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Where are they now...

AXE752

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Mar 11, 2002
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Never was a big fan of the Deluxes (although I have a '72), but that one sure does look good.:jim
 

Kris Ford

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Jan 6, 2007
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This one's for Big Al.

Occasionally, a guitar would come through that was hard to let go of. This was one of those.

LP Deluxe with a nice 2 piece top, in Tobacco Brown Sunburst.

Built mid '85.

Where is she now?


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damn..
THAT'S HOT!:yah
 

Strings Jr.

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Jan 17, 2016
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How about this one?

2 piece natural flame top with a vibrola and vine inlay fingerboard.

Would the owner of this gem please raise your hand?


 
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brandtkronholm

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Dec 3, 2006
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2,737
How about this one?

2 piece natural flame top with a vibrola and vine inlay fingerboard.

Would the owner of this gem please raise your hand?


Scan_20160629_2_zps8wecmx9l.jpg
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Was the all the bling on the fretboard done by Gibson in-house?
Is that fretboard unique or are there other Gibson fretboards just like it from around the same time?
 

Strings Jr.

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Was the all the bling on the fretboard done by Gibson in-house? Is that fretboard unique or are there other Gibson fretboards just like it from around the same time?
Pretty sure the inlay work was outsourced. I remember seeing plenty of Hearts and Flowers fingerboards and a few others with custom work, but this is the only full vine I remember.
 

Ed Driscoll

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Apr 24, 2002
Messages
4,691
How about this one?

2 piece natural flame top with a vibrola and vine inlay fingerboard.

Would the owner of this gem please raise your hand?


Scan_20160629_2_zps8wecmx9l.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]

Did that guitar leave the factory with that natural finish, or is it off to the paint shop to be 'bursted? Either way, with that Kahler-style whammy bar and all that tree-of-life inlay work, that's an incredibly distinctive guitar. I hope whoever currently owns it is a member here -- or sees this thread while Googling and identifies himself! :hank
 

Ed Driscoll

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Apr 24, 2002
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Where's the love for my synth guitars? :dang

I was the sole builder of all the LP's and Explorer's that came with the Roland kits until they finally let me train one other guy.

How many Les Pauls left with synth pickups? I play my Fender Roland Ready Strat way too much, simply as a tool to access my Roland 13-pin gear.
 

Strings Jr.

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Did that guitar leave the factory with that natural finish, or is it off to the paint shop to be 'bursted? Either way, with that Kahler-style whammy bar and all that tree-of-life inlay work, that's an incredibly distinctive guitar. I hope whoever currently owns it is a member here -- or sees this thread while Googling and identifies himself! :hank

Yes sir. Right after this pic she got a set of back-plates and a TRC, and out the door with the pickguard in the case.


And yes again, I started this thread not only to share these instruments with the forum, but to try and find out "Where are they now..."

Thanks,

RL
 

Strings Jr.

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How many Les Pauls left with synth pickups? I play my Fender Roland Ready Strat way too much, simply as a tool to access my Roland 13-pin gear.

I have serial numbers in my personal ledger for 51 Les Pauls and 18 Explorers.

I would say my buddy built 10 or less Les Pauls and zero Explorers.

If you ever get a chance to try one, I would love to get your feedback.

After Tim Shaw and myself built the first one (which was a black Explorer), one of the Roland reps came in to train us on how to use the GR-700.
He couldn't believe how much better our guitar "tracked" than theirs. It took a long time before we understood what a "glitch" was.
 

Ed Driscoll

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I have serial numbers in my personal ledger for 51 Les Pauls and 18 Explorers.

I would say my buddy built 10 or less Les Pauls and zero Explorers.

If you ever get a chance to try one, I would love to get your feedback.

After Tim Shaw and myself built the first one (which was a black Explorer), one of the Roland reps came in to train us on how to use the GR-700.
He couldn't believe how much better our guitar "tracked" than theirs. It took a long time before we understood what a "glitch" was.

If it was the GR-700, was it accompanied by the pointy Roland guitar with the goofy stabilizer bar above the neck? Roland seemed to take quite a large step backwards after the GR-300 and its accompanying Les Paul-ish G-303.
 

Strings Jr.

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If it was the GR-700, was it accompanied by the pointy Roland guitar with the goofy stabilizer bar above the neck? Roland seemed to take quite a large step backwards after the GR-300 and its accompanying Les Paul-ish G-303.

Yes, that was the Roland version. They sold us the kit consisting of the same pickup and electronics used on that guitar.

The stabilizer bar on the Roland did little or nothing to improve tracking.

The Roland rep thought that our ebony fingerboards helped more than anything.
 

Strings Jr.

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This handsome duo (the guitars) :laugh2: was going to Dire Straits.

Note the artwork we added to the pic on the wall behind us.



 
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brandtkronholm

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Scan_20160620_zpsgga0b8zw.jpg
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Whoa! Super!
The guitar on the left has the Shaw "PAF" stickers on the pickup rings and the other doesn't. Is there anything to be said about that?

What can you share with us about Shaw PAFs in general?

...and where are the pick guards and truss rod covers?
 

Strings Jr.

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Whoa! Super!
The guitar on the left has the Shaw "PAF" stickers on the pickup rings and the other doesn't. Is there anything to be said about that?

What can you share with us about Shaw PAFs in general?

...and where are the pick guards and truss rod covers?

The PAF stickers were applied to the pickup rings once the guitar passed the first sound booth inspection.
The one on the right simply had not been inspected yet.

Backplates, TRC, and pickguards were installed after they passed this inspection.
Most of the time, guitars with tops like these had the pickguard shipped in the case to give the customer the option of installing it or not.

What can I say about the Shaws that everyone doesn't already know? They were fantastic pickups! Great sound, dependability.
Everything you need, nothing you don't.
 

Ed Driscoll

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Backplates, TRC, and pickguards were installed after they passed this inspection.
Most of the time, guitars with tops like these had the pickguard shipped in the case to give the customer the option of installing it or not.

Were they drilled for the pickguard if it wasn't installed?
 

Ed Driscoll

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Apr 24, 2002
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No sir. That was the whole point.

Why have a hole in the top if you never plan to use the pickguard?

Gotcha. I know that's SOP now for lots of Les Pauls with monster tops; I didn't know how far back that rule went.
 

clearmudd

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May 26, 2016
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Mr Strings Jr, have you ever worked on any of the pre historic Leo's Music '59 creations back in the early 80's? I know that the early ones were built in Kalamazoo and later ones where in Nashville. I had one of the early ones sn# L1 009.
 

Strings Jr.

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Mr Strings Jr, have you ever worked on any of the pre historic Leo's Music '59 creations back in the early 80's? I know that the early ones were built in Kalamazoo and later ones where in Nashville. I had one of the early ones sn# L1 009.

Oh, I loved my Leo's. Thanks for bringing them up. It gives me an excuse to look back through my ledger to check serial numbers and dates. Each time I do I find something I missed before, like "hey there's another Spotlight I missed, or there's another Korina Explorer I missed".

Your Leo WAS an early one. Built in Kalamazoo. The Nashville built Leo's started with serial number L1 0300. I built that one on December 22nd, 1982.
The highest serial number I built was L1 0461 on October 10th, 1983. So maybe safe to say around 200 were built in Nashville?? I have 48 serial numbers recorded that I built, including L1 0414 which is the only one I have listed as having an Antique Sunburst finish. Where is she now...

Thanks!

RL
 
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