Strings Jr.
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2016
- Messages
- 670
I posted a little about this guitar in someone else’s thread a few years ago, but have now decided to give it it’s own thread. It’s one of a small run of maybe 25 or so. They were sent to some of the top dealers at that time to “test the waters” for a possible new model. Unfortunately, the price of walnut suddenly skyrocketed to the point that it was no longer profitable, and the project was canned.
I always loved the tone of the walnut guitars we made. There was a noticeable difference to me from the everyday mahogany/maple offerings.
What I didn’t like about these guitars was the fact that they went through the trouble to add body and neck binding, a bound peghead veneer, and a lacquer/buffed finish, but still used cheap tuners and no covers on the pickups. To me, all these extra appointments just screamed “Custom”. So I built mine with gold hardware.
I recently changed the pickups to a set of early 80’s PAF’s that I had. They have black-chrome covers with gold pole pieces and adjusting screws. They had never been installed in anything when I found them, and still had the factory plastic on the covers. I think they look great against the walnut.
It has a three-piece walnut neck with an ebony fingerboard. Something that I never realized until recently is the way the body is made. It has multiple pieces on the top, and multiple pieces on the back. I don’t recall seeing any other Gibson made like this. Probably not the most desirable construction method, but it does sound great.
I always loved the tone of the walnut guitars we made. There was a noticeable difference to me from the everyday mahogany/maple offerings.
What I didn’t like about these guitars was the fact that they went through the trouble to add body and neck binding, a bound peghead veneer, and a lacquer/buffed finish, but still used cheap tuners and no covers on the pickups. To me, all these extra appointments just screamed “Custom”. So I built mine with gold hardware.
I recently changed the pickups to a set of early 80’s PAF’s that I had. They have black-chrome covers with gold pole pieces and adjusting screws. They had never been installed in anything when I found them, and still had the factory plastic on the covers. I think they look great against the walnut.
It has a three-piece walnut neck with an ebony fingerboard. Something that I never realized until recently is the way the body is made. It has multiple pieces on the top, and multiple pieces on the back. I don’t recall seeing any other Gibson made like this. Probably not the most desirable construction method, but it does sound great.