prvtsmallparts Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Hi, I have a 1966 Howard Roberts Standard Model that I bought some time ago. It is a real beauty and apart from some minor laquer cracks its in Mint Condition. The only thing is its completly acoustic. Not sure how it got out of the factory without the pickup and electrics but it did. Now, I showed it to a Jazz player a while ago and he praised it but not sure if he was just being kind. My thoughts are it sounds awful and realy needs to be fitted with the pickup. Incidentially I managed to get hold of an original 60's J Smith floating pickup from an old HR standard. My dilema is this...should I get my local guitar guy to complete the job (using vintage bits). I don't want to kill the resale value but on the other hand I would quite like to own a guitar I can actually use. Help ! Psps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I don't think it would hurt the value much if at all to install a floating JS pickup. In fact, it may increase it since the pickup iteself is worth some bucks. You may want to try out some other pickups just in case (Sadowsky, Benedetto, etc.) before you drill any specific holes in the side of the neck in case you don't like the JS. A common mod for jazz boxes like this is to run the jack to the strap end pin so as not to drill into the side of the guitar, and put a mini volume control on the pickguard. Either way, it would certainly make it a more satisfying and flexible instrument to own and as long as the pickup doesn't penetrate the body, it won't hurt the tone one bit. Now let's see some pics.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prvtsmallparts Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Thanks for the reply... I will probably give this a try... it didn't occur to me to put the electrics outside of the guitar (Duh!)....perhaps I could glue a jack under the scratch plate and make a dedicated cable with a mid way box for the tone and volume... Any way thanks again I will post some pics soon..dont have any with me right now. So on another point, when the pickup is fitted is this a good guitar, the top seems very thick and although the construction seems quite good. Is it considered a poor relation to the 175? Psps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 ... Is it considered a poor relation to the 175? Psps I'm not at all sure where it would fit in the Epi/Gibson pecking order but, quoting from Ian C. Bishop's 1979 book on Gibson; "...very few of these guitars were produced at Kalamazoo and an Epiphone Howard Roberts is a rare animal indeed!" As you probably know; Gibson introduced their own version of the HR in 1974 including the same Oak-leaf headstock inlay so they must have held it in quite high regard. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prvtsmallparts Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 This is kinda of been my dilema with this guitar...I have seen HR's up for quite hefty sums but have no experience of anyone buying one. So is this non electrified acoustic model an even greater rarity....and does this add anything to its value. One side of me thinks electrify it and use it and the other says leave it and sell it but..whats its real value if anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 One side of me thinks electrify it and use it and the other says leave it and sell it but..whats its real value if anything? I suspect the best advice would be to contact someone who is highly respected in the vintage guitar world - like Gruhn's, for example - to give you a valuation. You could also mention your proposed electrification idea and see what they say. Depending on what they suggest you will have a much better grounding on which you can base your future intentions. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyGibson Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Pictures? Not that that will help. But, it's fun looking at them. I'm a big fan of leaving things stock, so unless there's a definite purpose in changing it, I'd keep on enjoying it as it is. But, definitely pictures are needed now, since you asked. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prvtsmallparts Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Pictures to come....in a day or 2 :-> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 More info on HRs buried in this thread: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/68931-help-me-identify-this/page__p__936906__hl__%2Bhoward+%2Broberts__fromsearch__1&do=findComment&comment=936906 (Follow the links) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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