Visit to Baxendale Guitars

Rexsblues · #1 06-10-2019, 11:28 AM

I had the pleasure of visiting Baxendale Guitars in Athens, GA today and was impressed with their selection of remanufactured guitars. I came down from Nashville to have Scott rebuild my old 50s LG-1 and he let me try out their current stock of old Harmonys, Kays and Gibson’s. The Harmony 00 size guitars were really comfortable to play, and pretty comparable to standard Martin’s being made today. They’re worlds better than the typical ladder braced Harmonys, which I have owned in the past. The true gems were the dreadnought Harmony Sovereigns, and the jumbo Kay guitars. Especially the Kays, which I would easily compare to 50s Gibson super jumbos. They don’t have al the fancy extras like mustache bridges or crown inlays, but wow they feel and sound incredible, and honestly, when it comes to sound alone, I’d go for the Kay. The Sovereign H1260 felt and sounded like a cross between a Gibson and a Martin. I compared it to a 53 J-45 he had in the shop, and it held its own. As a fan of vintage Gibsons, I’d still go for the J45, but the sovereign had what would probably be considered a “superior” tone in a technical sense. It was louder and more balanced. I just happen to prefer my mellow Gibson midrange.

Can’t wait to get my LG-1 back! It will basically be an LG-2 when Scott is done with it. It should be done in about a month and I’ll share it when it arrives!

pagedr · #2 06-10-2019, 01:07 PM

Have heard a lot of good things about the Baxendale conversions and the video clips sound amazing. Do you mind me asking what the conversion process costs?

Denny B · #3 06-10-2019, 01:26 PM

I'm going to be following this one...

I have a '46 LG-1 that's a bit of an ugly duckling, but still solid with no major problems, and might be worth looking at a conversion in the future...

elasticman · #4 06-10-2019, 02:42 PM

Scott is converting a '57 LG-1 for me as well! Probably be done the same time as yours. Oh yeah, it will be a LEFTY

Rexsblues · #5 06-10-2019, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pagedr

Have heard a lot of good things about the Baxendale conversions and the video clips sound amazing. Do you mind me asking what the conversion process costs?

If you send Scott a guitar you want to have converted, he charges $1000. He also has a program (which I took advantage of) where you bring him 6 old harmonys/Kay’s and he will rebuild one for you in exchange for the other 5. It’s a good deal if you collect them or know where to find cheap ones. They don’t need to be playable, just a neck and body.

Rexsblues · #6 06-10-2019, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denny B

I'm going to be following this one...

I have a '46 LG-1 that's a bit of an ugly duckling, but still solid with no major problems, and might be worth looking at a conversion in the future...

From what I saw today, I’d say do it! Ugly ducklings are his bread and butter, and $1000 will get you a beautiful playing old Gibson that you could easily gig or record with.