liken it to tires on a car, as with guitars over 50 years old to play them they will need frets.