Am I about to ruin a collectors Antoria foreign archtop

[Marktinkerman]

Hi i have a foreign Antoria archtop. Because of neck curve i have removed the fingerboard.

I would like to fit a truss rod (and some other mods). Google suggests that a "foreign" made Antoria dates from the 50s 60s.

The face appears to be solid wood not ply. It will be easy to refit the fingerboard with the neck straightened, the rest of the guitar is in good original condition.

Should i keep it in original condition or is it common enough that i can modify it. Appreciate replies as I'm impatient to order truss rod and get on with it. Mark.

[Zack]

If this is considered "collector" grade item and you "removed the fingerboard" you have already ruined it, yeah...

[joe2758]

I can't imagine it's worth enough to justify not making it playable

[AllanAllen]

A quick look on reverb showed 2 similar ones sold around $400. So I think you're good to paint flames on it, route the top for some dynasonics, drill holes for dice knobs and add a bigsby!

[ArchieHollow]

Looks to me that your planned improvements can only make it better, so you can enjoy a lifetime of playing it. (Especially if a carved spruce top)

[Woody Sound]

It’s a tool. If you definitely want to keep it, do it.

[icr]

Part of the fun of collecting oddball guitars is the oddball looks. So I usually make only subtle changes to improve playability and keep the odball look.

For example, my Inter-mark Cipher could not play in tune with its straight across bridge. So I angled it without changing the cosmetics. Much improvement in the tuning.

[Zack]

Part of the fun of collecting oddball guitars is the oddball looks. So I usually make only subtle changes to improve playability and keep the odball look.

For example, my Inter-mark Cipher could not play in tune with its straight across bridge. So I angled it without changing the cosmetics. Much improvement in the tuning.

Looks awesome!

[omphalopsychos]

Nobody had ever heard of these. Go for it.

[Sigmund451]

Im sure there are other opinions but IMHO a guitar that doesnt play isnt a guitar. Its just wall art.

If it belonged to someone famous bla bla I can see the concern.

But its just another guitar in a sea of old guitars. If you can make it play go for it.

[Cunamara]

Rendering a guitar functional and playable is not, in my opinion, ruining the collector value. Unplayable action, a warped neck, a cracked top, etc.; these things ruin collector value to me. I would even go so far as to say refinishing might not ruin collector value, depending on what shape the original finish was in.

Taking an arch top guitar, filling the body with foam, putting in ultra-hot pickups and making it suitable for death metal, on the other hand, might be ruining the collector value.