Thinking about restoring my 1994 Epiphone Les Paul Plus Top

[Timmsie95]

So I have a 1994 Epi Les Paul Standard. It's a nice flame maple cherry sunburst top, and I love the thing. the problem it, there's no tuners, or electronics, and the pickup rings are cracked to shit. So I'm thinking about restoring it, but the screw holes for the pickup rings, jack plate, and control cavity covers are all stripped out.

How should I go about fixing that? Do I use wood filler and small dowels or toothpicks, and then re drill?

Some people may think it's not worth fixing up, but I love the thing so I really would like to.

I plan on getting black kluson locking vintage tuners, Golden Age overwound zebra pickups, and black pickup rings.

 

[bagman67]

I don't really have a strong opinion as to the hole-filling, but I suspect the toothpick/thin-dowel method will suffice.


My response is really to inquire whether you're planning a refinish, or just making the pilot holes usable?


If you're planning a strip-and-refinish, I'd investigate to be certain you have enough of a top on that thing to withstand the rigors of a strip-and-refinish.  Is that a real flame-maple-billet top, or is it a thin veneer; and if the latter, how thin?  I mean, if you totally hose it, you can always go with an opaque finish (I'm really liking Pelham blue myself lately), but why bring that on yourself if you can avoid it?

 

[Timmsie95]

yeah I was just going to fill the holes to make them usable. I like the finish too much to try to refinish it completely.

This is an old photo:

 

[rapfohl09]

That's a cake walk dude. Like Bagman said, just get a thin dowel with a tiny dab of glue and stuff it in there. Put tape all around it to protect the finish and sand it flush. Done-zo, then just drill new holes.

When I do this I generally open the holes up just a bit to a common dowel size, like 1/8" so that I get get a good fill. It isnt necessary though.

You can have that thing rocking again in no time at all.

 

[Nightclub Dwight]

Dowels are the way to go, but for things like control cavity cover, scratch plate etc. you can get away with just gluing toothpicks in.  I would dowel for something that is structural like a bridge, but for the screw holes that have less torque on them toothpicks work fine.  You can also use wooden skewers or wooden matchsticks as well.

 

[Timmsie95]

Thanks for all the input, guys. I don't know when I'll get around to doing it, but I'll remember this.

 

[rapfohl09]

I have found this thing to be awesome for sanding the dowels. It gives you a lot more control of where you are sanding.

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Fretting/Fret_Dressing_Stick_with_Micro-Mesh_Belts.html

 

[Hbom]

I have found this thing to be awesome for sanding the dowels. It gives you a lot more control of where you are sanding.

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Fretting/Fret_Dressing_Stick_with_Micro-Mesh_Belts.html

I agree with rapfohl09, these are great additions to the tool box. But I buy  mine off of theBay for a bunch less.

Same tool;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fret-Dressing-Crowning-Sanding-File-Stick-Kit-1-with-4-belt-Luthier-tool-/131678303966?hash=item1ea8a376de

Or the Fret Crowning style;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GeetarGizmos-THERMO-FORMED-Fret-Crowning-Dressing-Level-File-Luthier-Tool-Stick-/130977531047?hash=item1e7ede84a7
:rock-on:

 

[Timmsie95]

oh that is a good idea! I'll remember this one.