Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Twinfan on February 01, 2010, 08:07:19 PM
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7hrs on a train, a 30minute walk home from the station, freezing cold weather, and a large credit card bill later and I've got my Gibson "Pearly Gates" Billy Gibbons Signature Les Paul. Six months is a long time when you're suffering with GAS and I just couldn't resist any longer :D
This is easily the best Les Paul I've ever played, and one of those guitars that just isn't going anywhere now I've got it. Speaking to the guys in Coda, of the 10 or so they've had in stock with various finishes there were only 3 (including mine) that had a superb top. The others were very average. The Jimmy Page #2 guitars they had in were incredibly underwhelming, and the Mike Bloomfield sig they have is good but not great. So that's nice ;) Somebody had passed on this one as it was "too flamey" and went for a plain looking one. Madness! :?
Tonally, the guitar just sings like a fantastic harmony choir. My Modern Eagle is a bit more Fender-ish in that the note separation is more distinct. This is in a similar ball park but has that classic Gibson choral thing going on - every string you can hear, but they blur a little and really work together. I've never heard the opening chords of "Jesus Just Left Chicago" sound so good.
It's really, really hard for me to get in pictures how stunning this guitar looks in the flesh - I'm no photographer. I'll have to see if Mrs Twinfan, who has a great eye for photos, can get some good outdoor ones at the weekend. I'll also see if I can get some good clips done when I've dialled the guitar and amp in together.
Meanwhile I've just grabbed a couple of quick shots with no flash indoors to try and represent the colour and flame top. Next on the list is a really nice plain black strap and some straplocks...
(http://www.doppelganger-rock.com/Twinfan/Francine/Francine1.JPG)
(http://www.doppelganger-rock.com/Twinfan/Francine/Francine2.JPG)
(http://www.doppelganger-rock.com/Twinfan/Francine/Francine3.JPG)
(http://www.doppelganger-rock.com/Twinfan/Francine/Francine4.JPG)
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That's nice... Is it a Richwood? :? :lol:
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You should of let me know you were going to Coda, I would of picked you up from Stevenage station mate.
that's alot of dedication! looks gorgeous though.
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I think It's a Vintage ICON?
It looks nice Dave, can you arrange a manchester meet so I can have a play?
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I'm jealous at maximum power :cry:
This looks soberb!
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Is it strung with 8s? If so are you going to stick with them?
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thats a pretty LP..bet a hefty credit card bill....almost a remortgage
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Very nice indeed. Les Paul GAS is not going away for me yet and this makes it worse!
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It's got 10s on it - only the signed ones got 8s. I'll be keeping it on 10s!
Just off to play it again....
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Damn, the burst is awesome, the flamed maple is awesome and the rosewood is the perfect match in colour...
DAMN, you lucky bugger
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A thing of beauty!
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That is beautiful!
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gorgeous.
congratulations ;)
that's what a Les Paul should look like! and it sounds like it's what they should sound like too. i hope you stay in love with it, and i wish you many years of pleasure from it
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Amazing, makes my LP Std look like a shovel :(
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badass :D
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I still think you're crazy. :lol:
But it is a beauty! :D
What's the finish spec exactly? Aged but not relic'ed?
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Are you going to swap the pups out on this one? :lol:
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looks gorgeous - if I had the cash, I'd have one too.
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The thing that makes me smile is that it's like being a kid and having to wait to get something, doesn't matter whether it's a catlogue guitar or that beautufl L.P... it's just great to hear that someone... anyone, has finally got the very thing they've been eyeing up for a long time. Congrats Dave, it looks very cool indeed. Enjoy.
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That is AWESOME!
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It looks absolutely stunning - hope you love it 8)
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Congratulations ! :D
It looks even nicer than I imagined . I love the attention to detail that it took to make it look casual. It really does look like you've nicked it from the Rev. 8) It seems apt somehow, that there was a last odyssey , to prove your undying love ...
( I am just surprised that Afghan Dave has not yet asked you for copies of those "Nice outdoor shots " that your good Lady was promised to take. )
Nice one Dave, enjoy your prize ! :D
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( I am just surprised that Afghan Dave has not yet asked you for copies of those "Nice outdoor shots " that your good Lady was promised to take. )
:lol: Love your work, Derek!
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Beautiful plank there Dave.
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S'not bad I suppose.
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Looks lovely Dave :D
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That's nice... Is it a Richwood? :? :lol:
Philistine.
Dave will put you straight and tell you it's a copy of another guitar.
The cheapest of the 3 models available I do believe :lol:
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I don't often desire a Les Paul but that one's a beaut. Primo to the max.
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Thanks for the kind words guys. I know I'm very lucky to get hold of one of these - they're very expensive and I'm just an average Joe with a fairly decent job :oops:
It's a VOS finish Phil, which is very much like Fender's Closet Classic relics. It's got tarnished hardware, a couple of minor bumps and a few light scratches. Just enough so that you don't worry about putting the first ding in it yourself ;)
it's staying absolutely stock - I'm even going to try and keep the original strap buttons if I can find a slightly posher version of Grolsch bottle tops somewhere! :lol:
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It's a VOS finish Phil, which is very much like Fender's Closet Classic relics. It's got tarnished hardware, a couple of minor bumps and a few light scratches. Just enough so that you don't worry about putting the first ding in it yourself ;)
A sensible idea! :lol:
it's staying absolutely stock - I'm even going to try and keep the original strap buttons if I can find a slightly posher version of Grolsch bottle tops somewhere! :lol:
These actually work pretty well:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jim-Dunlop-Lok-strap-Guitar-lock-x2pair_W0QQitemZ180459793721QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item2a043ded39#ht_500wt_975 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jim-Dunlop-Lok-strap-Guitar-lock-x2pair_W0QQitemZ180459793721QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item2a043ded39#ht_500wt_975)
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i'm not into Les Pauls but if i was that'd be the one i'd buy!!! Sweet looking guitar
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Got to agree with Philly lot of lot of money and I think you will miss the bike but it looks one hell of a guitar.
Enjoy!
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Verrrrry nice :)
Congrats on your new toy!
Paddy
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Awesome guitar! Congratulations!
(I'd never pay that much for a guitar though :lol:)
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Perfect Phil - those "lok straps" are just what I'm after!!!! I'll get some.
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I have to agree with others - it does look even better in your photos than I was expecting.
I don't have the same interest in this particular beast, but I do fully appreciate what it, and the wait etc, means to you - nice one, congratulations :D
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Cheers Andy :)
Mrs Twinfan says she'll get some good pics of it at the weekend...
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What that needs is some EMG's in there ;)
Looks amazing Dave, but we now need clips!
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It'll have to wait until the weekend - got a very busy week. I'll what I could get done on Sunday after Mrs Twinfan has taken the pics......
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I'm even going to try and keep the original strap buttons if I can find a slightly posher version of Grolsch bottle tops somewhere! :lol:
These are EXACTLY what you need - I use them and they are great and unobtrusive.
http://www.straplock.co.uk/
(Much better than the horrible Dunlop plastic)
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Thanks to Philly for showing me the way :)
Now we want CLIPS.
Clean, Crunch, Lead, the full shmonty on all pickup combos please!
8)
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Thanks to Philly for showing me the way :)
Now we want CLIPS.
Clean, Crunch, Lead, the full shmonty on all pickup combos please!
8)
Not forgetting the whole range of tone knob settings.
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What that needs is some EMG's in there ;)
EMG's you mad
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What that needs is some EMG's in there ;)
EMG's you mad
and a kahler too, lets not be silly about this.
some black hardware would finish it off too.
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think "finish off" is the right term here
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think "finish off" is the right term here
Yeah good idea, Strip the finish off, and paint it black to go with the black hardware, Kahler and EMGs. That'll look wicked.
:lol:
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Ouch !Francine is a real beauty!Stunning!It's my weak-sweet spot...irresistible on pictures...Congrats! 8)
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god aren't us lot bad are talking about a guitar in the same way others talk about kids.....*L*..then again would rather have lots of guitars
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Here's a tweaked version of one of my pics, which is a better representation of her.....
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/franc4mod.jpg)
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still gorgeous!
did it come with the strings wrapped over the tailpiece, or did you do that yourself?
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It came like that - Billy has Les Pauls set up like this, so all the Pearly replicas are this way too. The tailpiece is flat to the top, and the strings just clear the back of the bridge.
I can't tell any tonal difference, but it feels really nice under my right hand as I play. A bit like a wrapover, it's a little platform to rest your hand on!
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That is such a stunner. Hard to see anyone upstaging this one in future NGD's.
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I'm sure they'll be something that will come along and blow us away!
PhilKing's '54(?) LP Conversion is pretty darn nice....
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Jesus TF, that is gorgeous! You lucky dog!
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Cheers mate - it's a bit special. I'm I'm very aware that I'm exceptionally fortunate.
Is it worth the money? Probably not, You could get a nice old Tokai for 1/3rd of the price, or a new '58 reissue for half the price. But neither would be a Pearly Gates replica, and that's what you're paying for I guess - the exclusivity, the look, the input from the Rev himself etc. I reckon there will always be somone out there who would buy it if I needed to sell it. Which I very much hope I won't have to!
Just out of interest for you all, I have a feeling the pickups are Custom Shop wound Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates that are unpotted.........
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Just out of interest for you all, I have a feeling the pickups are Custom Shop wound Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates that are unpotted.........
Are you going to take it all apart and tell us if they are :wink:
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No :lol:
I'm going to check the bottom of the pickups when I change the strings though...
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still pretty
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It came like that - Billy has Les Pauls set up like this, so all the Pearly replicas are this way too. The tailpiece is flat to the top, and the strings just clear the back of the bridge.
I can't tell any tonal difference, but it feels really nice under my right hand as I play. A bit like a wrapover, it's a little platform to rest your hand on!
I've tried it before, like yourself, i didn't notice any tonal differences, but it makes the strings seem different.
If i'm not mistaken, Duane Allman set up his Les Pauls like this too and Joe Bonamassa also.
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Here's a tweaked version of one of my pics, which is a better representation of her.....
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/franc4mod.jpg)
Aye Dave Its a 'Pearl' alright a beaut. I hope youre going to treat Mrs.Twin for letting you get it.
Enjoy it mate
keith
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Lovely pic :cry:
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And a clip!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBd2vTvBxYE
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Yowza! :D
But you could've shown the subject of the video a bit more, even if you wanted to keep your face out of the picture! :wink:
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Sweeet
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Ooooooohhhhh, that's nice.
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Yowza! :D
But you could've shown the subject of the video a bit more, even if you wanted to keep your face out of the picture! :wink:
I feel cheated too... :( WHEREWASIT? Come on man, show us the guitar! :P
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Yowza! :D
But you could've shown the subject of the video a bit more, even if you wanted to keep your face out of the picture! :wink:
I feel cheated too... :( WHEREWASIT? Come on man, show us the guitar! :P
+1... He show us hope and then take it away in a rude way :cry:
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:lol:
Sorry guys - should have stayed in shot, shouldn't it?
Nice and bright for a Les Paul though isn't it? Very tele-ish!
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:lol:
Sorry guys - should have stayed in shot, shouldn't it?
Nice and bright for a Les Paul though isn't it? Very tele-ish!
You could have been using a Tele for all we know.. PDT_008 PDT_005
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:lol:
Sorry guys - should have stayed in shot, shouldn't it?
Nice and bright for a Les Paul though isn't it? Very tele-ish!
You could have been using a Tele for all we know.. PDT_008 PDT_005
Yeah, a quick switcheroo - drop the LP on the sofa and grab the ol' red sparkle Tele! :lol:
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You can see the LP again when I step on the pedal later in the clip ;)
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:lol:
Sorry guys - should have stayed in shot, shouldn't it?
Nice and bright for a Les Paul though isn't it? Very tele-ish!
I didn't think it bright as such, but it certainly has the good LP attributes. That gritty mid range and bouncy low end. A good match with the amp, fo' sho'.
At least insofar as youtube can show us.
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Cheers nfe, that's a good description. In the room, it sounds proper nice :)
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Sounds great!
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Sounds like a Les Paul should Dave- nice job.
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That is brilliant Dave ! :D
Gibson really have got it spot on - and great playing too. It was nice to listen to the ZZ Top Medley sounding exactly like Billy doing a gig warm up. The tone at 2:19ish would be killing for 'Hot, Blue and Righteous' . I loved the groove on 'Fool For Your Stockings ' too. Martin's Amp and cab really do it justice too - the real deal ! Money well spent all round.
I did love the David Blaine style opening - where you show there is nothing hidden behind the guitar, before you do the magic . Shazzam ! 8)
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Ha ha - thanks Derek!
I'll have to try and get some better clips done, but I'm no studio engineer (obviously!). I'll see what I can get audio wise with my Zoom recorder when I get the chance.
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Forgot to say - love the fuzz, sounds soooo good with the clean boost!
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That sound amazing :mrgreen:
For me a good LP has a touch of trombone in it, the notes are thick and bloom with a brassy snap in the high-end. You're one lucky guy.
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Cheers Ken - I'm well aware how lucky I am :oops:
Playing it back to back with my Modern Eagle yesterday I can't say that either is 'better' than the other. They sound a bit different, as you might expect, but as my style of playing really comes through whatever I play the differences are quite minimal. I always sound like me!
I guess I'm trying to say that if Francine is on a par with my ME, then it's a seriously nice piece of kit and it goes to show that Gibson can still produce a cracking guitar...
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I always sound like me!
Never a truer word spoken!
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I know - it's a pain in the backside sometimes, especially when I'm trying to demo something!
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Very nice,
Nice playing and lovely tone. Glad you are enjoying the guitar Dave. Hope it ends up being a keeper.
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I know - it's a pain in the backside sometimes, especially when I'm trying to demo something!
I always sound the same aswell - at least you don't sound sh!t like I do!!
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Cheers Ken - I'm well aware how lucky I am :oops:
Playing it back to back with my Modern Eagle yesterday I can't say that either is 'better' than the other. They sound a bit different, as you might expect, but as my style of playing really comes through whatever I play the differences are quite minimal. I always sound like me!
I guess I'm trying to say that if Francine is on a par with my ME, then it's a seriously nice piece of kit and it goes to show that Gibson can still produce a cracking guitar...
Cool stuff Dave, I love me some ZZ and those clips were real nice. Yours does sound clear and bright , my JP (although not as nice as yours mind) also sounds nice and lively for an LP. Prior to owning one I always thought LPs were supposed to be all dark and powerful? Since playing hundreds and owning just 4 I know that they can be very articualte sounding with great note seperation and definition. That amp set up is pretty sweet too, I still intend on contacting Martin once things pick up and have him build something for me. I know there are alot of Gibson knockers, and to be fair they have made some cr@p,but my LP's were cherry picked and I wouldn't swap them for anything. I guess I've grown into them too.
I would like to see more pics of Francine, more detail of that lovely top, head stock and back.
I congratulate you on having excellent taste. Nice one. 8)
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crackin sound Dave, love it.
whats the story with the custom fuzz? - who built it and whats the spec?
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It's the Sholicon Fuzz, built by JuanSolo here on the forum: http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=20082
d1dsj - there are loads of great LPs out there across all the models, but it's finding the buggers that's the problem!
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And a clip!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBd2vTvBxYE
Really nice tones, and pretty good taste too 8)
Too bad we don't see the guitar :?
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I don't get it Dave. I've not been able to play for a week because of work. You have what I would guess is a relatively time consuming job. When / how do you find the time to play all these guitars?
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I find time, mate!
For each band I'm in I use different gear so they rotate around a fair amount. There are some that don't get played that much though.
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Like that Red Tele.
I think you should sell it :)
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Ha ha - get lost!
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Oh, is the red tely for sale?
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:roll:
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Ha ha - get lost!
Why is it I think dave is laughing uncontrollably on the HA ha & then stop dead while giving the crazy eyes & then saying get lost?
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:lol:
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Sounds good to me :)
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I don't like Les Pauls (or any guitar) with too much bling bling. Generally I stay away from flame tops for this reason.
That said, the slightly aged and mismatched look of Pearly Gates looks oh so classy, without being too bling!
Gibson should make more Les Pauls on this general principal, although not with exact Pearly flame.
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I've not seen many Gibson LPs, other than vintage guitars, that have this "old skool" look. Most new guitars seem to be too 'perfect'.
They've really hunted down the right kind of maple for these guitars, and I understand Billy himself has been a key to getting the look right.
I'd love to find a cheap Burny/Greco/Orville/Tokai with the same sort of top.
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I'd love to find a cheap Burny/Greco/Orville/Tokai with the same sort of top.
Blimey, 'ark at 'im, now he's becoming "LP Man" ! :P
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I'd love to find a cheap Burny/Greco/Orville/Tokai with the same sort of top.
Blimey, 'ark at 'im, now he's becoming "LP Man" ! :P
old habits die hard - he still needs two of everything ;)
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Exactly!
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What's the betting that hypothetical Burny/Greco/Orville/Tokai will gradually "evolve" into a second VOS Pearly Gates? :P
After all, there are only limited numbers, so it's an investment really. It would be UTTER LUNACY not to buy one if it crops up. :wink:
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http://guitarvillage.co.uk/product-detail.asp?id=8267&catid=78&manid=119&quantity=1&product=Gibson+Les+Paul+Aged+%26+Signed+Custom+Shop+Billy+Gibbons+59+Pearly+Gates+%28LPBGSBGBNH1%29%2C+Heritage+Cherry+Sunburst%2C+New%2C+Inc%2E+Case
You know it makes sense :D
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Believe me, if I had the coin I'd have bought an Aged/Signed Pearly.
Stupid price though - I think that one at GV will sit there for quite a while. Especially as it looks like it hasn't got much of a flame top...
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Believe me, if I had the coin I'd have bought an Aged/Signed Pearly.
Stupid price though - I think that one at GV will sit there for quite a while. Especially as it looks like it hasn't got much of a flame top...
Very silly price - they will knock quite a bit off in their April sale I imagine.
Also, their photos are really bad quality. I'm not sure what they do with them but they really need to get someone who knows what they are doing. Compare them with any other 'high end' guitar sellers and the difference in quality of photo is huge.
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nice amp and pedal as well
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Also, their photos are really bad quality. I'm not sure what they do with them but they really need to get someone who knows what they are doing. Compare them with any other 'high end' guitar sellers and the difference in quality of photo is huge.
Yeah, they probably have a really old low-res digital camera which needs replacing!
But at least they have photos... apart from Peach and Guitars4you I can't think of any retailers who have really good photos on their sites, and a lot don't have photos at all. Funnily enough, that's one area where eBay is a lot better than most shops.
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World guitars used to do decent photos - not checked them for a while. Agree that not many do photos though. Very odd considering they are trying to sell stuff online - I would have thought the difference between a sale and no sale would be on decent photos. Perhaps I'm wrong.
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Wow nice guitar, but holy shite! I just saw the price! Did you swap it for your 1st born?
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Nah, my Ducati when I get around to selling it ;)
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Wow nice guitar, but holy shitee! I just saw the price! Did you swap it for your 1st born?
Well gotta see it like this: a real burst would cost around 100 to 200 times what this Les Paul cost. So it's an amazing bargain!
Also, go and buy a good Cello or Violin and see how much that is.
More and more I am also inclined to spend big money on a proper guitar - this is mainly driven from a recent experience of playing a Tylerbaster (Tyler Guitars Telecaster type) - wow! Unfortunately James isn't building Teles anymore (he has now his own design in the "Mongoose"). So I am still considering options and waiting for the right one to come up.
Well as Dave's disposable income at the moment allows for acquisitions like this, I think he is very right to invest. Who knows how things turn in life and tomorrow it might have been an opportunity lost.
Dude I would love to give that guitar a test ride! Let me know in case one of your bands are on Tour in Belgium ;)
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More and more I am also inclined to spend big money on a proper guitar
I knew you'd come around! Playing and upgrading cheaper guitars is great fun, and I still enjoy doing that, but ultimately you need good quality woods and top build quality to get the best instrument.
You're welcome to try it out any time you're here in the UK matey, let me know if you're ever in the country and we'll meet up :)
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Yes, you can buy me that beer in person! 8)
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Well gotta see it like this: a real burst would cost around 100 to 200 times what this Les Paul cost. So it's an amazing bargain!
Really? They cost £500,000 to £1,000,000? :o
If that's true, I don't care what anyone says, it's utterly ridiculous.
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I believe they run around $300,000 to $400,000 without an artist association, and more money for the better looking ones.
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Time to refinish it in blue?
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Looks great Dave, hope you enjoy it!
Playing and upgrading cheaper guitars is great fun, and I still enjoy doing that, but ultimately you need good quality woods and top build quality to get the best instrument.
Sorry if I'm taking this the wrong way, and I mean no offence at all by what I'm about to say as we seem to have always gotten on the few times we've met and you seem like a decent bloke :), but is this really implying that anything less than £4k - £5k etc is a 'cheaper' guitar and not necessarilly made of decent materials and not built well?
If that's the case then it's a bit in bad taste imo as few of us (as far as I know atleast) can afford anything near that for a single guitar and have to 'make do' with what we have. I don't know many people that would consider a £1000 - £2000 guitar cheap!
Anyways, sorry for the rant but just something I needed to get off my chest as it's something I come across quite often on a few other forums I go on and is a bit pet peeve of mine :lol:
Again, it's an awesome looking guitar and hope you enjoy it for many years to come! :D
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Certainly a very purty lookin' geetar!
but tell me this, is that going to be used for performing or just a trophy guitar?
but either way definatley congratulations!
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Sorry if I'm taking this the wrong way, and I mean no offence at all by what I'm about to say as we seem to have always gotten on the few times we've met and you seem like a decent bloke :), but is this really implying that anything less than £4k - £5k etc is a 'cheaper' guitar and not necessarilly made of decent materials and not built well?
If that's the case then it's a bit in bad taste imo as few of us (as far as I know atleast) can afford anything near that for a single guitar and have to 'make do' with what we have. I don't know many people that would consider a £1000 - £2000 guitar cheap!
Brow - sorry matey, I didn't mean what I said to come across in any way "high and mighty" and belittle anyone on this here good forum :)
It's this old cost vs tone thing, that people have different views on. My own personal view is that the quality of the wood, and the preparation of it for making a guitar, is everything. The people who seem to get this consistently right seem to be the likes of Suhr/Fender CS/PRS/Martin acoustics etc. They tend to cost a bit more, in part due to the higher cost of the raw materials, plus cost of the time spent sorting, drying and grading the wood. The less desireable wood gets passed to the cheaper guitars. Fender is a prime example here, using a sliding scale of Custom Shop/USA reissue/USA/Highway One/Mexican.
There are great guitars at all price points, but I've found the better tone and more inspiring instruments for me to be the more expensive ones. By that, I mean the £1000+ price range.
And just for sake of the newer folks here on the board, I own a range of guitars from Francine at £5k down to an Epiphone SG which cost me £375 (before I started upgrading it). I regularly gig the Epi in my 'DC band, and have no plans to swap it for anything else.
DemosKratia - the Les Paul will be regularly played, and will definitely get out for a gig now and again :)
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Does Mrs. Twinfan mind you sleeping with it. Do you keep it on your side or does it sleep in the middle.
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:lol:
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Does Mrs. Twinfan mind you sleeping with it. Do you keep it on your side or does it sleep in the middle.
Middle would be best, to stop the hardware getting chilly.
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So if your house was burning and you could only save this or the modern eagle, which would it be?
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So if your house was burning and you could only save this or the modern eagle, which would it be?
Good question...
Dont cop out!!
We want a single straight answer Dave....
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Francine would get saved. No question.
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Francine would get saved. No question.
" It was a shame about the wife .... " :(
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Playing and upgrading cheaper guitars is great fun, and I still enjoy doing that, but ultimately you need good quality woods and top build quality to get the best instrument.
I'll have you know Sir, that several orange boxes died - so my Jazz guitar might live. Ah - the aroma ! :mrgreen:
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Francine would get saved. No question.
" It was a shame about the wife .... " :(
It's a given that the wife would be toast in this scenario :)
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^ nice one Matt and Derek :lol:
You'll both have to check out the Pearly next time you're in the area.
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" It was a shame about the wife .... " :(
It's a given that the wife would be toast in this scenario :)
^ nice one Matt and Derek :lol:
You'll both have to check out the Pearly next time you're in the area.
I can't believe he hasn't even made an attempt at denying the earlier two statements :o
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She must be devoted enough to run back into the flames to save the Modern Eagle... :o
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^ nice one Matt and Derek :lol:
You'll both have to check out the Pearly next time you're in the area.
I'm always in the area!
I'm heading to Sounds Great then PMT tomorrow with Shobet to annoy the staff. You're free to join us if you wish
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I might do - what time?
She must be devoted enough to run back into the flames to save the Modern Eagle... :o
She probably would actually, as long as the cats were OK...
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What Ducati is going to finance this. I used to have a Duke and it was such a red blood machine.
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A Ducati 749S....
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Nice bike. I used to have the 1990 750 Sport. The over run on that thing was the best engine sound I've ever heard. It was tested at 108 db with the Conte's on.
You're doing the right thing though although bike fever still grips me occasionally you can actually have more excitement sat in your room late at night with a good guitar and amp and nobody gets hurt.
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it's the roads that made the decision for me - all my favourite are now riddled with pot holes and are falling apart :(
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I hear ya Dave, my bikes going to MOT'd and then I'll advertise it. I won't be looking to buy any new gear with whatever cash I get though! :lol:
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A few new pics, taken by the autistic, err I mean artistic Mrs Twinfan ;)
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/Francine/Francine_1.jpg)
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/Francine/Francine_2.jpg)
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/Francine/Francine_3.jpg)
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/Francine/Francine_4.jpg)
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/Francine/Francine_5.jpg)
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a gorgeous guitar, no question - can I look after it when you go on holiday? :lol:
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Errr, no. It'll be travelling with me ;)
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Errr, no. It'll be travelling with me ;)
With its own seat, presumably?
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That is just so gorgeous. When are the new clips (where we see the guitar) coming?
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With those new pics, I can see it has a "real" vibe/look about it.
I've been trying to figure out how to explain what I mean... It's something like, Les Pauls, especially the sunburst flame types are either shiny-shiny brand new looking, or, if they're beat up (like a Fender seems to cope with so well) they can look kind of tawdry. And obviously, if you're trying to build an "old" Les Paul, you could so easily get stuck somewhere horrible between the two...
I'd been wondering what this one would be like close-up, and had been guessing that it probably passed with flying colours because a) they're asking what they're asking, and b) you bought it when you saw it in the flesh :lol:
Those pics confirm that it seems to have a lovely, and understated, "real" lived-in sort of look. Lovely piece of work :D
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It's all the grain/flecks/mineral streaks that make it look "vintage-y" to my eyes. A lot of Les Pauls, in fact most of the newer flame tops, are too PRS-like and perfect. A Les Paul, to my eyes, should look like the original bursts.
I guess you can all see why I just HAD to have it now :lol:
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That's it, isn't it! The flecks and streaks...
I haven't got a decent enough camera (or the skills to capture it), but my sunburst Roadworn strat has the same stuff going on under the finish - that's partly what convinced me that a relic (and a mass produced one at that!) was something I could live with. The various bashes and dings were ok as far as I was concerned, the sanded-off fore-arm bit took a lot to get over, but I'm getting there (especially because the wood's discolouring nicely now), but the flecks and streaks under the paintwork just looked righteous from day one :D
And it's the flecks and streaks in the photos above that impressed me so much. You can replace hardware, age it, whatever, you can knock a few bits off... but sunburstie jobs don't "look" old unless some sort of strange irregularities start appearing under the finish...
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It's all the grain/flecks/mineral streaks that make it look "vintage-y" to my eyes.
Absolutely, together with the subtle ageing and the nice amber colour of the sunburst. Although ironically the grain/flecks/mineral streaks probably show that they weren't really too picky about timber selection back in the golden olden days.
(The very worst look an LP can possibly have is one of those bright red cherry sunbursts. No offence to Ace Frehley... )
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I'd bet the reason it looks old is because that wood IS old. When you buy a guitar like that one you are paying for many things and I reckon that old growth timber will be one of them. Ace guitar Dave... nice one.
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Yeah I agree - farmed wood cut down young is unlikely to look like the maple does on mine....
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It's all the grain/flecks/mineral streaks that make it look "vintage-y" to my eyes. A lot of Les Pauls, in fact most of the newer flame tops, are too PRS-like and perfect. A Les Paul, to my eyes, should look like the original bursts.
I guess you can all see why I just HAD to have it now :lol:
I still don't think it has that 'played in' vibe yet - you should let me gig it for the next ten years just to make sure 8)
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Ha ha! I've been playing along with the ZZ Top at Rockpalast DVD all afternoon with it....
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Brow - sorry matey, I didn't mean what I said to come across in any way "high and mighty" and belittle anyone on this here good forum :)
It's this old cost vs tone thing, that people have different views on. My own personal view is that the quality of the wood, and the preparation of it for making a guitar, is everything. The people who seem to get this consistently right seem to be the likes of Suhr/Fender CS/PRS/Martin acoustics etc. They tend to cost a bit more, in part due to the higher cost of the raw materials, plus cost of the time spent sorting, drying and grading the wood. The less desireable wood gets passed to the cheaper guitars. Fender is a prime example here, using a sliding scale of Custom Shop/USA reissue/USA/Highway One/Mexican.
There are great guitars at all price points, but I've found the better tone and more inspiring instruments for me to be the more expensive ones. By that, I mean the £1000+ price range.
And just for sake of the newer folks here on the board, I own a range of guitars from Francine at £5k down to an Epiphone SG which cost me £375 (before I started upgrading it). I regularly gig the Epi in my 'DC band, and have no plans to swap it for anything else.
Hi Dave.
Cheers for your polite reply and thanks for seeing where I was coming from. If Id've said something like I did on a few other forums I visit I would've been 'ripped a new 1' so to speak! :lol:
Those new pics look great and I imagine they give a better view of what it looks like in person?
I need to speak to you about your Orion, but will save that for a PM and won't clutter up your thread with OT stuff :lol:
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Those pics are very nice indeed Dave. Veeeery nice. I'm determined not to get a LP though as I know it probably wouldn't work out for us!
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Ha ha! I've been playing along with the ZZ Top at Rockpalast DVD all afternoon with it....
Slightly off-topic... which disc do you prefer? I love disc 1 with the pre-Eliminator gig, for me, that is the stuff... but I haven't managed to sit all the way through disc 2 (maybe if I played along to it, it might seem a little more interesting! :lol:)
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disc one for me, even though Billy doesn't appear to tune his guitar at all throughout the gig
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Disk one for me as well. I was very disappointed in disk 2 as it's obvious the video doesn't match the live sound in lots of places.
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I shall no longer feel any guilt at all over not trying to watch disc 2 then! :lol:
I'm quite fond of the Live from Texas DVD, but the 80s Rockpalast, even with it's lower quality, is a beauty.
<back_on_topic>what a nice guitar you have there Dave</back_on_topic>
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:lol:
Disk one blows away disk 2 - I watched it once and probably never will again. Disk one gets played quite a bit!
I've seem him tuning up once in the disk during She Loves My Automobile (I think) - a quick tweak during a verse...
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Just seen the new pics Dave. She does have that vintage vibe alright, it looks lovely mate. I just listened to the clip on you tube too, great tone. 8)
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Thanks Johnny - she's a belter!
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I still think you're going to paint it blue :lol:
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I still think you're going to paint it blue :lol:
Hot blue - and righteous ? 8)
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I really don't think he'll paint it blue guys... :lol:
But, remember that he ordered some of those rocknroll transfers we were looking at on here a while back...
I can just imagine a nice scantily clad 50s lovely, carefully applied to the front...
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I can just imagine a nice scantily clad 50s lovely, carefully applied to the front...
I'll ring my mate's wife ... :P
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Incidentally, is it just me, or does anyone else think that Dave has got a bet on to get this thread as long as possible ?
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If so, I'm not going to help him.
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No way....
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:lol:
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PDT_038
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Ah-ha! Just found this one with the Francine pictures. Drop dead gorgeous. That vintage thing is just perfectly done. Congratulations Twinfan, beautiful axe.
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Cheers mate!
I took Francine round to a mate's today so his 14 year old step-son could check her out. He's got a Washburn superstrat plus a Strat copy at the moment. Clearly from my schoolbook, as he's only been learning for about 12 months and he has two guitars already ;)
He saved up and bought it the Washburn himself just after Christmas for £135 brand new.
To say he was gobsmacked by the cost and looks of Francine was a complete understatement, and he absolutely LOVED her. Couldn't put her down for the two hours I was there! Interestingly enough you could hear how much easier it was for him to play on Francine than his Washburn - notes rang out clearer and he was more accurate with his fretting.
Clearly a great guitar is of benefit to everyone, even a pretty fresh novice.....
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Are you grooming him to be a Gearhead?
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Interestingly enough you could hear how much easier it was for him to play on Francine than his Washburn - notes rang out clearer and he was more accurate with his fretting.
Clearly a great guitar is of benefit to everyone, even a pretty fresh novice.....
Very true. It is saddening that many people will be put off learning to play, because of some badly set up "Starter" guitar. I am not ( of course ) saying that every neophyte should get a high ticket guitar at the outset ; but I am saying that they should be allowed time with one, to understand what can await them, and how easy it can feel - if they stick at it.
Ideally, I still believe that a decent guitar ( which may readily be re-sold if the player loses interest ) would be good at the outset - as it covers both 'easier learning' and 'good return on an unwanted item' bases well. :)
Good work in bringing the 'Magic' to him Dave ; He'll remember that for life ! :D
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Are you grooming him to be a Gearhead?
I'm grooming him for nothing mate!
Are you turning into Afghan Dave???? :lol:
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Are you grooming him to be a Gearhead?
I'm grooming him for nothing mate!
Are you turning into Afghan Dave???? :lol:
No, THIS is Afghan Dave ... :wink:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1E9PZQKklQ
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I used to F**king Love Jarvis!!!
I never realised that he could have been such an influence. :?
It all makes sense now. :P
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I used to F**king Love Jarvis!!!
I never realised that he could have been such an influence. :?
It all makes sense now. :P
Brill !
Thanks for good naturedly giving me a flimsy excuse to introduce 'Jarvis' to a deservedly wider audience. It's great to hear of another devotee. :)
" The fact that you joined this thread to read about a guitar, but I tricked you all into watching my video instead - turns me on " ... 8)
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Dave/Anyone
Guitar is NICE.
Decided I might try and buy one - does anyone know amy dealers in the UK who may still have a VOS one?
Thanks!
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Coda have one left: http://www.coda-music.com/product_info.php?products_id=5839&oscsid=a1e835379422830857c6fe17c40a14fb
Andertons too: http://www.andertons.co.uk/electricguitars/pid16680/cid556/gibsonbillygibbonspearlygates1959lespaulvoselectricguitar.asp
They're the only two VOS ones left in the UK I believe. I played the one at Coda when I bought mine and it felt great :)
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Dave/Anyone
Guitar is NICE.
Decided I might try and buy one - does anyone know amy dealers in the UK who may still have a VOS one?
Thanks!
That's an outrageous first post. Straight off the bat and you already want to buy very expensive guitars. This place is bad for your bank balance as it makes you want to buy more expensive stuff. I really don't know where you would go from here :o
And welcome to the forum :D
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Methinks someone has been Google-ing Pearly Gates VOS guitars ;)
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Methinks someone has been Google-ing Pearly Gates VOS guitars ;)
:D
They still have the relic'd one for sale in Guitar Village. I don't think that will be sold any time soon (unless I win millions on the lottery).
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You and me both mate. I'd love it, but at £14k it's crazy.
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You selling the Fano mate? Want to swap a car/wife/house/baby for it? I'd even learn how to play the bloody instrument for that one.
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Thinking about it, but I've just been playing it and now I want to keep it....
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Thinking about it, but I've just been playing it and now I want to keep it....
I do love the look of the fano. Maybe I didn't play it for long enough to appreciate it. Aesthetically it's right up my street.
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It's great!
It's staying here.
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Good job you played it before somebody gave you the money for it!
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Did wonder why you would want to get rid of that one.
It's a great guitar from what I remember.
Plus it's blue
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Methinks someone has been Google-ing Pearly Gates VOS guitars ;)
Yeah you go me!
Looking for a Pearly gates and this thread came up on google!
oh.......I'm also lookig for Jimmy Page Number 2 as well!!!!
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Excuse me for being VERY late on this one (been very busy over the past few weeks) but that is a stunning guitar, Dave!! Very, very nice. A bit pricey but I'm sure that it is worth every penny! :D
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A slightly old thread I know, but I'm been having trouble with YouTube and I've just done a quick test upload of me mucking about with Francine though my JTM/100. Very similar to the last one I uploaded, but I used my 45/100 half stack instead. You can hear the woodiness of the guitar better in this one, plus you can see it - albeit in the shadows :lol:
Usual sloppy playing from me etc:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWGg0aoC7WM
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Groovy tones there Dave.
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Nice stuff Dave. Love that JTM. You've got me thinking that I want one although I couldn't afford it without the deluxe going! Cheers :?
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Cheers - I was hoping the guitar and amp combo would come across OK rather than my playing. I really should learn how to record stuff properly, oh and play more accurately! :lol:
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I dunno, I reckon that's accurate enough for just an electric on its lone... :D I've seen footage somewhere of Billy Gibbons playing like that, without a band - and he's not a great deal more accurate... (just call it "feel" if anyone pokes holes in it :lol:)
And the guitar and amp tone are fabulous.
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That sounds great Dave... doesn't look too bad either! :wink:
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Cheers Andy. I call it feel too ;) I don't know how all these super accurate guys do it, they seem to play every single note and pick stroke perfectly. I don't think I'll ever be able to do that!
Thanks Don - it's an awesome rig, and it feels great to play through. The 'regular' JTM45 is even nicer at home volumes with the 4x12 - I'm now using that as my main practice rig.
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You have some great combinations of guitar and amps to play with, and I know you can't get the exact sound via soundclips and laptop speakers etc... but I was really liking that there tone!
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Yeah, the crispness of the bridge pickup and the slightly loose and warm neck pickup comes through OK. In the room, it's a big bold and bright tone - not like a lot of LPs, which can sound thick and flabby.
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Oh, and Andy - here's the clip of Billy doing an impression of me :lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvlHZXe3H7U
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Wow, congratulations! A great LP really is a thing of beauty, and Francine's without a doubt one of the best I've seen.
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Sounds really cool, Dave :D
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Oh, and Andy - here's the clip of Billy doing an impression of me :lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvlHZXe3H7U
Yep, that's the one :D
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A slightly old thread I know, but I'm been having trouble with YouTube and I've just done a quick test upload of me mucking about with Francine though my JTM/100. Very similar to the last one I uploaded, but I used my 45/100 half stack instead. You can hear the woodiness of the guitar better in this one, plus you can see it - albeit in the shadows :lol:
Usual sloppy playing from me etc:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWGg0aoC7WM
Well that hasn't helped my GAS and jealousy at all. Very nice playing and guitar and amp and everything. :)
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Too kind Andrew :oops:
It's a great rig, hopefully one day I'll get a gig where I can use them both LOUD!
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That YouTube clip wouldn't play on my PC last night - I'll try again this evening.