Alex Lifeson ES-355 Problem No.2.....!!!!

[enduroexpert]

Hello AL Owners

 

Well it's been a while since I've ventured these forums after my total disappointment about the old "Volute" saga, the paint splodge on the top, rough 'F' hole cut-outs.......anyways, since back then I have fallen in love with this guitar (AL 105) so much. It really is a wonderful instrument to play and I've had endless comments of admiration regarding its sound & looks, it will stay with me forever.......especially as I got a bloody flight out to the US for a week to collect it...........

 

....but....

 

.....two of the block markers have started to rise slightly,, no, not slightly, a lot, the 7th & 9th to be exact. I cannot bend my top E at all now without it snagging the marker. So basically I can't play the guitar until I get this sorted by a local luthier as it will eventually totally shag the edge of the markers if I continue to play.

 

I live in the north of England, no extreme weather conditions ever, we're kind of right in the middle weather wise. It's been so looked after this guitar, played nearly everyday that I've had it. I've a couple of vintage Gibsons with blocks and they are perfectly flush to the fretboard surface and one as been played in nearly every country on the planet (not by me unfortunately).

 

Anyone else experience this.....?

 

I'll get it sorted and will continue to play this wonderful sounding & playing instrument, after all, it is my childhood heroes guitar.

 

GIBSON, you should be ashamed....!!!!!

 

Cheers

 

Johnny

[Superdick2112]

Johnny, I had the same thing happening to mine just a month after I got her home. Colorado is so dry that I just figured it was the fingerboard wood shrinking, and I was right - I've cured the problem by keeping two Herco humidifiers (the little "clay jar" types) in the case, one in the headstock compartment, the other in the body compartment, and I put Dr. Stringfellow's Lemon Oil on the fingerboard once a month until the blocks settled back down into the board (actually, I believe the wood expanded back to it's original dimensions).

This took about 3-4 months to happen. I still oil the board about every 3 months now, and top off the humidifiers every week. Give it a try - its a non-invasive and cheap fix.

If it does not work, I would try gently lifting the inlays out by using thick double-sided tape, stuck on a block of smooth scrap wood, and sanding the back side of the inlays with fine sandpaper until you get the proper thickness. Good luck, and keep us posted on your results.

PS - Rush is playing at Red Rocks this August, so let me know if you plan on coming out again - beers and dinner would be on me!

[turkeyT]

Sorry to hear about your problems - I've had no problems with mine at all. A little fretboard shrinkage (it's extremely dry here) but nothing's gone wrong. I think I got a great one (AL 034). Unearthly light still appears every time I open the case (still no yellowing of the finish).

[enduroexpert]

Johnny' date=' I had the same thing happening to mine just a month after I got her home. Colorado is so dry that I just figured it was the fingerboard wood shrinking, and I was right - I've cured the problem by keeping two Herco humidifiers (the little "clay jar" types) in the case, one in the headstock compartment, the other in the body compartment, and I put Dr. Stringfellow's Lemon Oil on the fingerboard once a month until the blocks settled back down into the board (actually, I believe the wood expanded back to it's original dimensions).

This took about 3-4 months to happen. I still oil the board about every 3 months now, and top off the humidifiers every week. Give it a try - its a non-invasive and cheap fix.

If it does not work, I would try gently lifting the inlays out by using thick double-sided tape, stuck on a block of smooth scrap wood, and sanding the back side of the inlays with fine sandpaper until you get the proper thickness. Good luck, and keep us posted on your results.

PS - Rush is playing at Red Rocks this August, so let me know if you plan on coming out again - beers and dinner would be on me![/quote']

 

Hi Ritchie

 

Thanks for the reply mate. I've started the lemon oil process, we'll see how that goes over the next few weeks, still plays & sounds like a dream. As for coming out in August, I would love to but we've far too much work to do on the house and unfortunately it won't be possible and thank you so much for your generous offer, I reckon dinner would be on me this time round buddy.

 

You couldn't remind me again where you guys bought your "correct" trem bars from again could you please...?

 

Take it easy and hope you have a great summer

 

Cheers

 

Johnny

[LerxstLee]

Hello AL Owners

 

Well it's been a while since I've ventured these forums after my total disappointment about the old "Volute" saga, the paint splodge on the top, rough 'F' hole cut-outs.......anyways, since back then I have fallen in love with this guitar (AL 105) so much. It really is a wonderful instrument to play and I've had endless comments of admiration regarding its sound & looks, it will stay with me forever.......especially as I got a bloody flight out to the US for a week to collect it...........

 

....but....

 

.....two of the block markers have started to rise slightly,, no, not slightly, a lot, the 7th & 9th to be exact. I cannot bend my top E at all now without it snagging the marker. So basically I can't play the guitar until I get this sorted by a local luthier as it will eventually totally shag the edge of the markers if I continue to play.

 

I live in the north of England, no extreme weather conditions ever, we're kind of right in the middle weather wise. It's been so looked after this guitar, played nearly everyday that I've had it. I've a couple of vintage Gibsons with blocks and they are perfectly flush to the fretboard surface and one as been played in nearly every country on the planet (not by me unfortunately).

 

Anyone else experience this.....?

 

I'll get it sorted and will continue to play this wonderful sounding & playing instrument, after all, it is my childhood heroes guitar.

 

GIBSON, you should be ashamed....!!!!!

 

Cheers

 

Johnny

 

Johnny,

You never posted back as to the end result to your fretboard/blocks. All of my blocks are higher on the treble side of the neck

and lower on the low e strings side. I was told the ebony wood is not A grade ebony and might not even make the B grade from a luthier

but the only way to know for sure is to have the board graded before it is on the instrument. I know it is not as tightly grained as

my LP or any of my WaL basses. I use bore oil on ebony and mineral oil on rosewood fretboards regulary with great results, but I have

never seen a change in MY block inlays of the AL either freshly oiled or towards the time to re-oil. As a matter of fact, I cannot recall

seeing this in any other Gibson with an ebony FB and block inlays. If the board and blocks are properly leveled at the factory they usually stay

that way, I am thinking perhaps the lower quality ebony that is allowing some to raise more than others, the less dense the wood the more likely

it will shrink and expand, thus the reason others seem to level a bit after the oiling. Which is actually the wood slightly swelling to make

up for the unlevel blocks. If they are high on one side, it makes little sense to me that it is "overly dry", if that was the case would'nt

the whole block rise? Let us know if your blocks did settle.

/cheers

[Bob Marsh]

I have a question: How does Gibson adhere their inlays? At our shop we use Epoxy to set our inlays and when they are set we level them with the same radius block we used to radius the fretboard blank - They're always exactly flush and smooth and never rise in the least. I've worked on many older Gibsons and in most cases the inlays are stuck tighter than ****'s Hatband so I'm at a loss as to why the inlays on a relatively new instrument would want to back out - What has changed?

 

 

Bob

[e.grijp]

it,s stupid that not only the 355 has problems but also the L.P .it seems to me that there is a curse on Alexs gibsons ?????? or gibson don,t like Alex Lifeson! Ha Ha Ha . but on this moment there are a lott of people not so happy with Gibson.next time a Lifeson P.R.S?????