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deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
Yeah Bursts sound so shitty with the worst glue ever used. We should rip those necks out slather some titebond in the neck joint and while we're at it, and slide a straw on the trussrod.


It's part of 'burst fantasy/reality camp and nothing more in my opinion. A Les Paul has so much body/heel contact that you could get away with elmer's glue I imagine but, regardless, eras with factory liquid hide glue is the only stuff I've ever seen joints come apart where the culprit is the glue failing.

Here's what classical instrument builders think of it: https://maestronet.com/forum/index....hts-on-using-old-brown-glue-liquid-hide-glue/

Read popular woodworking magazines to see the results too, no one uses the stuff anymore for good reason and it's kind of sad to see it reappear for the sake of "historical correctness". Comparing it to titebond is like comparing rubber cement to epoxy. A good PVA glue is just objectively & scientifically better, now you could make an argument for hot hide glue but quite frankly there should be zero reason to ever do a neck reset on a well built Lester style guitar. HHT is what the high end replica guys usually use though. It is funny that the guys at heritage who build the guitars, many per day, for decades then play them don't know more about woodworking than 'burst analysts. Yes, enjoy your superior 'burst tone...because the secret is liquid hide glue! And while you're at it, I've got an elixir which will cure the measles!

Adding a 3rd body/sidewall seem to a neck heel would only logically make it stronger AND transfer more vibration if that was ever an issue (which it isn't). A tiny lip left over from a hacked route does not make a neck joint magical, more 'burst analyst fantasy stuff. Unfortunately, pressure from guys who read this stuff got to Kalamazoo and they begrudgingly added a "historical" lip, pointless but oh well.

I love the old guitars, but the fact they were played by some epic dudes not mean they transcend reality. We all have our preferences but NO ONE, and I mean NOBODY hears liquid animal glue or tenon lips.
 

WBailey

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Joined
Apr 23, 2015
Messages
1,131
This, is so not true !

Just last night, I saw the Tenon Lips at a little Irish Pub.

I thought they sounded great !

They even played; " 5 miles to the Outhouse, by Willy Makit " :hee
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
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10,951
It's part of 'burst fantasy/reality camp (SNARK ALERT) and nothing more in my opinion. A Les Paul has so much body/heel contact that you could get away with elmer's glue I imagine (SNARK ALERT) but, regardless, eras with factory liquid hide glue (Just out of curiosity, did anybody in the factory ever use liquid hide glue? The non hot variety? I'lll give you that I have no idea)is the only stuff I've ever seen joints come apart where the culprit is the glue failing.

Here's what classical instrument builders think of it: https://maestronet.com/forum/index....hts-on-using-old-brown-glue-liquid-hide-glue/ (Warning: The experts agree with Rockabilly, WHOOPS!)

Read popular woodworking magazines to see the results too, no one uses the stuff anymore for good reason and it's kind of sad to see it reappear for the sake of "historical correctness" What, something you introduced (liquid hide glue) or what everybody else is talking about HOT HIDE GLUE). Comparing it to titebond is like comparing rubber cement to epoxy. A good PVA glue is just objectively & scientifically better, now you could make an argument for hot hide glue but quite frankly there should be zero reason to ever do a neck reset on a well built Lester style guitar. HHT is what the high end replica guys usually use though. It is funny that the guys at heritage who build the guitars, many per day, for decades then play them don't know more about woodworking than 'burst analysts. (SNARK ALERT) Yes, enjoy your superior 'burst tone...because the secret is liquid hide glue! And while you're at it, I've got an elixir which will cure the measles! (SUPER SNARKY ALERT DUDE! (but I have to admit, I liked it!))

Adding a 3rd body/sidewall seem to a neck heel would only logically make it stronger AND transfer more vibration if that was ever an issue (which it isn't). A tiny lip left over from a hacked route does not make a neck joint magical, more 'burst analyst fantasy stuff. (SNARK MUCH?) Unfortunately, pressure from guys who read this stuff got to Kalamazoo and they begrudgingly added a "historical" lip, pointless but oh well. (Probably just waiting for Divine guidance from your majesty - WHOOPS! I SNARKETH))

I love the old guitars, but the fact they were played by some epic dudes not mean they transcend reality. We all have our preferences but NO ONE, and I mean NOBODY hears liquid animal glue or tenon lips. Let it be known, let it be THE LAW (and with my new hearing aids I can hear mice fart ----- Oh! SNARKAMUNDO!)

Look, just having kinda fun here really, I don't dislike you and I am not attacking, just joking. :dude::eek:la:laugh2: < SMILEYS DAMMIT!

BUT, I don't think YOU know what WE are talking about. You are all over the place here. Let's ignore your
SNARK at many places in this statement (I have pointed it oot in case you care and I can do it in tablature if'n you prefer).(Or maybe in Easter Colors?) Everybody here talks about HOT HIDE GLUE as in the stuff you heat to apply. WHICH AS AN INTERESTING ASIDE IS WHAT THAT IS TALKED ABOUT AS GOOD IN THE THREAD YOU QUOTED DUDE! Liquid hide glue was not used on the classics, was it? I have no idea where you pulled that one from. Titebond (Aliphatic resin) is used by many luthiers (Collings being one) and is accepted as being pretty awesome as well. But harder to release.

Did eye miss something?
 
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deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
Look, just having kinda fun here really, I don't dislike you and I am not attacking, just joking. :dude::eek:la:laugh2: < SMILEYS DAMMIT!

BUT, I don't think YOU know what WE are talking about. You are all over the place here. Let's ignore your
SNARK at many places in this statement (I have pointed it oot in case you care and I can do it in tablature if'n you prefer).(Or maybe in Easter Colors?) Everybody here talks about HOT HIDE GLUE as in the stuff you heat to apply. WHICH AS AN INTERESTING ASIDE IS WHAT THAT IS TALKED ABOUT AS GOOD IN THE THREAD YOU QUOTED DUDE! Liquid hide glue was not used on the classics, was it? I have no idea where you pulled that one from. Titebond (Aliphatic resin) is used by many luthiers (Collings being one) and is accepted as being pretty awesome as well. But harder to release.

Did eye miss something?


The original glue, AFAIK, was an in house made variant of what we know of today as liquid hide glue. Still "heated" but to give it extra long set times they just added the fertilizers in house, so basically the same as "Old Brown" or whatever it's called (old brown is what the custom shop uses because it's accurate). This started early and was not Gibson-exclusive, like many things it was a common practice for furniture building first. It doesn't "Suck" by any means but I like to go overboard to prove a point :laugh2: just because I think the general acceptance of 'burstology being supreme doesn't hold up to some relatively sensible scrutiny, and someone needs to call shenanigans! Not saying one or other guitar as a whole is better, there's just many ways to skin the cat here, the results are more often than not a fantastic guitar either way. Being honest when I point out all the joints I've seen fail because of Glue are almost always traced to factory used animal glue, so I tend to believe those (mostly antique woodworking enthusiasts) who say it gets brittle and is less susceptible to weathering due to the additives. I've watched two "Golden Era" joints come loose IN PERSON myself, never fall off, just a paper thick separation of the heel which is enough to need a reset. One archtop, one flattop, not counting all the resets of gems from the 30's/40's I saw in my apprenticeship.

Here's an article with a little comparison and history of the modern liquid hide glues: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/hide-glue-in-liquid-form

Here's good info (I think a member on here too) from the tele forum on, even though individuals who have time say it's no big deal, what a PITA real hot hide glue is (I say that with love). http://www.tdpri.com/threads/hot-hide-glue-the-easy-ish-way.723162/


Though, the PVA being bad thing is just, it's like saying Michael Phelps can't swim. The bond is stronger than the cellular structure of the wood, and if it killed tone every Firebird off the line would have zero sustain! That's like 18 feet of titebond seams alone.

Besides the silly glue argument, there's a lot to be said for the way certain domestic builders do things today which are hard to argue as being "inferior."
 
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rockabilly69

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Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
It's part of 'burst fantasy/reality camp and nothing more in my opinion. A Les Paul has so much body/heel contact that you could get away with elmer's glue I imagine but, regardless, eras with factory liquid hide glue is the only stuff I've ever seen joints come apart where the culprit is the glue failing.

Here's what classical instrument builders think of it: https://maestronet.com/forum/index....hts-on-using-old-brown-glue-liquid-hide-glue/

Read popular woodworking magazines to see the results too, no one uses the stuff anymore for good reason and it's kind of sad to see it reappear for the sake of "historical correctness". Comparing it to titebond is like comparing rubber cement to epoxy. A good PVA glue is just objectively & scientifically better, now you could make an argument for hot hide glue but quite frankly there should be zero reason to ever do a neck reset on a well built Lester style guitar. HHT is what the high end replica guys usually use though. It is funny that the guys at heritage who build the guitars, many per day, for decades then play them don't know more about woodworking than 'burst analysts. Yes, enjoy your superior 'burst tone...because the secret is liquid hide glue! And while you're at it, I've got an elixir which will cure the measles!

Adding a 3rd body/sidewall seem to a neck heel would only logically make it stronger AND transfer more vibration if that was ever an issue (which it isn't). A tiny lip left over from a hacked route does not make a neck joint magical, more 'burst analyst fantasy stuff. Unfortunately, pressure from guys who read this stuff got to Kalamazoo and they begrudgingly added a "historical" lip, pointless but oh well.

I love the old guitars, but the fact they were played by some epic dudes not mean they transcend reality. We all have our preferences but NO ONE, and I mean NOBODY hears liquid animal glue or tenon lips.

I can post so many counter arguments by some of the best luthiers in he world to your opinions that it would take all day just to get them organized, and your last statement you posted as fact by using the phrase NO one, or No body, is also your opinion. We will have to disagree. And comparing the sustain of a Firebird (in your other post) to a Les Paul because of the use of titebond in the laminated neck construction in totally off base as the neck through construction cannot be compared to a set neck, totally different animals and sound. IMO you want vintage tone the closest you can get to vintage construction is the ideal way to get there. And notice I prefaced that with the statement, IMO. And that's coming from someone, that as I said earlier, owns two Heritage H150s so I have no prejudice against the guitar maker in general. And if you think Nashville bridges and straws on the trussrod are improvements, well then, that's also an opinion we will have to disagree on.
 

deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
IMO you want vintage tone the closest you can get to vintage construction is the ideal way to get there. And notice I prefaced that with the statement, IMO. A



Agree with you on this! If you're going to build it old school, sure, go all the way.


But I feel like I've seen plenty of originals sound far less than stellar. Thus, I really don't believe by any stretch that modern materials are the culprit. These guys don't want to build horrible guitars and I think the "cost saving" stuff is mostly a myth. I played a lot of vintage gems, honestly, the best ones I liked (because it's all subjective) I don't think were anything beyond coincidence.

If you analyze the materials versus woodworking as a whole, I don't think it's a stretch to conclude guitars are as good as ever. Old stuff will always have that "old' thing going on though, I get that. Practically all my stuff is at least 40 years old :salude It's not "better" though, IMO, I just dig having things from a bygone era.
 

abalonevintage

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Joined
Dec 31, 2002
Messages
3,186
Most joints that fail on old guitars is a result of the parts not fitting correctly to begin with.

Wood glues are adhesive, not cohesive. The notable exceptions are epoxy and cyanoacrylate glues.

If the parts do not fit tightly, the joint will most likely fail at some point.

...and then there's the whole "leaving the guitar is a hot environment" issue also.
 

becks bolero

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Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,810
As for building the guitars in the Golden Age, isn't there only one person left who was there in that era? And even when they were there, they were also the same folk who built some of the worst of the late 70s Norlins.


So I'd like to balance this thread



I personally feel the Heritage H150 is a good guitar, somewhere between Gibson USA and the Historics in feature, bu I don't like the Tonepros Hardware, the Nashville style bridge, the straw on the trussrod, the tight-bond glues in the neckjoint, the sub par fret and nut work, and the generally heavier weights, or the fact they don't manufacture their own pickups, they typically use after market Duncans. With special orders you can get different tuners, hardware and pickups, but you're stuck with the Nashville bridge. My opinion is to buy a used H150, one with a long neck tenon and mod the hell out of it. Not just my opinion, I've done it four times myself, and kept the best two of em! The new ones are really getting up there in price from what I can see.

Well Marv and Jim started there in the '50's, are still around

Ren started in the early '60's

as far as my comment, I have a couple guitars that Marv built

the Norlin designs were the result of cost cutting by the bean counters. I don't believe they were put forth as a better way to build an instrument, by the builders?

As for hardware and pickups: that stuff is so easy to swap out, it's a non issue IMO. They *will* build whatever you send them onto the guitar, if you are that particular

straw on a trussod doesn't bother me either. especially compared to the heavy rubber thing Gibson was putting on there. a straw is not going to dampen vibrations on a neck like a chunk of rubber like that. But it will stop the truss rod from binding up from glue
 

rockabilly69

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Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
Well Marv and Jim started there in the '50's, are still around

Ren started in the early '60's

as far as my comment, I have a couple guitars that Marv built

the Norlin designs were the result of cost cutting by the bean counters. I don't believe they were put forth as a better way to build an instrument, by the builders?

As for hardware and pickups: that stuff is so easy to swap out, it's a non issue IMO. They *will* build whatever you send them onto the guitar, if you are that particular

straw on a trussod doesn't bother me either. especially compared to the heavy rubber thing Gibson was putting on there. a straw is not going to dampen vibrations on a neck like a chunk of rubber like that. But it will stop the truss rod from binding up from glue

As for hardware and pickups: that stuff is so easy to swap out, it's a non issue IMO. They *will* build whatever you send them onto the guitar, if you are that particular. Maybe they will now, but when my H150 was built they wouldn't install a proper ABR. And on Les Pauls I prefer ABRs over Nashvilles for many reasons.

straw on a trussod doesn't bother me either. especially compared to the heavy rubber thing Gibson was putting on there. a straw is not going to dampen vibrations on a neck like a chunk of rubber like that. But it will stop the truss rod from binding up from glue. I like neither on the trussrod.
 

deytookerjaabs

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I asked the fellas around '05 if they were keen on building something in the style of an L5-S and I think it was Jim who replied to me by email "Well, we don't plan on doing anything like that but if we do it'll cost about as much as the Super Eagle if not a good bit more." :laugh2:
 

becks bolero

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As for hardware and pickups: that stuff is so easy to swap out, it's a non issue IMO. They *will* build whatever you send them onto the guitar, if you are that particular. Maybe they will now, but when my H150 was built they wouldn't install a proper ABR. And on Les Pauls I prefer ABRs over Nashvilles for many reasons.

straw on a trussod doesn't bother me either. especially compared to the heavy rubber thing Gibson was putting on there. a straw is not going to dampen vibrations on a neck like a chunk of rubber like that. But it will stop the truss rod from binding up from glue. I like neither on the trussrod.

fair enough...different strokes for different folks

I prefer ABR's as well, but also have gtrs with Nashville's that are fine instruments

I will defer to your mastery of the instrument & tone though...those tunes you are writing & recording all sound amazing
 

Redfish

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Jul 7, 2007
Messages
121
Do they make any with a chunky neck? Every one I've ever come across has had a very thin neck profile. I have a buddy that has a black H150 he picked up years ago for $700 that sounds amazing but man that neck is SKINNY.
 

becks bolero

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around 2008 ( I think! ) they started using thicker neck profiles, as standard

of course, if you order a new guitar you can spec it however you want

the new one I bought in 2014 has a chunky neck, but I spec'd it that way

during the 90's people seemed to prefer thinner necks, so I guess they were catering to that market?
 

rockabilly69

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Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
around 2008 ( I think! ) they started using thicker neck profiles, as standard

of course, if you order a new guitar you can spec it however you want

the new one I bought in 2014 has a chunky neck, but I spec'd it that way

during the 90's people seemed to prefer thinner necks, so I guess they were catering to that market?
My 2013 H150 also has the beefier neck which I prefer over the thinner neck.
 
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