Besides CBGs, I have taken to buying el-cheapo plywood Les Paul Jr. copies on Craigslist and modding them up. They're easy to work on because the wiring's simple and they have a bolt-on neck. Here's one I got for $80 including the case:
First thing to do is properly route the pickup cavity for a full-size P90:
Here's the new rout shielded and ready for the new pickup:
Now to fit a cheap, no-name Bigsby and chrome pickup cover:
Strip and refinish the neck:
I used 10 coats of tung oil on this one, it makes for a really nice feel:
Clean out the neck pocket:
Rerout the control cavity and replace the junky Asian electronics with CTS and Switchcraft:
Re-dye the fretboard, replace the tuners with GFS tulips, new speed knobs, a new nut...
...and....
Voila - a smokin' little beater you can gig with:
Cheers, Brian
