Guyatone LG50 update

The Guyatone project is progressing well. In the latest video, you can see how the carbon-fibre reinforcement strips were fitted in to the neck.

I have been searching t’interweb for information and various parts. I found this photo of an old Bell Musical Instrument Shop catalogue from the 60’s. 

Bell were a music shop based in Surbiton, just south of London; I can remember having one of their catalogues when I was a lad and drooling over WEM amplifiers and Watkins guitars. The LG50 in this one, must be later than mine as the pick guard is larger (and would have covered the holes I mentioned in the first video?) and is made from pearloid. Interestingly the price is £25, around £800 to 900 today.

Unfortunately, the original tuners aren’t usable but I managed to source some very suitable replacements from Project Guitar Parts; coincidently these are sold as replacements for Watkins guitars.

I also found these period correct knobs:  one thing that I really like is that they’re off-white so match the pick-guard. So many repro parts are cream in colour and that would be too dark for this guitar.

Although I’m not a great fan off relic or distressed components, I decided that the strap button that I wanted to use was just too shiny to blend in with the tailpiece and had to have a bit of work done to it!

So far, so good!