Not all conversions are created equal. In fact of all guitar types and iterations, none has the range of a "Les Paul Conversion". It can be a beat up Junior with a new maple top and all repro parts-cost you maybe $15,000 and will probably look pretty good. It could be a 57 goldtop with all original parts and simply a refinished top for as much as $150,000. If you simply want a Les Paul that looks like a real burst, simply buy a used R9 for $3500. A conversion is really something a little more mysterious. We all understand old wood-we don't all agree about it but the concept is easy. Old wood has had a chance to dry out and become more resonant (and lighter) and these things should affect the tone of the guitar. Old growth mahogany is different than the mahogany that is harvested today. That's kind of a long explanation so let's just accept that. Next important puzzle piece are the electronics. PAFs or patent numbers or T-tops or modern PAF copies. All will potentially sound excellent but PAFs get you closer to the real thing and that is important to many buyers even though it adds as much as $15,000 to the price. 59 pots and harness parts probably won't make much difference in the tone but, again, it gets you closer to a real burst. Everything else can be repro if you're on a budget. Then there's the top. Plain top or figured top? One piece, two piece, three piece or even four piece. Original top or replacement? All these things affect the price. Some affect the playability and some affect the tone.

This guitar started its life as a very early 52 gold top. It had the unbound neck and the square control rout that only the earliest 52's had. It was stripped and fortune smiled that day. This one has a near perfect center seam top with wonderful flame. That's rare from any gold top. All of the parts are from 59 (pickups, pots (39th week of 59), caps, switch, jack, tuners, knobs, back plates, bridge, tailpiece). The only non 59 parts are the pickup rings (good repros) and the pick guard (52 cut for humbuckers). The truss rod cover is probably from 52 as well. There is a piece of maple inserted under the bridge to compensate for a small rout done decades ago to make the original trapeze tailpiece work with the strings wrapped over rather than under. All fixed. Most conversions don't have an original center seam flame top-crazy rare. It plays beautifully. The neck is big but not too big (.88" and .98"). The nut is just under 1 11/16". It weighs 8 and a half pounds. The case is a 50's brown Lifton. PAFs are double black but I will install any pickups you like and adjust the price accordingly. You can have double whites or early patents if you want to save some money or boutique pickups (I have Throbaks and Wizz Clones). At $58,000, it is as close to a burst as you will find at any price.