1975 Antoria Les Paul Deluxe Restoration

[knigel]

Hi everyone. Just wanted to share some photos of a 1975 Antoria Deluxe Les Paul I've been working on while laid off. It was originally a gold top, and I think it shares its bloodlines with the Ibanez Deluxe from the same era. I've made some mistakes for sure (like taking an industrial sander to close to the edges), but so far it looks pretty good. I have the original Maxon pickups, which I am going to wax and reinstall. Anyway, it's been a fun learning experience.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15386792@N02/3620527991/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15386792@N02/3620528215/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15386792@N02/3620528341/

[Not Steve]

Cool looking guitar, which paint job does it have now? Oh, and what does taking an industrial sander too close to the corners do, just round the corners?

[knigel]

So I turned this guy....



Into this guy...



It's all set up and plays great. I had some help from Noll Guitars in Cranston, RI, wiring the thing (I can't even get my jazz bass to work...), but the body work was done by me. I used Matsumoku MMK45s from another project I have, and they sound terrific. Still have some set up and intonation issues to resolve, but I'm going to wait until the strings settle in before I tackle it (the neck was off for 9 months or more!)

I definitely made some mistakes. Would NOT use a power sander again. That's how I learned about caps, and how they are very thin, and that they will wear away around the edges very quickly. Ooops. Otherwise, it was a great experience!