May I introduce "Francine"... (NGD, now with clip!)

[Twinfan]

A Ducati 749S....

[choucas09]

 Nice bike. I used to have the 1990 750 Sport. The over run on that thing was the best engine sound I've ever heard. It was tested at 108 db with the Conte's on.
 You're doing the right thing though although bike fever still grips me occasionally you can actually have more excitement sat in your room late at night with a good guitar and amp and nobody gets hurt.

[Twinfan]

it's the roads that made the decision for me - all my favourite are now riddled with pot holes and are falling apart  :(

[d1dsj]

I hear ya Dave, my bikes going to MOT'd and then I'll advertise it. I won't be looking to buy any new gear with whatever cash I get though!   :lol: 

[Twinfan]

A few new pics, taken by the autistic, err I mean artistic Mrs Twinfan  ;)

[HTH AMPS]

a gorgeous guitar, no question - can I look after it when you go on holiday?  :lol:

[Twinfan]

Errr, no.  It'll be travelling with me  ;)

[Philly Q]

Errr, no.  It'll be travelling with me  ;)

With its own seat, presumably?

[choucas09]

That is just so gorgeous. When are the new clips (where we see the guitar) coming?

[AndyR]

With those new pics, I can see it has a "real" vibe/look about it.

I've been trying to figure out how to explain what I mean... It's something like, Les Pauls, especially the sunburst flame types are either shiny-shiny brand new looking, or, if they're beat up (like a Fender seems to cope with so well) they can look kind of tawdry. And obviously, if you're trying to build an "old" Les Paul, you could so easily get stuck somewhere horrible between the two...

I'd been wondering what this one would be like close-up, and had been guessing that it probably passed with flying colours because a) they're asking what they're asking, and b) you bought it when you saw it in the flesh :lol:

Those pics confirm that it seems to have a lovely, and understated, "real" lived-in sort of look. Lovely piece of work :D

[Twinfan]

It's all the grain/flecks/mineral streaks that make it look "vintage-y" to my eyes.  A lot of Les Pauls, in fact most of the newer flame tops, are too PRS-like and perfect.  A Les Paul, to my eyes, should look like the original bursts.

I guess you can all see why I just HAD to have it now  :lol:

[AndyR]

That's it, isn't it! The flecks and streaks...

I haven't got a decent enough camera (or the skills to capture it), but my sunburst Roadworn strat has the same stuff going on under the finish - that's partly what convinced me that a relic (and a mass produced one at that!) was something I could live with. The various bashes and dings were ok as far as I was concerned, the sanded-off fore-arm bit took a lot to get over, but I'm getting there (especially because the wood's discolouring nicely now), but the flecks and streaks under the paintwork just looked righteous from day one :D

And it's the flecks and streaks in the photos above that impressed me so much. You can replace hardware, age it, whatever, you can knock a few bits off... but sunburstie jobs don't "look" old unless some sort of strange irregularities start appearing under the finish...

[Philly Q]

It's all the grain/flecks/mineral streaks that make it look "vintage-y" to my eyes.  

Absolutely, together with the subtle ageing and the nice amber colour of the sunburst.  Although ironically the grain/flecks/mineral streaks probably show that they weren't really too picky about timber selection back in the golden olden days.

(The very worst look an LP can possibly have is one of those bright red cherry sunbursts.  No offence to Ace Frehley... )

[d1dsj]

I'd bet the reason it looks old is because that wood IS old. When you buy a guitar like that one you are paying for many things and I reckon that old growth timber will be one of them. Ace guitar Dave... nice one.

[Twinfan]

Yeah I agree - farmed wood cut down young is unlikely to look like the maple does on mine....