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Oxblood — origins?

Witch-hat

Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Messages
89
When and how did the term "oxblood" come into use to describe that color on a Les Paul? Until reading the term mostly on this forum, I seem to remember the color being referred to as "chocolate".
 

jb_abides

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,275
It's literally Ox Blood: from the 1700s in Merry Olde England, after butchering an Ox... look at the dried blood. Don't know how it landed on Jeff's guitar
:salude
 

mt1782

New member
Joined
Jun 5, 2006
Messages
291
1860373716_3174017794_b.jpg


It depends on the light, I've seen a oxblood custom in a guitar shop and I thought it was black.
In direct bright sun they do look chocolate. But the above shows more oxbloody....:rofl
 

caleb

New member
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
64
Here's a picture of mine.

Depending on the angle of the light it can look black or quite dried blood red.

IMG_0064.jpg
[/IMG]
 

Trans-Am

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
4,686
Last time i heard is that Jeff wanted a '54 but it was in only done in Goldtop, so he had it painted Ebony over the GT and this what turned out. Obviously Gibson cash in on it and made the Oxblood with Jeff's name in tow.:wow

peace:hank
 

Brownie

New member
Joined
Jul 12, 2003
Messages
1,886
Do most of you "Oxblooders" keep your pups uncovered? If I had one, I think I'd like it better with covers (although it looks great without).
 

Brownie

New member
Joined
Jul 12, 2003
Messages
1,886
Like this?

144801668.jpg


307910739.jpg

Nice one! Better with the covers on, for my tastes.

I like the reflectors, but I like the gold speed knobs better (I think). I wonder how gold reflectors would look...
 

ultra

Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2001
Messages
958
Beautiful, covers and top hats, does the position of the stop bar cause any stringing or intonation problems/limitations?


peace:note


No problems at all. I think that if you use a .009 set you might have some difficulties but with .010 and higher, it is really good.

I use a sharp ridged Pigtail tailpiece which has a great break angle.
 

Bluestar

Active member
Joined
Feb 28, 2006
Messages
1,626
. . . [D]oes the position of the stop bar cause any stringing or intonation problems/limitations? peace:note

Re tuning and intonation: IMO - and according to my Peterson strobe tuner - no. Re stringing: it's a tight fit, but you can replace any broken string with the stop bar on, no problem.
 

The Shifter

Active member
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
3,397
I was at a pub in London recently, and as the streetlight shone through the window into my pint of Guinness, I looked at the color and was convinced that that's where Jeff Beck got the idea for his Oxblood LP.
 

lpnv59

All Access/Backstage Pass
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
10,725
Do most of you "Oxblooders" keep your pups uncovered? If I had one, I think I'd like it better with covers (although it looks great without).

When I saw Jeff Beck use his Oxblood with BBA, he had the pu covers on. Me and a few friends snuck backstage after the show and met the band on their way out of the theater. I asked Jeff what year and he said it was a '56, which we know is wrong. But he complained to me that it was feeding back alot. So it seems he yanked the covers off to fix the microphonic FB problem.

He bought the guitar already modded from Strings & Things in Memphis BTW. The color wasn't his idea. He just liked it according to S&T.
 
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