Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Can't. Stop. Modding.


heretic

Recommended Posts

Posted

Yeah... so much for leaving well enough alone. 2010 Epi 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard V3 wired the way they did it back in the day. Even put an aluminum stop bar on it, but if you've seen one nickel-plated stop bar, you've seen them all, so no pix.

 

Wifey asked me "why?"

 

In the words of The Captain: "What we've got here is... failure to communicate."

 

__heretic

Posted

Before.jpg

After.jpg

 

What, no sheilding foil?

 

Start over...

 

[biggrin]

 

I thought about it. I shielded the '56 GT to mitigate the notorious P90 hum. But, when I popped off the cover and saw how cleanly routed the cavity was, and seeing a real, maple cap, I really couldn't.

That, and they didn't shield real 1960 LP Standards. I never noticed any hum/hiss when using my gain pedals before the changes, nor do I hear any, now.

 

It sounds soooooo good, plays "like buttah", and the new pots feel great, and had to use real, Gibson knobs.

 

I'm just sayin'...

Posted

Not only did you dare to rewire an expensive (and functioning) guitar in full view of your wife, you had time for the extra style points: cleaning off the flux residue. =D>

 

P.S. Did the aluminum stopbar make a noticeable improvement? I was considering trying one soon.

Posted

Not only did you dare to rewire an expensive (and functioning) guitar in full view of your wife, you had time for the extra style points: cleaning off the flux residue. =D>

 

P.S. Did the aluminum stopbar make a noticeable improvement? I was considering trying one soon.

 

Full disclosure time Blue...This was the sweet deal of the century that I got from MF on a Back-to-School close out. $599.99 w/HSC, free shipping. It's not the highest-priced Asian-made guitar that I've "violated". IMHO I'm not "customizing", I'm just channeling the assemblers that actually DID the original work back in the day. I know this is a controversial issue with collectors, but as a player, I want the best stuff and skinny wire, dime-sized pots with pot metal nuts and such... is not for me. How can those parts possibly increase in worth over time, or the lack of them decrease the value of an instrument, just because they are not OEM? I'm more motivated by staying true the vision of what Les Paul or Leo Fender had for their inventions and respecting the craftsmanship.

 

The real gamble is voiding the warranty. So far (over 35 years) I've never had an warranty issue.

 

_heretic

Posted

BrianH,

 

"Everything happens for a reason."

 

I had wondered why I got such a good deal from MF. My 50th Annie was 256 of 1960 with all the case candy. Thought it was strange that I got such an early number at the end of 2011.

I found out this morning while finishing the final upgrades. I was replacing the Wilkinson keystone tuners with TonePro Kluson "drop ins". The stock tuners were "grindy". They kept in tune, but they felt bad. I had removed the strings, and had just started removing the collars with a neat little puller I made. Guitar was face down on workbench. Flipped it over to check-fit the first tuner, nice fit... when I flipped it back over, I noticed this little piece of white on the pad. Looked like a piece of tooth... odd. Flipped it over, right side up, and realized where the little chunk came from. It was outside edge of the low E on the nut. Then, I saw the Super Glue on the fretboard. I took pix, and I'll post them later. I'm going the replace the nut.

I don't know when or where this happened. I didn't see the "repair" because the low E covered the glue drop, plus, when I changed the "original" strings I cleaned/oiled the fretboard with Dr. Ducks and the repair looked "wet" like the oil.

Not bummed, nor do I feel ripped off. A "beer buddy" bought one of the "used" Tobacco burst, and can't find the blemish. He's tickled pink. Come to think of it...so am I.

 

--heretic

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...