Quote: "The problem with that is these appear to be filled with a gas (like neon or argon or something) and use a dangerously high voltage. I may be able get the gas from my shop, but I really don't want to mess with all that even thought I bet it would look awesome in there."
That would work. Usually the noble gasses used are at a lower pressure on the inside of the globe, but I've read that helium mixed with a dopant gas works at atmospheric pressure.
It's not dangerous. They operate at around 1kV with nearly no current output at all. It's closer to static electricity than anything else, the worst that can happen is a mild shock.
You could try something with some colour changing LEDs, but I'm not sure how well that would look. The glass is basically clear, so it's not going to glow at all.
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