Advice for a vintage newbie

[zootsuiter]

I just became the owner of a 1951 Epiphone Zephyr Deluxe Regent. I am very torn about how to relate to this guitar. I am a player, and the player in me says, get some new pots, investigate getting the pickups remounted (they're slightly off line from the strings) and other things I would do with any non-vintage guitar to get the best sound and playability from it. Not that it's not great sounding and very playable -- it is, or I wouldn't have gotten it.

The erstwhile collector in me says, no don't touch a thing, anything you change diminishes its value. I should say it's already not a 100% authentic -- someone refinished it probably around 1960 -- but it certainly is mainly vintage and the refinish is so old that it's vintage itself.

Are there do's and don'ts here? Like, it's OK to mount a strap button on the back but it's not OK to put humbuckers in it? What are the things that collectors really don't want to see?

Any advice would be welcome.

[VintAxe]

Hey zootsuiter.

It looks to me like you have a good handle on the pros and cons of modifying vintage instruments. Any non-factory modification to a vintage instrument will hurt value, even if the modification improves playability. Collectors want "under the bed" instruments that have not been modified. Of course, players have a different agenda, they need instruments that are reliable and feel and sound the best that they can be.

Personally, I would leave it alone. If it isn't the right tool sell it and buy the right tool. If it meets your needs "as is" then play the heck out of it.

[BluesHawk]

[Mgeek]

cosine on leaving it alone.

If it sounds good, then altering the pickup alignment is getting into OCD territory, rather than making a significant improvement to the performance of the instrument

[BluesHawk]

Yeah, I wouldn't even add that strap button unless you use an existing hole and the new button can be easily removed.