Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: PhilKing on February 16, 2014, 05:42:22 PM
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I couldn't resist the offer to get this 56 LP Custom, even though it needs a lot of work. I thought at the same time I'd include a couple of other new guitars I have got over the last couple of years. First up though is the 56:
(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af302/philking/55_LP_Cust_zps239a03b4.jpg)
The eagle eyed might spot the issues, the worst being the respray where the bindings have been painted in! I'm not so keen on the Bigsby either, but I'll leave it for now. If I can find a scratchplate, then it will cover the hole where someone couldn't be bothered to cut off the screw in the old (long gone) scratchplate!
Next up is my 1970 LP Custom, which is pretty mint. I swapped out the weakish bridge pickup for a Pat # PAF, which had one coil rewound by Tim about 10 years ago. It works really well with the neck pickup (which has a great sweet tone):
(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af302/philking/70_LP_Cust_zps5e3ac85b.jpg)
Next is my Feline Lion Anniversary, Old #7. It's really hard to photograph, because the burst is different at different angles and lights. However it does look great and plays like a wonder:
(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af302/philking/FelineAnni_7_zps970f58eb.jpg)
From a different angle:
(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af302/philking/FelineAnni7_zps011ce8d6.jpg)
And last, but by no means least is a shot which also includes my Bravewood hardtail 57 strat:
(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af302/philking/NewGuitars_zps51fb6b66.jpg)
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What a bunch of junk!! :)
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love the 56 custom, I just love the look of staple top P-90's
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looks lovely
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wowow! Alot of LPcustoms round these parts lately! Looks great.
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Like Wez, really enjoy the look of those old staple pickup customs. There's a few reissues available, maybe I will try to get one someday.
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Yes, Gwem, you know I like them - I was sorry to let the 71 reissue that you saw go, but this was a really good price. It cost about the same as a reissue, but sounds great and weighs a lot less than my 70 custom!
Wez, the staple top pickups sound great, that's part of what convinced me to get it. I was just playing it and I'm not getting pissed off by the Bigsby! It seems to be holding the tuning pretty well, so for now I'll leave it on it. I have to look for some bits for it anyway before I do anything with it.
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What a bunch of junk!! :)
:orcass:
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Awesome! Happy playing
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Dude....DUDE....seriously. What can I say, that is really tasty stuff. I envy and congratulate you good sir. ;)
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What a bunch of junk!! :)
:orcass:
Hehe .. Well played, sir!
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Excellent stuff Phil.
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Looks awesome ! Especially the Bravewood.
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The Bravewood is nice. It has veneer board BKP Strat pickups and sounds totally different to my other Strats acoustically. The hardtail was a whim, because I don't have one, but I find that it is different enough to be interesting. My favorite Bravewood is still the 57 sunburst, which has a copy of my real 57 neck.
Here it is with the 67 bound neck Bravewood:
(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af302/philking/c38efda2-ea54-459d-931f-abe5d95cd6a2_zps35add95e.jpg)
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A friend of mine has a Bravewood Strat and Tele. Both are superb ( and equipped with BKP's).
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That made me drool all over... :P
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I missed this thread earlier. Amazing acquisitions! :)
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Those two Customs look great! I have a circa 1970 Custom as well, does yours have a surprisingly skinny neck? Mine has nylon saddles, although if yours ever had those I suppose they went when the Bigsby arrived.
It goes without saying that the Feline is gorgeous :)
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Stunning LP Customs. I also like the look of the Feline with the wraparound bridge, very very nice 8)
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Thanks guys, this was a case of not looking for a guitar, but just walking in at the right time.
Those two Customs look great! I have a circa 1970 Custom as well, does yours have a surprisingly skinny neck? Mine has nylon saddles, although if yours ever had those I suppose they went when the Bigsby arrived.
It goes without saying that the Feline is gorgeous :)
My 1970 has a fat neck for a custom. It is an early 70 as it has the bigger inlay in the 21st fret (though not a big as the 56). The Bigsby guitar is a 56, so no changes to the bridge. I read that Joe Bonamassa likes to have half nylon and half brass saddles but I never played one I remember having nylon. I used to have a 72 which had a neck which was really like my 60 LP Special, the wide flat in PRS terms. It was a really nice shape and it's still a guitar I regret letting go (along with about 5 or 6 others!).
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Ah! I got a little confused when I wrote that, of course the '56 wouldn't have nylon saddles. The '70 might have had them originally though
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Love that Feline Anniversary. What pickups do you have in there?
Cheers Stephan
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wow
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From the bits you've shown now and then I'm guessing you have one of the most impressive collections. I'd love to see all your guitars together!
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Love that Feline Anniversary. What pickups do you have in there?
Cheers Stephan
It's got one of Tim's favourite sets in there (Riff Raff/Mule).
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From the bits you've shown now and then I'm guessing you have one of the most impressive collections. I'd love to see all your guitars together!
I'll have to do it the next time the wife goes away! I was thinking that it might be interesting to try and get them all out together. There's about 75 or so, and with the amps it could be a bit of work to move them, but it would make a great picture.
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All three looks excellent and they're a nice edition to your already fabulous collection. Gongrats!!! :D
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I'll have to do it the next time the wife goes away! I was thinking that it might be interesting to try and get them all out together. There's about 75 or so, and with the amps it could be a bit of work to move them, but it would make a great picture.
...
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Wow Phil, they look awesome. Forgive me if I've missed it, but work does the 56 really need?
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Wow Phil, they look awesome. Forgive me if I've missed it, but work does the 56 really need?
It's had a bad respray and they painted on the binding in cream! So that needs scr@ping back and clear coating as a minimum. There is a hole in the front where it looks like someone drilled into the wood rather than cut down a screw in the scratch plate. It has the wrong machines (but I might just pick up an aged replacement set, as a set of real ones is about $500!). It is also missing the scratch plate and mounting bracket (which would cover the hole). Last thing is the Bigsby, but playing it yesterday I was actually starting to get into it! It is a great guitar to play Comfortably Numb on, the Alnico Staple is excellent for the quieter parts and then the P90 gives a great lead tone with overdrive. The respray isn't great at all, I would consider having it redone by someone who specializes in aged restoration finishes if it isn't an extortionate price.
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Ah I see, it's still one hell of a cool guitar and I'd love to rock it as it is! But then I'm sure it's worth spending a good chunk on if you can find the right man for the job. Just out of curiosity, wouldn't the guy who makes the Bravewood guitars do it? I'm sure that would be am awesome finish!?
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John specializes in Fenders, with the bolt on neck. I'm not sure that he'd do a Gibson. I've found someone in Canada who has done a restoration on a 50's LP Custom, and it does look great, however it is around 1500 bucks. Found one other thing, it looks like it has been renecked at some time, though it is a really nice feeling neck. The pots are all coded 1955, and it is all mahogany (you can see where there are some chips and the hole). I've just managed to pick up a scratchplate and old mounting bracket on Ebay, so that will make it look a lot better.
I might look to see if I can scr@pe off the binding for now, as that will make it look 100% better. I will see if I can get it looking OK for now and then, if I still want to, get it restored next year.
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Interesting project!!
Do you know if all the old binding is in place? i would be worried it was filled and sprayed over because of damage and someone lazily deciding to paint it on rather than redo the multi-ply binding
I would also be cautious scrpaing it back depening on what the newer finish is and when it was done. If its old brittle nitro then scr@ping will be a pain, much easier within a few days of spraying it. Although a few chips won't mater too much if its all coming off anyway
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Hi Wez, the lacquer is pretty old and chipped. I can see the binding underneath and the only issue that I see is about 1mm missing where the neck was replaced (or reset - not sure which). I'll find out a few more details this weekend when I talk to the previous 2 owners. In spite of all the issues, I can see why they both loved it, it plays like a dream and sounds great. It is much lighter than my 1970 and looking at the body, is also slightly thinner (maybe 0.5mm - I need to get the caliper on it to be sure). I'm assuming that this is from the lack of a maple top, rather than anything else. I noticed that it has a replacement ABR-1 bridge, but it is still old, and it has the retaining wire, which is a big plus in my mind (try looking for a bridge saddle when you break a string - it's bad enough in the house, if you were on stage it would be impossible).
I might bring it over sometime, especially if I mess it up too much!
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Well if it does ever come over here and coincides with a potential visit to Burton I would very much like to take a look, its pretty much one of my dream guitars.