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hi13ts

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hi13ts last won the day on October 21 2021

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  1. Thank you for your compliments. Those are my thoughts as well, regarding the fretboard. I've never seen Richlite looking like that and I own two LPCs with Richlite. I guess it's possible they could have finished it in a way that simulates wood grain, but I'm not so sure. I was able to get into a shop today and look at four Gibsons with ebony boards. Two of them are from the 90's/early 00's and those boards look very similar to the SG I have. There aren't any visible pores and the grain is very tight and smooth. The more recent Customs (2021/2022) with ebony have a slightly more porous ebony with more noticeable grain patterns. Still inconclusive, but I've been reaching out to a few Japanese dealers and asking. No bite yet, but hopefully will find the merchant who put the order in. I'll also plan on taking some steel wool to it on the next string change to see how it goes.
  2. I've attached another photo in the Google drive with the locking nut close up. Because of the thickness of the headstock decals on the Customs, I had to a get a special one from Floyd Rose that has a spacer on the bottom, otherwise the strings would sit on the locking nut, but not the existing nut. Overall, it's a great a design and has worked very well for me.
  3. Very happy to share that I was finally able to get an ebony SG Custom at a reasonable price about a month ago and am having a great time playing it. I had an ebony SG Standard for a few months, essentially to be the SG counterpart to my Les Paul Custom Axcess w/Floyd. I rewired it with push-pull pots for coil split and mounted a Floyd Rose FRX on it. It quickly became my number one guitar as it was light, nimble, easy-to-play, and incredibly versatile, more so than the Les Paul Axcess. Although I ended up loving it, I got it to essentially test out the Floyd Rose FRX system on a "cheaper" guitar and was very pleased with the product, so I figured it was time to upgrade to what I originally wanted: an SG Custom with Floyd Rose. When I received the SG Custom, I was pleased with how easy it played and how resonant it was compared to my SG Standard. I did the same mods to it as I did to the Standard but was taken aback at how much more difficult it was to install the Floyd Rose FRX. SG Customs (it seems all Custom Shop SGs as well) have a much shallower neck angle than a production SG. Also, the Custom split diamond decal faceplate on the headstock is thicker, so it made it difficult to install both the Floyd Rose and the locking nut as I wasn't able to get action as low as it needed it to be. I ended up routing a small channel on the body where the spring plunger hits the body and cutting a piece of the pickguard off. Sounds horrifying but it was a great learning experience and I'm happy to say the effort paid off. The Floyd system worked flawlessly and I was able to get a special locking nut from Floyd Rose that has a spacer to accommodate for the strings being so close the the decal plate. Interestingly, this particular guitar came with a factory-installed nylon nut instead of corian, which is to my benefit, and the fretboard looks suspiciously like ebony. There are grain patterns on it, but I'm well aware that Gibson was use exclusively Richlite at the time. I reached out to both Gibson and Richlite and both analyses were inconclusive. Gibson couldn't verify the particular specs of each guitar and could only tell me it was a PSL sent to Japan. I've attached some close-ups of the fretboard to get your opinion on it in the photo link. I used it for rather big gig and it was excellent. Finally got around to recording a video of it last week: Thanks for reading and looking forward to your thoughts on the fretboard. I like both ebony and Richlite so it wasn't a dealbreaker, but I'm rather amused that it might be ebony. I'm leaning towards it being Richlite as it has no pores on it and it feels a bit denser than ebony would when I'm scratching or knocking on it, however, I haven't reached a certain conclusion yet. https://photos.app.goo.gl/FrGpHAu1W73zXnYD7
  4. Hi all. I acquired these two pieces of equipment a few months back but am finally getting around to getting a video up to demonstrate them. I found the 2019 R0 hanging on the wall of Lidgett's Music in Council Bluffs, IA. I didn't think much of it by sight alone as I had a 1997 R8 with quilt top that I thought was the ultimate guitar for me, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask to try the R0. That was a mistake as I could not let it go. The V3 60's neck is so incredibly comfortable and it had a vibe to it. It sounded alive, like every note breathed. The proprietor of the shop cut me a deal I truly could not refused and it went home with me and has become one of my main guitars for gigs. I say in all honesty that this is the best Les Paul I've ever had the pleasure to play. I'm thinking back to years of trying out Custom Shop Les Paul's from stores all around the US and this is my favorite so far. Very blessed to have come across it the way I did. My main amp rig was a 50 watt Marshall Vintage Modern head with a 2x12 cab for years. However, it got to a point last year where gigs became numerous and venues/soundguys became less consistent, so I needed to downsize. I tried running through the Fractal FM3 unit, which is incredibly impressive in its own way, but it still could not emulate a real tube amp 100%. The FRFR cab on stage is also less than ideal compared to Celestions roaring behind you. So I figured my only acceptable compromise was to get the VM in a combo form and then modify it to meet my portability and volume needs. I was able to find one from N Stuff music in PA after a few months of searching. It sounded great right out of the box and I was thoroughly impressed with the G12C speakers loaded in it. Incredible tone. So after the obligatory retubing and biasing, in order to meet the portability function, I installed casters and begrudgingly took out the two G12 and replaced it with one Neo Creamback. This made the amp go from almost 70 lbs to a little under 60. I can one-arm it if absolutely necessary, however, with the casters, I've found that to be a rare event. I mounted a piece of plywood over the empty speaker hole as I liked the semi-closed back tone it had as opposed to a ported cab. For volume, I mounted a Torpedo Captor inside the cabinet and cut a rectangle out of the back panel to mount a Rockboard pass-thru XLR/Power port. This allows me to centralize the AC input as well as the output for the DI on the Torpedo. The DI is based off a 4x12 with V30s mic'd with an SM57. The emulated out actually sounds pretty good and has been my go-to method for all of my gigs so far. The most important part of it is the fact that I'm able to either attenuate the volume 20db or cut the speaker entirely and go direct if the venue and/or soundguy is really unforgiving. I've recorded a Gary Moore song with the amp and the guitar. I think it's very close to his live tone in the few years before his passing. I know he was using a 1959 SLP HW, so not quite the same amp, but the same vibe. I recorded the emulated out on the Torpedo as well as mic'd the Neo Creamback with a Sennheiser e906 and blended the two. Sort of a fitting tribute to Jim Marshall as well, given yesterday was the 10th anniversary of his passing. Thanks for reading through my post!
  5. Thanks for sharing your video. I had an SG Original as well. Bought it the tail end of 2012 right when the first batches were coming out. It was an excellent guitar and served as one of my main ones for six years. It's heavier than the '64, and less resonant. A flatter neck profile and just a bit muddier, but it more heat behind it. A great guitar for sure, but as I said in my original post, after my first custom shop guitar, it was clear, at least to me, that the fit, finish, and playability was on its own level so after that, I've been on a journey to upgrade all of my Gibson USA models to its custom shop counterparts.
  6. Sorry, photo link should be working now. Thanks for looking!
  7. Hi all, just want to share my new acquisition. Ever since I got a Custom Shop Les Paul a few years ago, I've been slowly working to replace all my Gibson USA guitars to its Custom Shop counterparts and it was time for the SG to make the leap. I went to Chicago for RiotFest a few months ago in hopes of finding the Custom Shop SG that would replace my 2015 SGS3, but I could not find any that spoke to me. I went to CME and Guitar Center. I figured there was on rush, so I'd bide my time. I had two guitars in mind, an SG Custom with three pickups but finished in ebony/oxblood, or a '64 Reissue SG, ebony would be preferred. At the time, Gibson wasn't shipping out a lot of 64's, as all of the shops were inundated with the 60th anniversary '61 Reissues. A fine guitar in its own right, but I am not a fan of the sideways trem. Fortunately, I was able to find a '64 Reissue at Replay Guitar in Tampa right as they got it in and bought it. The difference in vibe between Gibson USA and Gibson Custom is palpable. I don't mean to disparage Gibson USA as they make truly excellent guitars and I still have several of them, but the Custom Shop is on another plane. It's such a sight to behold and a joy to play. I love love love the Custombuckers. At first, I didn't think I would since I don't normally gravitate towards the Alnico III sound and my favorite humbucker has been the '57 Classic for the past 10 years. However, Gibson got this right; it completely blew my mind when I first plugged it in. This is also the best SG I've played right out of the box, with minimal setup needed. I love the dark blood red aniline dye and the light patina of the VOS finish. It's so resonant and sustains unlike any other SG I've played. A true blessing of a guitar. I've already gigged with it a number of times and it's been so easy to play and comfortable. I foresee this being one of my main guitars for awhile. Only mod I've done is wax pot the pickups (I've found this to be a necessity since I play it on loud stages) and installed Schaller S-locks. I showcased it on a new song by Silk Sonic. It has a brightness that really fits with the rnb/soul feel. Lead tones during bridge and throughout end of song. Played along with a 2007 Gibson SG bass. Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/HPZQu3J249QhDF599 Video:
  8. Hi all, I've been wanting to share this acquisition for awhile now, but have been, very happily, busy with relentless gigs this summer after a cursed year. As busy season winds down, I find myself with just a bit more time and wanted to show off this dream of a guitar. It's a limited edition ES-345 from the Memphis shop made in the last year of production. In ebony and with a varitone circuit and Maestro vibrola. I actually ran across it in 2019 when I was at the Chicago Music Exchange and was infatuated, but couldn't make the move at the time. Ebony ES' have always been a weakness of mine, so one with both the Vibrola and the varitone switch really gets me going. Specs are as follows: '64 style pointed horns, makes it feel and look just a bit slimmer than a conventional or 50's ES MHS II in the neck, and MHS I in the bridge. A factory mistake that actually worked out quite well Varitone switch in mono, something I use very often Maestro vibrola, which I use often as well I replaced the corian nut with TUSQ Roasted maple center block (thermally engineered was the word Gibson used) that has been chambered! Roasted adirondack spruce bracing. The rest follows typical ES-345 specs. I've owned some cool ES', a 97 Lucille being one of the absolute coolest, but this one is home for me. The neck has a very comfortable rounded profile that's in between a 60's and 59 style. The factory mistake of putting an MHS I in the bridge worked very well. The balanced coils and short Alnico V magnet in the neck MHS II helps stave off the wooliness and low-end rumble that I tend to find on many ES neck positions, making it more balanced and pronounced, while the scatter wound coils of the MHS I bridge, slightly more overwound than the neck, gives it a wild edge. The Alnico II magnet helps the bridge pickup from being overly bright, though. It's very well balanced between both pickups, something that doesn't always happen on every guitar, and it can carry me through a gig where I cycle through several genres in one set. I utilize the varitone switch quite often, using it as a crude split coil, using position 3 often. Depending on the song, I can find a position and pickup combination that is very convincing. I had the mess around with the vibrola at first to get it to where I needed it. From the factory, it wasn't screwed down all the way and the carved top of an ES kinda puts it a weird angle, so I ended up using bigger screws and shimming the bottom so it kinda angle towards the bridge. This allows the spring to sit on the guitar body and not touch the strings, something that I found is necessary for tuning stability and sustain on all the Maestro-equipped guitars I own. After doing so, it functions beautifully and I can use the vibrola quite a bit without having to retune. The construction and finish of it is just gorgeous. A sight to behold and a joy to play. My main criteria when buying a guitar is that it's reliable, versatile, comfortable, and beautiful... and this guitar hits all the marks. It is a working guitar, so I ended up having the wax pot the pickups since stage volume is unforgiving with unpotted pickup. Didn't seem to change the tone much, maybe slight dulling of the highs, but not enough to be detrimental. I recorded a cover of a Dua Lipa song with this guitar, utilizing position three of varitone switch on the neck pickup during the softer rhythm parts, kicking to the middle pickup position for the janglier chorus stuff, and finally a full on neck pickup with the switch bypassed at the end when I'm soloing. All in one guitar, I can get it to do what I want without any sort of pedals. Please check it out and leave a like if you would be so kind. I'll also include a folder with pictures too. Thanks for reading. https://photos.app.goo.gl/y7eqQi8FNYkm56so6
  9. Thanks for the replies. I received the Allparts version and it was indeed a marked improvement over the WD. Although the spring did not rest on the body like my 2013 SG Original did, it was pulled nearly parallel under spring tension, so no strings are touching the comb and the handle can swing freely around. I know there are some that dislike that or perhaps the vintage ones weren't like that, but the sonic and tuning improvements are incontestable for me. With the WD, there were strange metallic overtones and there would be endless "dead spots" when playing. The G string sounded hollow and sustain took a massive nosedive. The Allparts version, however, retained near the amount of sustain as the stop bar and added a bit of presence to the guitar. Notes actually ring out and everything sounds solid. More of a high mids sparkle and not as tight of a low end. It really does sound great. It stays in tune well enough too, at least enough for the bar to be used. I have to say that I've grown quite fond of the Firebird the past few weeks. It's surprisingly comfortable to play sitting down or standing up and is incredibly versatile. It does a Strat-ish thing very well while retaining the tonal depth and playability of a Gibson. I had a rehearsal the other day with it and it was a champ. So easy to play and control and it looked super cool as well. I didn't think I'd take to the ceramic pickups as well as I did, but it turned out to have character and nuance while having enough gas for heavier stuff. I'm actually getting quite enamored by it, thinking of it a lot! To the point of impulsive thoughts of selling my Strats and getting more Firebirds! I won't do that, though, but there's something to be said about the temptation. I'm so impressed by the Allparts vibrola that I'm thinking of getting a gold one for my SGS3. I put a Crazyparts vibrola on and it suffers from the same problem that the WD had, with the spring bent back so far that it touches the back of strings with the tonal and tuning detriments that come with it. I recorded a video of one the songs that made me want a Firebird in the first place:
  10. Hello everyone, I wanted to share that I was finally able to land a white Firebird after years and years of missed opportunities and patience. When I was in high school and learning guitar, the Firebird never caught my eye, thinking it to be too loud of a design (but not quite as much as an Explorer or Flying V). I thought it was much prettier than an Explorer and remember seeing David Hidalgo make good use of one in the first Crossroads Festival video. It wasn't until seeing Tim Skold use it in Manson's band did I realize how multi-faceted it was. Always thought it was a Stratty Gibson, not thinking it would go well with heavier stuff, but he made good use of it with his stack of SLPs. He played a searing white Firebird, similar to what David was playing. From then on I thought to myself that I needed to get one down the line. That was a good 15 or so years ago and I finally came across one that was in great shape and a good price. It's a 2013 (one of the better Gibson years in my opinion, right after the rosewood fiasco during 2011-2012), so it has the multi-level headstock decal, Steinberger tuners, and 300k linear volume pots. It actually sounded great stock, but I switched the pots to 500k audio pots and wired the caps 50s style and there's a new brilliance to it. The pickups are hot and searing, but articulate and with character. The Steinberger tuners are a curious design that works quite well and is very easy to use. I was surprised at how great and versatile it sounded. It truly covered all the ground I needed, even going towards heavy territory. Entirely different than a normal mahogany/humbucker sound; it's definitely it's own thing. Very happy with the acquisition after years of thinking of it. I'm a sucker for vintage aesthetics and that includes a long Maestro vibrola on a Firebird V. For a short while, I used a Duesenberg Les Trem II, which worked very well and sounded great; almost like the stock stop-bar. However, I really wanted the vibe of a vibrola, so I found an aftermarket version made by WD and installed it. It definitely looks the part and operates as expected, but it 100% was a detriment to the tone and sustain. Like night and day difference for the worse. I have a similar issue with my SGS3. It came with the sideways vibrola, but I got a Crazyparts Maestro for it, thinking it may give me the tonal focus I wanted. It did not. In fact, it sounded about the same as the sideways vibrola. I was thinking because the sideways vibrola is essentially a floating trapeze tailpiece, it affected the tone in an airy, bright sort of way. One that I'm not particularly fond of. I found that both this WD vibrola on the Firebird and the Crazyparts on the SG have a strong spring angle that tilts back and touches the back of the strings. Because of its angle the spring is actually not touching the body is essentially floating. I believe this responsible for the tonal difference. After some reading, I found that historically, the spring tension on these trems were not consistent and that many of them came that way. In fact, some people preferred it that way because they can swing the arm back and it touches the body or is much closer in order to fit in a case. I actually prefer the opposite, where the angle is parallel and pressed on top of the body. I found this out when I got the SG Original back in 2013. It was one of the first to come out of the factory so it was actually made in 2012. The first batch had the vibrola with that stiff bent back angle. I contacted Gibson about it because it was a nightmare to keep in tune and they actually admitted mistake and sent me a new vibrola. This one's bent steel was apparently weaker where under string tension, it pressed against the top of the body and laid completely parallel to it. The tuning stability and tone was significantly better. It took divebomb abuse like a champ and roared close to a Les Paul. It was no longer like a floating trapeze tailpiece. I had that guitar as my main one for a long time and truly regret selling it some days. I found out later that many of the SGs with Maestros in 2013-2014 had the same angle that I had and they all roared and took abuse well. I've seen that many aftermarket vibrolas have the stiffer spring angle that bends back and have yet to find one that was as good the one I had on my SG Original. I've read "complaints" of the Allparts version being parallel with the body so I found one on eBay and ordered. Currently awaiting its arrival. I'm concerned, however, that it will not match the angle I'm looking for. I've seen the new vibrolas coming on both Custom Shop and the production line SGs and they're parallel, but they're not pressed on the body. I believe that aspect is what makes the tonal difference I'm looking for. Does anyone know where I can procure a vibrola that has that spring angle? Which manufacturer did Gibson get it from? I guess I'll find out if the Allparts version meets my desires when I get it. I'll also contact Gibson and relay this question. Hopefully they can get me more specifics on their manufacturer or any options I may have. I appreciate you sticking through my ramble. Link to pics below: https://photos.app.goo.gl/49Tjr2tuvoUBKrUP6
  11. Hi all, I do apologize if posting this here is forbidden, but I don't Gibson has a classifieds area. I'm just trying to put as many feelers out there as possible for this as they're very hard to come by. My first electric guitar was given to me by my dad some 15 years ago or so. He gave me his 97 Gibson Nighthawk Special. It was a great guitar; not many people are blessed to have a Gibson as their first electric. As most guitar players do, however, I traded it for other things over the years and no longer have it. It's final incarnation is my '97 R8, so it definitely took me to good places. My dad's birthday is in March and I'm thinking it'd be real special treat to essentially "give it back" to him, but "with interest". He's a big 80's heavy metal guy and the Floyd would really fit the part. They're very hard to come by so I'm trying my best to get anywhere I can. If you have one that you might consider selling, or have a friend or acquaintance who might, please let me know. Thanks in advance!
  12. Was finally able to get a quick sound demo down on Halloween. Very dynamic and responsive guitar. There’s a certain brightness, very slight scoop in the mids with this guitar. A lot of power on tap. Certain lighting really brings out the stunning quilt top, but this video doesn’t do it justice.
  13. I think I've finally reached the end of this origin journey. The merchant was able to have his Gibson rep track down several guitars with the serial number. Using the product description and notes of the guitar that seemed to match mine the best in regards to date and specs, I called up Gibson again and fortunately got a hold of someone who was knowledgeable and invested in digging into this with me. According to him, he pulled up this serial number specific to 1997 and found two guitars that match it (which we both thought was weird, but the list the merchant sent me indeed showed two guitars that year with this s/n). They were both listed as CST 58, one in heritage cherry sunburst and one in lemonburst. Mine is indeed the one in lemonburst. Before he concluded it was an R8, he did say the product description on the invoice stated that it was indeed a one-off custom order made by Guitar Resurrection in Austin, TX. So we concluded that this was a special order based on the build and concept of an R8. Quite an intriguing conclusion! Truly, though, regardless of what this was, R7, R8 or Custom Standard, it's a hell of a guitar and I'm grateful to have been the recipient of such a great deal. As I mentioned on my first post, it so far feels like the ultimate LP Standard I've been yearning for since i played that R8 in 2013. I'm very much looking forward to the future playing this guitar. Hopefully we'll be in a better place in 2021 and that it will offer me plenty of opportunities to test this guitar's mettle. Thanks to all for the compliments.
  14. Hi friends, I recently found what was described as a 1997 R7 from the Manchester Music Mill in NH. On their description, they stated that the idea of this guitar was that it was an R7 that was a Goldtop that somebody stripped and found beautiful quilted patterns underneath and refinished in Lemonburst. I was taken aback at how gorgeous that quilt top was and it was truly at a great price for a custom shop reissue. When I received it, I checked the control cavity and found a handwritten "58" in it. This leads me to believe that perhaps this was actually an R8, however, from my limited understanding of Gibson serial numbers, it indicates that it's indeed an R7. Would anyone be able to help me confirm? Serial number is on the photos. Also, anyone knowledgeable about the reissues in 1997, will you also please provide me the specs that came stock on this guitar? The pickups sound very much like 57 Classics. Throaty, powerful, and warm. I'm trying to decipher what nut material it uses. It doesn't look like corian to me, more like bone, but it's quite white, whiter than most bone nuts I've come across. It's indeed the stock nut as there's still lacquer over. It's so far been an incredible guitar, the ultimate Standard I've been looking for. Back in 2013, a local music shop near me had an R8 on sale. I was in college at the time and didn't have the funds to get it and I just remembered it was one of the sweetest guitars I've played and heard. I'm happy to say this one sincerely fits the bill and makes up for that lost love. I played it recently at a gig and it was easy to play and its tone was massive. 2020 has been overall a pretty crap year, but I've been blessed to be employed and to have stumbled across great deals on two Les Pauls so far. Little diamonds in the s pile of a year. Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wgkh67EkqFBFYNCM8 Thanks for looking and thanks in advance for the info.
  15. Hi all, I wanted to share that I recently acquired a used 2014 LP Trad with Floyd Rose right before the covid-19 restrictions. What good timing to be in quarantine. I've become a fan of the Floyd Rose system after acquiring my Axcess Custom last year. I do like whammy bars when I have them and I do pretty well at having them stay in tune the majority of the time, even the sideways trem on my SG. However, I've found out that no matter how you set up any conventional trem system, they will never get the same stability and wildness that a Floyd Rose will get. The tuning stability and sustain are inimitable and I've found that it's probably the most stable (and fun) guitar I can bring to a show. As much as I love the Custom Axcess, a lot of the bands I play in would benefit from the warmth and depth of a full-bodied Les Paul Standard. Queue in the arrival of this new guitar. It has all of the warm and thick properties that my '16 Traditional has, but with the addition of the Floyd Rose. I truly can't think of a better combo. I've been enjoying playing, listening, and looking at it. It's the Desertburst finish, but it has quite a bit more red in it than what I normally see on Desertbursts, enough where I'd say it's creeping towards Triburst or Fireburst territory. I've replaced the creme plastics with black and the knobs to 60's top hats, to correspond with the slim 60's neck. The previous owner, Jerry's Guitar, who I can't speak highly enough of in regards to customer service and speed of shipping, replaced the Super 57 bridge with a 498T. I respect his decision, but I do not share in his opinion. I quickly replaced that with a 4-wire Seymour Duncan 59, which to me, sounds like a rougher 57 Classic Plus. Gibson recessed the Floyd system more than I thought would be ideal, so the neck angle is quite straight; closer to an SG than a Les Paul. That does change the feel a bit, but is not necessarily detrimental. Overall, it has been incredibly easy to play and coax great tones from. I used it for a tech rehearsal for the musical I was a part of before the virus cancellations and it held it up to what I expected. I'm very much looking forward to the end of this virus situation in order to play this live (which I hope is soon). I've included some pics and video of me playing an old Scorpions classic: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8iQr8bqUznPK4kX76 https://photos.app.goo.gl/waH3xXKG4DU3JvV49 https://photos.app.goo.gl/dUBs84MYHr6cu7L9A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eTUZzaXUtY Thanks for reading and indulging.
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