Thank You. Unfortunately the first owner put the pickguard on using screws, but it was such a good deal, I can afford to have the top refinished by Gibson someday. (if it bothers me enough). The hand wiring gives this thing a tone much different from my 2014 LPJ with the same '61 Pickups. I figure that I'll just make it my own. I ordered a Copper Sparkle pickguard, which I hope makes it look cool enough that I actually LIKE the pickguard. I'm sure that it will grow on me, and I'll leave it original. I am very anxious to see the Copper pickguard against the Orange top. I wish that I could figure out how to get my Nikon DSLR pictures online. The pictures that I post all just come from my iPad's camera. They do not do justice to the fire on this top.
The action was way too low for me. I didn't have a truss Rod tool, so I took it to a great music store near here. I had taken the truss Rod cover off, and there was like clear silicone caulk in there. Deep inside I had nightmarish visions of a fake truss Rod being glued in by some Chinese guy. The guy from the music store sighted down the neck, and took the cover off. After he looked at it sideways for about a minute. He said "Just a minute", and He headed for the back.
I said, "Does it look OK?" And He said "No." And he headed to the back room with it.
For five long minutes, I thought that even with the 120th Anniversary inlay and very Gibson-like details, it was a fake.
He came back out, and set a stool in front of me, and said, "Sit down." And I thought, "Oh, Brother. I'm screwed now." I thought that I was going to have to commit a major crime to even the score with the thief that screwed me over!
Then He said, "See if the action is better now."
I said, "Is it a real Gibson?" And He said "Yes. you're fine. It's a REALLY NICE Gibson too!"
I played it, and in five minutes He had set the action at the perfect height for me. He didn't charge me a nickel, and five minutes later my heartbeat was back to normal. Now I'm starting to like this guitar A LOT.Now I have changed the knobs, and I like it even more.