SkipT2043

Wow, thanks for all the responses. The Peterson certainly seems to be the overwhelming fav, but yeah, that price is a bit much to swallow - but I guess ye gets what ye pays for. The accuracy rating is pretty impressive and it seems like it does a lot of extra "stuff", but it also looks like it's a bit of a beast. I guess larger is better for older eyes, but as long as it doesn't weigh a ton it might be worth it. Thanks again, everyone!

Hey folks, I hope this isn't a horse that's already been beaten to death, but I didn't find much in the forums. I've also been reading some online reviews but I don't tend to trust them. Too many marketing deals between reviewers and suppliers... Tuning has become more difficult thanks to worsening Tinnitus. I'm also finding that I'm tuning more frequently than I used to, and it doesn't matter if my strings are brand new or three months old. I've tried a couple of the less expensive Snark clip-on tuners (Snark SN-1, Silver Snark) but I've found them frustrating to use - they are slow to respond, they don't always lock on pitch without jumping around, and sometimes after displaying a reading they will jump to a different reading a second or two later. They have been somewhat helpful but I'm thinking about getting something better. These Snarks are just low end $15 or $20 tuners. Has anyone had these kinds of problems with the Snarks and then upgraded to something that worked better? I would appreciate any suggestions.

Yup, I couldn't be happier. Thanks olie!

Thank you! Yeah, I like the pickguard too. It definitely has a nice period look that fits the overall vibe of the instrument, and I think the shape is a little more interesting than the original. And, yes, I have a written appraisal from Gruhn. It's framed and hanging in the music room. 🙂

I just got the case back and it's gorgeous. I'm blown away - I knew the restoration would be incredible, but my exceedingly high expectations were completely blown out of the water. This guy is a master craftsman - the attention to detail, the quality of the workmanship, and everything else about this job were beyond belief. I could not be happier. He is semi-retired now but he's still taking on some a few jobs if they don't require too many hours. If anyone has a vintage case that needs repair or restoration, I highly recommend him. Shoot me a PM and I can give you his contact info. I couldn't upload all the pictures, so I copied them to Google Photos. Hopefully this link works: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fMg8UM32Ji6f6QzQA

Definitely solid Braz, not laminated. All of the documentation I have says it is and poking around with a lighted inspection mirror proved it. I agree about the look of the pickguard and the bridge. The pickguard has a more interesting shape than the original and it has the same mock-tortoiseshell pattern. The bridge is Ebony like the original and it looks identical to what they used on those guitars starting in '68. I think both the pickguard and bridge fit the overall look of the instrument quite well. I just wish the bridge had an adjustable saddle like the original did. My guitar tech has gotten the intonation *almost* perfect, but it's still just a tad sharp around the 12th fret.

It's definitely Braz Rosewood which makes it a '65. I had checked the serial number against the infamous Gibson serial number lists and it showed up in both the 1965 and 1968 lists, but the '68's were Indian Rosewood. I sent the serial number and pictures to George Gruhn and he confirmed it's a '65. It's not worth as much as it could be because it doesn't have the original finish and the bridge, pickguard, and tuners aren't original. But it's a wonderful sounding and playing instrument, and of course it's invaluable to me!

Thanks man - I appreciate the kind words!

I love hearing these stories - thanks for sharing that. That's so cool you still have the J after all these years. Being able to get a Strat as a graduation gift is pretty special - I imagine having guitar means a lot to him. And if it was me, I would be honored to have the 335 AND the J-45!

I appreciate all of the information and the advice, and I've learned a lot during this thread. And I have to say that I'm really glad I joined this forum - I'm impressed by the level of involvement and the amount of knowledge. This has not been a typical forum experience for me! I want to respond to the thoughts on fit, sourcing a more appropriate case, and whether or not it makes sense to be doing this restoration. Honestly, I know that it doesn't make sense on a number of levels - this is purely emotion and sentimentality. I watched and listened to my brother playing his Gibson since I was a little kid, and thanks to him I got hooked on all kinds of styles and artists. He gave me my love of music and he has been a big role model and the most important person in my life. For years I would jokingly rib him and ask him when he was going to give me his guitar, and at Thanksgiving a few years ago, after it had been sitting unplayed for some time, I hit him again. Again I was joking and I had a smile on my face, but maybe there was a little bit of a hopeful feeling for the first time. When I said "so when the heck are you going to give me that Gibson?" he paused for a few seconds then said "yeah, that is a good idea". I was so floored I couldn't speak for a minute. I think there may have been a little water leaking from one eye. This case is the one that the guitar was in when my brother acquired it in 1972. It was very well worn - in fact, it was a complete rat and it was literally falling apart. The guitar didn't fit perfectly but it was good enough. As soon as I got the guitar I had it put back into playing condition and picked up a hundred dollar HSC to protect the instrument properly. The old case sat in the attic and just last year I found someone that I trusted to do the restoration. Damn the cost - I really wanted to reunite the guitar with that case. I'm going way overboard but it is that important to me given the history and the deep connection to my brother. Sorry for the long ramble, and I hope I haven't insulted anyone. Having my brother's guitar is the greatest gift I have ever been given and I think I wanted to write this for myself... as well as stealing another opportunity to tell the story. 🙂

That's cool you know the case. I was told it's from the 1930's - does that sound right? I haven't had a chance to go off and learn more. The shop is getting ready to start cutting/fitting the padding and the lining material. Not sure how long that's going to take, but it will involve a fair amount of time since it's a custom fit.

Okay, let's see if this works - before pictures of the case are here and here.

I don't know what kind of case it is - there were no labels or markings. I guess it could be considered a bell bottom case - I've never heard that term - but there are depressions in both the top and bottom. I think that's why it's assumed to have been designed for an archtop guitar. I'm trying to upload pictures but it's not working. Maybe I just don't know how the system works yet. It's failing to upload with a message saying the limit is 500K. The file I'm trying to upload is only about 125K. Maybe the 500K limit is an account quota and I'm going over it because I already uploaded a picture...

Yup, it is going to be pretty incredible. The material I found is a green faux suede - it has a short nap, it's very soft, and it's very close in feel to the original lining. The shop said it's nice to work with and it will hold up very well.

Yes, it's a restoration - and a fairly extensive one at that. The case is from the 1930's and was originally made for an archtop - it's not a perfect fit for a dread but it's pretty close. It's pretty well road worn and there are places where the top and bottom plywood has separated from the sides and the inside was completely trashed - I wouldn't have used it for a fifty dollar department store guitar. There were some spots along the top and bottom where the plywood edges had worn down so much they had separated from the sides. The seams have now been fiberglassed so it's stronger than new and it's getting all new lining and padding cut to perfectly fit the Heritage. What's awesome is that it will be all brand new inside and look just like it always has from the outside. This whole thing is quite the job, but the case has as much sentimental value as the instrument does so well it's worth it to me.