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Possible NGD


ksdaddy

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One of my best friends (now deceased), an old school hotrodder (complete with '34 Ford coupe) and Chet player extraordinaire, once had a cherry burst ES-125TDC. He sold it to a former friend of mine in the early 80s. I say former friend because about 15 years ago he was convicted of a sex crime involving a very young girl and I disassociated myself from him entirely.

 

Anyway this former friend routed it for humbuckers, because that's what some of us did back then, not knowing any better. It had a pair of Dimarzios, I'm sure. It then got sold to an old guy who had a country band. I remember him calling me in '84 wanting the original P-90s back, as he heard I had gotten them in a horse trade. I had used them in something else and he pretty much reamed me a new one. Sorry pal! So the 125 got used by him for a number of years, and I actually got to play it in '85 but haven't seen it since. He gave it to his son, who has used it since then. Until now.

 

It's now up for grabs. I haven't touched or seen it yet but I'm cooking a deal. I heard the pickups have been changed again, as have the tuners. I don't know what's in it but I should find out today. I can get it below market value, even with the modifications.

 

If it goes through, I may flip just for flip's sake, or if we hit it off I may keep it and peddle off something of equal value to cover the cash outlay.

 

I'll post pics if/when I get it.

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If it goes through, I may flip just for flip's sake, or if we hit it off I may keep it and peddle off something of equal value to cover the cash outlay.

 

Flipping for flip's sake is bad karma. Why buy it if you aren't going to make beautiful noise with it?

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I passed. Cosmetically it was better than I remembered but it really should have a neck reset. The bridge is at it's lowest and the frets on the fingerboard extension had been filed low to counteract the ski slope effect. I could have gotten it for $1100 or so but didn't want to flip it as is, nor did I want to put reset money into it.

 

6zttns.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

It may be offered to me soon for $1000. It WILL need a reset to be "right", and I'm very much into being "right".

 

I've done a few resets but I'm not sure if I dare tackle this one or just bite the bullet and send it away. If I DO pick this up it will be mostly because of its history and I will be dumping money into it with no thought of recouping or flipping. I have a tendency to want to atone for other people's sins. It's cost me a lot of time and money over the years.

 

If I farmed it out, who would be good for a reset and what would I be looking at?

 

It was hacked for humbuckers in the early 80s and I was told it was hacked with a dull pocket knife or a jackhammer with a sharpened point, not sure which. If I were to put it back to P-90s do they make such a thing as oversized covers? Crazy thought I know, but you never know what's out there.

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Just thinking outside the box here. Stay with me.

 

I don't have the guitar in hand; I'm going by memory. I do NOT recall there being any separation issues with the neck. What I DO recall is the top seemingly sinking in the area of the front pickup. I suppose it's possible and maybe likely the problem is not the neck shifting in it's dovetail or the neck block shifting... it might just be that the top is collapsing.

 

Make sense?

 

Look at the way the light is reflected between the pickup switch and the front pickup. Doesn't look right, does it?

 

I don't know if a 125 has parallel braces like a regular archtop but if it DOES, then the upper ends could have even popped loose or maybe the braces don't reaach far enough to support that specific area (hindsight being 20/20 and all).

 

Of course not having it in hand and also not having a known 125 to compare it to, it's just a guess.

 

I've had a couple Gibson flat tops come across my bench that seemed to need a reset in the traditional sense at first glance but actually the transverse brace under the fingerboard extension had either come loose or just failed. I've removed the brace and replaced it with one with the right radius and also had to do a little chiropractor type manipulation to make it work, but all was well. I've even grafted a piece onto an existing brace for the same purpose with the same results.

 

Just wondering out loud if that top could be convinced to come up a little and braced as such. I know there is no transverse brace in a 125 but if it saved it's life, there COULD be one.....

 

It's not a collector guitar at this point and with a little artful manipulation it could go another 45 years.

 

Just a thought.

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I have a thought- 'dogear' P-90's mount on the top with a route for the body of the pup, right? Maybe a brace or two was cut to accomodate the brackets for the humbuckers?

 

But also, IF the body was collapsing, the fretbaord overhang would sink in, not up. Yes?

 

You could go all-out and put a new top on it, and a new fingerboard. A lot of work, but you could really go nuts and make something over-the-top.

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The string tension would bend the fingerboard right at the neck joint because the neck wood underneath is separate from the main part of the neck. Not very strong. So the net effect is both a collapsing top and a bent neck. I've since read that collapsed tops in the 125 family is quite common, especially in the thinlines. I think if it can be shifted back and a supplemental brace added it would be fine. Wouldn't be visible, no appreciable added weight, not much effect on what little the plywood top vibrates already. I'm up for it.

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