Hold the presses, have we got an update for you! A few weeks ago we listed a gorgeous 1960 burst brought to us by the original owner’s family. We called it the, “Barn Burst” because it was literally a barn find. The guitar features a cool ice tea fade to the top and the killer slim neck. It also had an unfortunate small crack that extended down the length of the back of neck and chipped finish on the back of the headstock. We offered the guitar for sale “As is”, giving its future new owner the opportunity to choose how to address any repairs to the guitar.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when the CVG repair shop added Scott Holyfield, one of Nashville’s premier luthiers, who joined us after over two decades at Joe Glaser’s renowned shop. He joins an already stellar team, allowing Carter Vintage to re-open its repair shop to outside instrument repairs.
I could astound you with tales of Scott’s magic as far as the Barn Burst is concerned, but I’ll hold back for a couple of reasons. First off, a picture tells a thousand stories, and we’ll let the new photos of this incredible instrument speak for itself. Second, what Scott did to fix the guitar was part skill, part artistry and part alchemy. His procedure is, in his words, “Proprietary”… but the work speaks for itself, and the man does some scary good work.
Suffice to say, the guitar looks absolutely stellar now. The frets have been dressed a tiny bit to facilitate a killer setup on it. The guitar plays effortlessly, it sounds like records, and it is an ideal representation of ‘Burst, minus the from-behind blemishes it previously carried.
I played the guitar this morning and if I was to spec out my “Dream sunburst Les Paul”, this guitar would fill the exact bill. Early ’60 burst with the ’59 spec paint, slim “Speed” neck, not too light, not too heavy, balanced on a guitar strap, and tone for days. The Barn Burst checks all the boxes. It’s a dream come true guitar.
Gary Bohannon is Senior Authenticator and Acquisitions for Carter Vintage. If you have a vintage instrument you’d like to sell through CVG, reach out to info@cartervintage.com
Pre-Repair Photos:
Post-Repair Photos:
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