NIRVANA

[RonSenf]

I decided to make repairs to my 2014 Custom Shop L-00 Keb Mo model, natural top, before selling it. I had become disappointed with fingerboard extension ramping slightly upward which made playing in the upper register impossible without generating fret buzz. Plus I could not dial in the action with that extension ramping up. And, I didn't like crownless frets and sloppily fitting saddle. I am the second owner so no warranty available.

So off with the frets and onto my neck jig (Erlewine style) the little guitar went. As I was leveling the fretboard with my 12 inch radius caul I noticed the fretboard had flat spots and the radius was inconsistent. Quality issue at Gibson? I finished off the leveling and added a slightly downward ramp to the extension. Then I installed medium nickel wire, leveled and crown the frets adding12000 grit polish. They sparkle.

Next the original sloppily fitting saddle (Gibson Quality issue?) was replaced with new snugly fitting bone saddle I made with proper compensation for the b string. I strung it with phosphorus bronze (12 - 54) lights and dialed in the action. Very little fingerboard relief and the action 4/64" at the treble e and 6/64" at bass E. I could probably go a half 64th lower with no string buzz but it is where I wanted to be with this little guitar.

So I played it. It sounded good. No. Not good...great! And it truly played like butter; almost all by itself. The fretboard and saddle issue I fixed had made a huge transformation to the little guitar. I took it with me to my Wednesday nite jam last week and let some of my more experienced musician friends play it. They had played it before my touches and loved the improved playability and new bigger voice coming from it. One of the guys commented how spot on the intonation and harmonics were.

So no, this guitar is not for sale anymore.

Note: I do not intend to disparage Gibson's quality...l have owned several other very nice Gibsons. This one probably should have been made right before going into the market. But, had that happened the original owner might have kept it.

[blindboygrunt]

Nice story

 

When it comes to putting a new saddle in a guitar it will be highly recommended after an online search

I can’t help but feel that a certain amount of folk who report a huge difference in the sound after switching to bone may not give as much credit to the snugness partly because the original saddle isn’t quite as snug as it really should be and they’re not aware of it being a half a mm loose .

Bone will also change things and that’ll be noticeable , but a properly fitted saddle - I’m not so sure how many of them are factory fitted ‘as accurate as they should be’

 

Not being brand specific here

 

 

I also tried to get action nice and low on my j45 but after giving to a guy for a week for a setup was more than a little impressed and amazed by the fact that hed said he’d actually raised the action a tad and it is now easier to play than it was before so , low action doesn’t equal easy playing. It’s more of a combination thing than I had been aware of

 

The internet is a great advert for ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’

 

 

Be cool to hear your little guitar .