Keefoman

It looks like they are just finish cracks, but it's hard to tell from the pictures. I also see markings from rubber on a wall hanger that has reacted with the nitro.

I have both a 2006 CS Special R0 and a 2006 CS Les Paul R8. The cases are identical Gibson Custom made by TKL, but I've never experienced any problems with tightness.

Yes only four wire pickups can be split, but it will have to be soldered to a push/pull-pot or other type of switch. I'm almost certain your pickups are two wire. Easy way to find out is to take off the backplate to your pots, and see for yourself. If the middle position is very thin sounding, it could be as mentioned above, that the pickups are out of phase. In that case, somebody probably did a mod as if it had that feature from factory, it would have been listed from the factory. Could it be a dodgy solder point?

Nice solo! And I couldn't spot any face-expressions... 😁

This is my 2006 CS Les Paul Special: In comparison, I also have a 2006 CS Les Paul R8 with no checking at all. I bought both guitars around the same time in 2010, and they have been stored and used under the same environments / conditions under my care. I think the checking is cool, but I can see why someone don't like it. To me, it seems the Special has a thinner coat of lacquer, and I guess that makes sense as it isn't burst sprayed. I have no idea if that's the case, though... Edit: By the way, I think Peter Honore is a fantastic guitarplayer, and as his goldtop was already starting to crack, I don't blame him for "finishing" the job...😎He can do whatever he likes to his guitars, and his Classic isn't nowhere near "destroyed".

Whatever it is... That's a stunning top! If the guitar is great in other ways, well, then it is great... 😊

Dont know where you live, but here's a white Custom including an amp and stand for 300 Euros on German ebay: https://www.ebay.de/itm/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Custom-PRO-AW-Gitarrenverstarker-VOX-AD30VT/362766490576?hash=item5476915bd0:g:n64AAOSwz-ldWaYp A Korean made Standard for 320 EUR. (The Korean made have a very good reputation): https://www.ebay.de/itm/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Cherry-Sunburst-2003-Unsung-Korea/283609360808?hash=item42086f69a8:g:4EwAAOSwRfNddpXR A brand new Traditional Pro III for 359 EUR, and I could go on listing... https://www.ebay.de/itm/EPIPHONE-Limited-Edition-Les-Paul-Traditional-PRO-III-in-Ebony/323903554374?hash=item4b6a280346:g:GEoAAOSwB9Fdb3zN

I would highly recommend buying second hand, but you should of course try first. If you don't feel that you're qualified yourself to judge a guitar, then bring a friend. You should be able to get a nice second hand Epi LP Std. for up to 400 Euros. Maybe even a Pro. You will get a much nicer guitar than a new Special II.

Thanks! It has become a good guitar, but I’ve spent hours dressing frets to get it right. 😉 Didn`t need to do that on any of the Gibsons...

Looks good!

From own experience, I could also recommend Lollar Imperials for that classic PAF-type sound. Never had them in an Explorer, but in a Les Paul Classic I owned years ago, they sounded very good. I also mounted a set of them in a ‘74 Les Paul Custom I did some work on for a friend of mine. Same satisfactory result! 😊

Gibsons own PAF-replicas such as the Classic ‘57 or Burstbuckers will also do nicely. 😊

Thanks. My camera is a Nikon D40 I've had for years. I think, if I remember correctly, that the picture of the R8 leaning on the Super Reverb and the last pic. of the Special, is taken with my iPhone.

That question came to my mind too. Supposedly there are not much more than a handful of string manufacturers in the whole world.

All Gibsons are nitro finished.

Luckily I paid about half of that. 😊

Very good little tune, and I would love to visit... 😎

Here's how I interpret the intro and main guitartrack. (With a mess of the original and countless live-versions in mind...) Standard tuning:

Yeah, Taylors first live gig was the Hyde Park on 5 July just two days after Jones' passing. Anyway I don't think Mick Taylor used open tunings other than when playing slide. Which he, of course, did brilliantly!

The studio recording is all Keith. Brian Jones didn't contribute at all on Let it Bleed. Mick Taylor did some overdubs on a couple of tracks, but not on Gimme Shelter.

Nope. On the studio recording there is one guitartrack in open E, but the main guitar is standard. Live, he has always played it in standard tuning, but he has simplified the riff later years due to his arthritis I guess.

Beautiful colour! And a P90 equipped Gibson is never wrong. 😎 Congrats!

The high E-string is tuned down to D, the A-string is tuned down to G, and the low E-string is tuned down to D. Or as Keef does it: Remove the low E-string and toss it... And by the way, Gimmie Shelter is played in standard tuning. (Don't know if you, by mentioning that particular song in this context, was implying that it's an "open G" song.) 🙂

Thanks. Yes, this Explorer is a good one! 😋

I've adjusted them to my liking and recorded a tiny bit of noodling.