Workshop: 1951 Gibson J-50 Lefty Conversion

This is the same J-50 I posted about a couple weeks ago, but its lefty-playing owner decided to go all-in and have me convert it for him so he could play it, rather than sell it. Good for him! It's a champ of a guitar and all the folks who've tried it in the shop agree with that assessment.

To that end it got new double pickguards traced from the original (so that they'd match), a filled and then newly-cut saddle slot, a new bone saddle, and a fresh setup.

I used the old-fashioned red/brown Tortoloid pickguard material from StewMac because I trust the stuff to look good on '50s guitars. It's a little bit more of a Martin look, but close-enough to some Gibson 'guards that it looks right on them, too.

Cutting these involves heating them slightly (which I do with a heat gun on low just until they start feeling floppy) and then cutting. After that I back them with double-sided adhesive. To complete the effect, I give them a little bit of faux wear-and-tear so they're not so fresh and glossy on a guitar of this age.

I filled the old saddle slot with rosewood and cut the new one as a drop-in slot -- which is more of a mid-'50s thing, but far more practical for the owner's shimming up/down purposes.

She's a beaut, lefty or righty!