Alex Lifeson ES-355

[Evilmusician]

Mine goes back tomorrow ! I noticed tonight that its developed a crack along both sides of the fret board where it meets the neck, the only thing thats gonna makes these instruments go up in value ,is the fact that you didn't get a dud !(seems thats rare) thanks Gibson for turning my dream instrument into a nightmare! Done with AL68 ! and Gibson!

[AL-120]

 

Also' date=' I got a life mate, I've been playing my wonderful [b']AL-120[/b] most of the day and dropping in on the forum also, and I'll probably be doing the same tomorrow.....

 

Hi Folks - first post here, and just a question for enduroexpert. I see form your signature that you have AL-105 Was the above post just a typo, or did you own Al-120?

 

Cheers,

Steven

[Wondo]

Mine goes back tomorrow ! I noticed tonight that its developed a crack along both sides of the fret board where it meets the neck' date=' the only thing thats gonna makes these instruments go up in value ,is the fact that you didn't get a dud !(seems thats rare) thanks Gibson for turning my dream instrument into a nightmare! Done with AL68 ! and Gibson! [/quote']

 

I am so sorry you are going through this with this guitar. This is what I was talking about in a previous post (I believe it was in the volute thread). The original 1970s ES 355s had problems with the combination of an ebony board and a three-piece maple neck. My luthier told me that in the 70s things were not top-notch with Gibson, but that the archtop models and slimline hollow and semi-hollow had some problems. And the top of the list was the 355s from this era. Primarily because joining maple and an ebony board requires that you have very good, stable ebony or else the board will shrink separating from the neck. Maple is prone to shrinkage as well. Both are harder woods than mahogony and have less flexibility when it comes to moisture problems. If the ebony is not of the best quality or has dried too much too quick, it will separate from the neck. It can also start to crack the binding at the frets. This is something that can be fixed by a good luthier, but I would totally understand returning this particular one to Gibson and having them put it where the sun don't shine.

 

For those that still plan on keeping the AL, please take heed: The ebony/maple combination is something to take care of. When the weather starts to change, change your strings and while the strings are off, condition your fretboard. There are many conditioners out there, but I strongly recommend Fret Doctor. A little bit goes a long way and it is one of the only conditioners that actually moisturizes the wood and does not repel moisture at the same time. You may also want to keep your room humidified. I have been doing this for years. I use a warm-mist humidifier and keep the room at around 50% humidity. Warm mist works best because keeping the temperature of the room from getting too cold also allows the room to retain humidity. It is well worth the investment. A good warm mist humidifier is the Honeywell and will cost less than $50.00 and the Fret Doctor is under $20.00. Any guitar with an ebony board needs to be watched closely but it seems that the Lifeson needs extra attention at least for the first few years unitl it settles in.

[enduroexpert]

 

Hi Folks - first post here' date=' and just a question for enduroexpert. I see form your signature that you have AL-105 Was the above post just a typo, or did you own Al-120?

 

Cheers,

Steven[/quote']

 

Hi mate,

 

....yep I'm AL 105, that was a typo, not sure what happened there, well spotted anyway............no need to worry.

 

Cheers

 

Johnny

[AL-120]

 

Hi mate' date='

 

....yep I'm AL 105, that was a typo, not sure what happened there, well spotted anyway............no need to worry.

 

Cheers

 

Johnny[/quote']

 

Ahh I see - didn't know. No worries, I just recently aquired AL 120 and was not sure of it's history. I should recieve it later this week, and am very excited for a very long wait that has been frought with challenge and valor. This has been a dream of mine since teenage years, and I was supposed to have one in my posession a while ago (a long story if you dare). Anyway, it looks like I found a few chaps here who dig this guitar as I.

 

Cheers again!

 

~Steven

[Evilmusician]

 

I am so sorry you are going through this with this guitar. This is what I was talking about in a previous post (I believe it was in the volute thread). The original 1970s ES 355s had problems with the combination of an ebony board and a three-piece maple neck. My luthier told me that in the 70s things were not top-notch with Gibson' date=' but that the archtop models and slimline hollow and semi-hollow had some problems. And the top of the list was the 355s from this era. Primarily because joining maple and an ebony board requires that you have very good, stable ebony or else the board will shrink separating from the neck. Maple is prone to shrinkage as well. Both are harder woods than mahogony and have less flexibility when it comes to moisture problems. If the ebony is not of the best quality or has dried too much too quick, it will separate from the neck. It can also start to crack the binding at the frets. This is something that can be fixed by a good luthier, but I would totally understand returning this particular one to Gibson and having them put it where the sun don't shine.

 

For those that still plan on keeping the AL, please take heed: The ebony/maple combination is something to take care of. When the weather starts to change, change your strings and while the strings are off, condition your fretboard. There are many conditioners out there, but I strongly recommend Fret Doctor. A little bit goes a long way and it is one of the only conditioners that actually moisturizes the wood and does not repel moisture at the same time. You may also want to keep your room humidified. I have been doing this for years. I use a warm-mist humidifier and keep the room at around 50% humidity. Warm mist works best because keeping the temperature of the room from getting too cold also allows the room to retain humidity. It is well worth the investment. A good warm mist humidifier is the Honeywell and will cost less than $50.00 and the Fret Doctor is under $20.00. Any guitar with an ebony board needs to be watched closely but it seems that the Lifeson needs extra attention at least for the first few years unitl it settles in.[/quote']

 

Thanks for the heads up but too little too late ,damage is done now ,You think that for a 4000 guitar there be a little pamphlet with the guitar warning of these issues ,and the bleed ,and the finish tarnish from stands,

[Evilmusician]

Update ,guitar AL68 , sent back to Gibson ,guys at L&M are getting me another one ,sweet ! I do love love this guitar and hope to luck into another one !

[LerxstLee]

 

I am so sorry you are going through this with this guitar. This is what I was talking about in a previous post (I believe it was in the volute thread). The original 1970s ES 355s had problems with the combination of an ebony board and a three-piece maple neck. My luthier told me that in the 70s things were not top-notch with Gibson' date=' but that the archtop models and slimline hollow and semi-hollow had some problems. And the top of the list was the 355s from this era.[/b'] Primarily because joining maple and an ebony board requires that you have very good, stable ebony or else the board will shrink separating from the neck. Maple is prone to shrinkage as well. Both are harder woods than mahogony and have less flexibility when it comes to moisture problems. If the ebony is not of the best quality or has dried too much too quick, it will separate from the neck. It can also start to crack the binding at the frets. This is something that can be fixed by a good luthier, but I would totally understand returning this particular one to Gibson and having them put it where the sun don't shine.

 

For those that still plan on keeping the AL, please take heed: The ebony/maple combination is something to take care of. When the weather starts to change, change your strings and while the strings are off, condition your fretboard. There are many conditioners out there, but I strongly recommend Fret Doctor. A little bit goes a long way and it is one of the only conditioners that actually moisturizes the wood and does not repel moisture at the same time. You may also want to keep your room humidified. I have been doing this for years. I use a warm-mist humidifier and keep the room at around 50% humidity. Warm mist works best because keeping the temperature of the room from getting too cold also allows the room to retain humidity. It is well worth the investment. A good warm mist humidifier is the Honeywell and will cost less than $50.00 and the Fret Doctor is under $20.00. Any guitar with an ebony board needs to be watched closely but it seems that the Lifeson needs extra attention at least for the first few years unitl it settles in.

 

Thanks for the post again .

In the 70s as you have said , Gibson did have quality control issues . Yet , I think history has repeated itself .

I want to get a LP Axess so badly , But no more Gibson . My Les Paul is great . The AL-355 is another story , yet only three years older than my Les Paul . My other instruments seem to be better built Period .

 

I just wanted to check with you as I have always used " bore " oil for a whopping 5-8 bucks for the ebony boards . The small bottles for clarinets ect . mostly ebony instruments for the mouth pieces , I bought the Dunlop Fretboard kit and bore oil is just fine . On rosewood I use mineral oil . I have never had trouble with that either . I am not trying to " save " money or be cheap , but " way " back in my day :) , there were few if any marketed fretboard oils and I continue to use it.

 

Best to you

[LerxstLee]

 

Thanks for the heads up but too little too late ' date='damage is done now ,You think that for a 4000 guitar there be a little pamphlet with the guitar warning of these issues ,and the bleed ,and the finish tarnish from stands, [/quote']

 

I am not sure why they did not include an owners manual with the 355 as they do with the other guitars .

Gibson as always said in the booklet to use Cotton only , where ever the guitar touches the stand , and

keep your strap from laying on it also , dyed leather will leave even a worse mark than most stands .

[Evilmusician]

Other AL doesn't exists so no Lifeson for me ,ah well maybe its for the better ,or maybe I'll find a survivor some day .Good luck guys with your guitars ! cheers!

[Wondo]

Lerxst,

 

Bore oil should be fine. That is what mostly makes up Fret Doctor. However, he uses some other oils in there as well. You just want to make sure that the oils you are using allows the fretboard to soak up the oil to moisturize the wood, but then not repel moisture as most oils do. You have seen when you put oil in water, it separates.

 

Evilmusician,

 

I wish you could find another AL and have it ge a good one. Except for the volute issue, mine is quite a very well built guitar. Try calling Saul at Center City Music at ccitymusic.com, I know he was supposed to get more in, but he may have canceled his order.

[Evilmusician]

Just wanted to tell us guys ,that I've never been so disappointed with an instrument in my life,with all the anticipation ,of awaiting my new Custom Shop (what a joke there) AL68 ,to be kicked in the stomach,and have the thing fall apart right before my eyes ,a 4000 dollar guitar list 5000+ with a shotty fretboard/neck! I mean I looked past the volute issue ,the brown streaks in the ebony ,the fact that first when I bought it it wouldn't stay in tune ,plus the numerous problems and complaints on the forums from dissatisfied ES-AL owners ,All seemed to just disappear when I plugged it in and played the opening riff to A Passage to Bangkok , but the night I looked down a saw the damage that had befallen my precious guitar ,It almost made me cry .To me not having this guitar is like losing my best friend .Honestly I see all my guitars as my children (this was my favorite )

 

Ever since I first saw Alex using this on the Rush videos ,I knew some way ,some how I had to have one! So when I found out that Gibson had issued one I was beside myself ,and put in an order at my local music store .I searched the net for pics,info all I could find ,so the day I got mine I was like a kid at Christmas ! First opening the case pulling back the blanket was like that awwwwwwwwwww moment we all do when something impresses us ! Then only to be disappointed and disgusted by the so called quality and workmen ship that Gibson's Custom Shop claims they achieve ,well they dropped the ball on this model ,anyways I hoped to have this guitar for many years ,pass it on to my kids whatnot ,but looks like that won't happen now .I think it'll be a longggggggg time before I buy another Gibson if ever, let alone a Custom Shop one .Alex is my favorite guitarist and Rush my favorite band I'd like to think that he knows nothing of this run and the problems it has ,otherwise he might cease to be my guitar hero!

 

Former AL68 Owner

[elvtnedge]

Well after having contact with Yorkville, Im taking my guitar to L&M to have them look at the bridge. If infact it can be fixed then great, if not they will order me a new bar.

 

so my question is ...is your bridge parallel to the body or does it angle back a bit? If that is how the bridge on all the AL's are then I know its a bar issue. If not then I know it can be adjusted...

 

please let me know guys.. I want to know this before taking it in for inspection in the next day or so.

 

thanks

[Wondo]

Well after having contact with Yorkville' date=' Im taking my guitar to L&M to have them look at the bridge. If infact it can be fixed then great, if not they will order me a new bar.

 

so my question is ...is your bridge parallel to the body or does it angle back a bit? If that is how the bridge on all the AL's are then I know its a bar issue. If not then I know it can be adjusted...

 

please let me know guys.. I want to know this before taking it in for inspection in the next day or so.

 

thanks

 

[/quote']

 

Just for clarification, do you mean the bridge or the tailpiece? The tailpiece, that flat metal piece where the ball of the string is connected should angle back a bit, that is the nature of the Lyre Vibrola. However the bridge should be perfectly parallel to the body of the guitar.

[Wondo]

Just wanted to tell us guys ' date='that I've never been so disappointed with an instrument in my life,with all the anticipation ,of awaiting my new Custom Shop (what a joke there) AL68 ,to be kicked in the stomach,and have the thing fall apart right before my eyes ,a 4000 dollar guitar list 5000+ with a shotty fretboard/neck! I mean I looked past the volute issue ,the brown streaks in the ebony ,the fact that first when I bought it it wouldn't stay in tune ,plus the numerous problems and complaints on the forums from dissatisfied ES-AL owners ,All seemed to just disappear when I plugged it in and played the opening riff to A Passage to Bangkok , but the night I looked down a saw the damage that had befallen my precious guitar ,It almost made me cry .To me not having this guitar is like losing my best friend .Honestly I see all my guitars as my children (this was my favorite )

 

Ever since I first saw Alex using this on the Rush videos ,I knew some way ,some how I had to have one! So when I found out that Gibson had issued one I was beside myself ,and put in an order at my local music store .I searched the net for pics,info all I could find ,so the day I got mine I was like a kid at Christmas ! First opening the case pulling back the blanket was like that awwwwwwwwwww moment we all do when something impresses us ! Then only to be disappointed and disgusted by the so called quality and workmen ship that Gibson's Custom Shop claims the achieve ,well they dropped the ball on this model ,anyways I hoped to have this guitar for many years ,pass it on to my kids whatnot ,but looks like that won't happen now .I think it'll be a longggggggg time before I buy another Gibson if ever, let alone a Custom Shop one .Alex is my favorite guitarist and Rush my favorite band I'd like to think that he knows nothing of this run and the problems it has ,otherwise he might cease to be my guitar hero!

 

Former AL68 Owner[/quote']

 

Man, that just sucks! I know how you must feel about this. Fortunately mine has been holding up pretty well. However, don't give up on your dream. Here is what you might be able to do.....Keep looking out for a 74, 75, 76, 77,78,or 79 ES 355 with the Vibrola and stereo Varitone. (preferably a 76) If it is in the $2K-3K range and in good shape, you are off to a good start. Then, contact Freddy Gabrsek (The guy who restored Alex's original 355) Go to freddysfrets.com He can re-wire to mono, add the mini switch and paint it white for you (most of these came in walnut or wine red) and his prices are very reasonable and he is a great guy to deal with and does fantastic work. Then you will have more of an Alex Lifeson signature model than any of us have because it will be the real guitar with the same guy doing the refinishing work that did Alex's. And, you will probably end up paying a little less for it (restoration included) than you did for the AL. I almost did this, but decided to keep mine. But, I am tempted to do this if the right ES 355 comes along. If you were able to pull this off you would definately own the bragging rights to owning a real Alex Lifeson ES 355. The only bragging rights we have with the AL model is that Alex is actually playing one currently wrong volute and all. But, his baby is still the original 76 355 that Freddy restored. Just an option before totally giving up on something you have wanted for so long.

[PJLCC14]

Well after having contact with Yorkville' date=' Im taking my guitar to L&M to have them look at the bridge. If infact it can be fixed then great, if not they will order me a new bar.

 

so my question is ...is your bridge parallel to the body or does it angle back a bit? If that is how the bridge on all the AL's are then I know its a bar issue. If not then I know it can be adjusted...

 

please let me know guys.. I want to know this before taking it in for inspection in the next day or so.

 

thanks

 

[/quote']

 

The Bridge should be Parallel to the bridge pick-up.....however the tail piece could be anywhere. I founf out that they were not jigged when installed........and I could see this when comparing 3 different AL's. If you look at the end of the tail piece when compared to the bottom strap button.....it should be centered on that button. The button is a spec point. My Tail piece is almost 3/8" off center....which makes the vibrola bar NOT parallel with the bridge. When measuring from the bar to the Bridge plate....at my Low E string its 2 1/16", at the High E string its 2 3/16". I know an 1/8" doesn't sound like much....but it's very noticable when it happens in just a 2" span (E to E).........I figured it was just another example of the Ginson "get er Done fast" mentality, when it came to this guitar. Damn Shame. This is definately my last Gibson!

[elvtnedge]

Im talking the bridge where you screw in the trem arm. When I'm playing mine and look down at my strumming hand, the bridge angles back towards the tailpiece, end pin etc.... I think because this angles back is the reason why I cant screw in the trem arm.

[Crappy]

Gibson has made more errors on these 300 guitars that they did in the 70's

[Crappy]

If the fingerboard splits or becomes unbound, I'm sending it to Freddy Gabrsek to have it fixed.

[Wondo]

Im talking the bridge where you screw in the trem arm. When I'm playing mine and look down at my strumming hand' date=' the bridge angles back towards the tailpiece, end pin etc.... I think because this angles back is the reason why I cant screw in the trem arm.[/quote']

 

It's hard to comment without any pictures. However, the trem arm may angle back a bit toward the tailpiece. It is how these tremelo systems work. The bridge should be horizontal to the bridge pickup or to the body of the guitar and the tailpiece should be level from bass to treble. But, there may be a slight lean back and that should be okay. The real determination can be made by asking if the strings are touching the tailpiece or are they only connected at the ball and then the bridge? If your strings are touching than this might be a good indicator that it is really angled back and this could be the cause of your problem and you will need a whole new tailpiece. I will tell you however, that Gibson is going to want you to send the whole guitar back to look at it and determine the cause before they fix it or replace it. What would be best is to obtain a warranty authorization, bring it to a authorized Gibson repair person and have them tell Gibson that the part is bad and they will send out a new part. This is much better than you sending your guitar back to them.

 

Here is how it should look: (Of course your trem arm should not be way up like this but this can be fixed).

 

[elvtnedge]

where the balls sit that part is angled back... I'll take a pic tonight and post for you to see.

[elvtnedge]

 

 

here you go... You'll see that I cant sit the bar flush on the bridge only on an angle and the white end piece is touching the guitar.

[AL-120]

I am very sorry for those who have had issues with this guitar, and I agree that the build quality is not what it should be. It is sad that those have to be my first words as AL 120 arrived this evening at my house. For me, the volute is incorrect but does not hinder my playing, the trem bar is too long, the binding has a ridge from headstock to tailpiece, and there is a very small cluster of bleedthrough dots on the back however...

 

The action is great - plays perfectly - intonation needs very slight adjustment, and unless there is some major flaw that causes it to become unplayable - it will not leave my possesion. Like Evilmusician, I have dreamed of this guitar since my teens and four days ago I thought I would never be able to own one - even having waited six months only to be told it wasn't going to happen - it did, and I am giddy like a school girl with nickers. This guitar exudes Lavilla-

 

To the right is "The Borg" a highly modified Korean 335 copy complete with piezo bridge and Roland 13 pin out and of course big AL 120. Man, I hope my tears of joy don't become tears of saddness... I love this guitar even with it's flaws.

 

[AL-120]

where the balls sit that part is angled back... I'll take a pic tonight and post for you to see.

 

 

I just mount the trem bar upsidedown..., and yes the tailpiece is slightly angled back on mine as well - this is normal

[Wondo]

 

 

here you go... You'll see that I cant sit the bar flush on the bridge only on an angle and the white end piece is touching the guitar.

 

 

 

From what I can see from the pictures, the tailpiece looks fine. Your trem arm however, has one hell of a bend in it. Whenever I have seen Lyre trem arms with this much angle to it, it is from left to right not up and down. Call Gibson and demand a new trem arm. Send them the picture you posted here. If they give you the run around, ask to speak to a supervisor. If you still get nowhere then buy an after market arm for under $40.00 and be done with it. Then, put it behind you and enjoy the guitar. Try guitarpartsresource.com or allparts.com one of these should have one in stock. Good luck.