To Gold Top or not to Gold Top...

[Dr. Aquafresh]

That is the question.

I can't decide if I like my Les Paul bass or not. Here is a bad picture of me with it about a year ago...



I think I would be more into it if it were a gold top and not the honey plain top it is now.

My questions are;

What is the collector value of this piece now, of course, who knows what it will be in the future.

Did Gibson ever offer this as a Gold Top?

What say ye ladies and Gentlemen?

[Pilgrim]

I don't know the value, but to me it looks great.  The natural-type finish is really appealing. 

[Highlander]

My answer would carry a caveat...

But first let me explain my why - pretty much every quality instrument I have ever bought I have intended to keep (I'll include the Squier Jazz I recently bought as it is a great player and has a great sound) and the only concern I have is the necks playability and the output to the amp, which is why I have had some people view my antics as at best buffoonery and at worst outright butchery - I personally do not care about the value of the instrument - something only has a value if you intend to sell it on...

A gold-top, to me (instantly thinking Duane and Dickie) is the classic Les Paul fin, end of story...

... and now back to the caveat... whatever floats your boat, as long as you are never going to sell on, as any refin detracts from the value as it is no longer original...

Now Doc... I've seen your workmanship, and with green boilersuits...


... with maybe a shark mouth WWII fighter motif...

[OldManC]

That honey finish is my favorite LP color. One of these days I'd love to have one (I have an LP guitar in a lemon drop finish that's similar). That being said, if you want a gold top, then go for it! The LP bass isn't all that collectible AFAIK, but either way it's yours and you should feel free to finish it to your satisfaction.

[uwe]

I don't think that the LP Standards will ever be worth more than their original asking price except perhas in twenty years from now. I like the honeyburst on those and think goldtop looks are overrated (and not period-correct for this specimen), so I'm obviously the wrong person to ask.

[Blackbird]

It's a beauty as it is, I'd leave it...

[Dave W]

I've never seen a factory goldtop in this series.

There's no collector value at present. Who knows about the future. Still, you know that a refin will diminish whatever value it might have, now or later. OTOH, if it will please you more as a goldtop, go for it.

[Basvarken]

It's a beauty as it is, I'd leave it...

+1

[gearHed289]

Go for it! I'm not a big fan of natural finishes. There's no "collector value" on these basses. If the finish is done right, it just may be worth MORE than in stock form in 20 years, or at the very least make for a quicker sale. Just my 2 cents.

[uwe]

"There's no "collector value" on these basses."

Someone probably said the same thing in 1974 about Les Paul Triumphs and Recordings!

Which reminds me of an especially damning New Musical Express ieview in the nineties when they wrote one sentence on a freshly released Iron Maiden album: "Undoubtedly one of the better albums of 1972."  

[Dr. Aquafresh]

Well, seems like the jury will have to be out on this one for a while.

I'd like to see it before I did it, alas, there is that whole having cake and eating it too dilemma.

BTW Kenny, that camo LP is great.

[Highlander]

All part of the service...

(ps... go for the gold-top )

[patman]

If it ain't broke don't fix it...it's a beautiful bass as is.

I would love to be able to afford an instrument like that. (With the original fin).

[Denis]

It's a beautiful bass as it is, in my opinion, and I wouldn't change it if I owned it. Maybe you can find a beat up one at some point that you could gold top?

[Psycho Bass Guy]

IMO, since I never let any of my instruments go, I'm not really concerned about resale. I love that honeyburst. I can see doing a refin if it was damaged or an ugly finish to start with, but unless you have your heart absolutely set on making that particular bass a goldtop, I wouldn't do it. A finish change isn't going to make the bass play or sound significantly different enough to change the way you feel about PLAYING it.