Guyatone LG50 Project: 14 The Final Chapter

Both the original LG50 and my version of it are now complete. In the latest video you can get an idea of what they sound like. If you’re interest in owning one or both of these instruments, there are many details about them, photos pricing etc on the FOR SALE page of my website. Also I've written a bit of an essay on the whole project.

Below are some photos, I’ve alternated Guyatone/Nava-Tone, so that you can compare the two.

Cheers Gary!

Guyatone LG50 Project: 13

The Guyatone LG50’s restoration has now been completed. When I look at it, I’ve almost forgotten all the work that it has taken to get to this stage. As I’ve said before, with restorations, the more time and care you put into it the less it looks like you’ve done any work!

I’m super happy with the outcome; I’m not a great fan of over restoring so that the item looks like it’s new. So, this guitar still looks like it has had 65 years of hard living yet performs as well as any modern instrument.

Although, in theory, it’s ready for me to put up for sale, I feel that I need to hold on to it until my version is completed. I can then do a comparison and come to the end of this long strange trip.

Guyatone LG50 Project: part 12

The last piece of the jigsaw, as far as my LG50 replica is concerned, is the bridge. The original is cast from some kind of alloy, which is a step too far for me and my workshop! So, I decided to hew it from a piece of aluminium. Many early bridges, such as Bigsby, were made from ally, so its quite appropriate.

With the bridge made it’s time to get these guitars strung-up!

Guyatone project- part 6

So, here’s the latest video in the Guyatone series. In this video there is an update of the progress on the LG50 and the body of my replica gets completed. If you follow my work, you’ll know that I very rarely use plastic binding, but of course I needed to on this build. When I’ve used plastic bindings in the past, I’ve found gluing it a real messy challenge, however, now I’ve discovered the “Acetone Method”!

Back together again

There’s been good progress made with the restoration of the Guyatone. Both the neck and fretboard have been reunited with the body and it’s beginning to look like a guitar again. One thing that struck me about doing this kind of work is, that the more time and care you put in to a restoration the less it looks like you’ve done any work!