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A few questions from a newbie '59 reissue owner

Martin

New member
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
19
Hi - just registered here and am happy to find a place like this. I love to tweak and I'm glad to have a place where answers and opinions are available!

I've been playing a PRS and a Warmoth, but recently picked up a used '59 reissue and am loving it. Right now, it feels like this is my dream guitar.

A few questions:

1. I was led to believe by a salesperson, where I was looking at a '58 reissue, that modifying a reissue by doing stuff like replacing pickups, etc. could lower the value of the guitar, even if you later replace them with the originals. This is because a collector could tell that they'd been re-soldiered. Is this true? Should I avoid trying different pickups in my '59 reissue? My neck pickup seems a little "muddy" to me...

2. The '58 reissue I tried out had really good tone and was extremely "playable", but it was labeled as new old stock (I think it was a '98 model) and they wanted $4500 for it. This dealership was not a gibson dealer when they got the guitar - they got it from a collector who had never registered it, so they were selling it as new. It did have great flame, but the tailpiece and pickups were corroded (the pickups covers were etched to the point where they wouldn't polish out). Was this as out of line as I came to think it was, or is that a reasonable price for a '58 reissue considering its condition, etc.?

3. The serial number on my '59 reissue is 9 0532. What does that tell me about it?

Thanks much for any help you guys can give me...

-Martin
 
M

Mojojojo

Guest
If your guitar was a 40 year old original and had obvious soldering done, it would affect the value, but a reissue isn't gonna have vintage value for a long time, so...

If it was my guitar (I have a new R8), I would not hesitate to replace the pickups, which I am intending on doing also (Antiquities). I will also change out the pots and caps. I really don't think the value would be reduced by doing this, especially is you were to reinstall the original parts.

$4500 for an NOS R8 is way high. New R8s can be had for around $3200.

Other guys will help with the SN, or you can contact Gibson.
 

Dave Paetow

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
13,524
How can a dealer (who isn't a Gibson dealer) buy a used guitar and sell it as new? Doesn't sound like a dealer I want to buy anything from...
 

Lily

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 13, 2001
Messages
8,793
I know which emoticon has your name all over it - or should! ;)
 

Martin

New member
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
19
Mojojojo said:
If your guitar was a 40 year old original and had obvious soldering done, it would affect the value, but a reissue isn't gonna have vintage value for a long time, so...

If it was my guitar (I have a new R8), I would not hesitate to replace the pickups, which I am intending on doing also (Antiquities). I will also change out the pots and caps. I really don't think the value would be reduced by doing this, especially is you were to reinstall the original parts.

$4500 for an NOS R8 is way high. New R8s can be had for around $3200.

Other guys will help with the SN, or you can contact Gibson.

Thanks for the reply - You said just what I was hoping to hear!!! :)

Why is it that you'd change the pots and caps? I'm assuming it would make a difference in tone, but what caps & pots would you put in to replace what? What would you be looking to have happen as a result?

As may be obvious, I'm an unfortunate victim of a condition known as "tone junkie" and I seem to be willing to search the ends of the earth and try almost anything. Sort of the search for the holy grail... Thanks for your help!

Also thanks for confirming that the price was way high on the R8. I was pretty sure I was getting a deal that was far from the best.

Take care...

-Martin
 

Martin

New member
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
19
Dave Paetow said:
How can a dealer (who isn't a Gibson dealer) buy a used guitar and sell it as new? Doesn't sound like a dealer I want to buy anything from...

I guess they didn't consider it used since it was never registered. The story is that there's a guy around these parts who buys tons of guitars as a collector, looks them over, and sells the ones he's not crazy about to various dealers. The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea of a guitar being sold as "new" under that situation. Especially given the condition of this one. It was a nice guitar, but as you can see a little pricy for me once I'd thought about it.

-Martin
 
M

Mojojojo

Guest
Pots and caps

This topic has been covered quite a bit on the previous forum, but I will explain in summary...

The stock Gibson pots often measure well below 500K and can cause the tone to be muddy. They also have very thin carbon tracks. Replacing these with CTS pots which measure as close to 500K as possible has proved a noticable difference in my guitars.

The stock ceramic .022uF tone caps are also crap (ceramics are widely believed to be grainy sounding, though many old Fender and Marshall amps used 'em). Replacing these with a good Polypropylene, or better yet, paper-in-oil caps will yield some nice results. Gudeman caps are well-liked, but impossible to find. Old Sprague bumble bees or black beauties are great too. Dave P has some photos of an original '59 and his R9 with identical wiring, showing the pots and caps. A slightly lower value cap (.015uF or .010uF) will produce a more gradual rolloff as you turn down the pot. I prefer this.

Some of these things need to be played with. Some combinations work better than others.
 

Martin

New member
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
19
Pots & caps

Thanks Mojojojo; I appreciate the information. I realize I should take this over to the technical area, so I'll look over the old posts there and start asking questions.

Again, thanks - you've given me a direction to go with this and I'm looking forward to getting the soldiering iron out! Can't wait to see how things sound...

-Martin
 

NewOldCokeDave

Active member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
4,945
I've been experimenting with Sprague/SBE 225P caps
of .015/200VDC and I'm real happy with them.. they are poly
film/foil construction and are real lo-fi according to SBE.
They're relatively cheap too. < $1 at mouser and other places.
A possible alternative to the more expensive paper/oil, etc.. caps

-NOCD
 
M

Mojojojo

Guest
Dave,

I have tried those too. I think the 715Ps may be a little better sounding and still dirt cheap. Haven't tried 716Ps, but they seem a little harder to find. I think Torres has 'em, but that guy is considered an abominiation by most in the amp community .:lolspin
 

Martin

New member
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
19
NewOldCokeDave said:
I've been experimenting with Sprague/SBE 225P caps
of .015/200VDC and I'm real happy with them.. they are poly
film/foil construction and are real lo-fi according to SBE.
They're relatively cheap too. < $1 at mouser and other places.
A possible alternative to the more expensive paper/oil, etc.. caps

-NOCD

Sounds like that might be a way to go - how do I contact mouser or other places that would have them?

Thanks!

-Martin
 

Martin

New member
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
19
Mojojojo said:
Dave,

I have tried those too. I think the 715Ps may be a little better sounding and still dirt cheap. Haven't tried 716Ps, but they seem a little harder to find. I think Torres has 'em, but that guy is considered an abominiation by most in the amp community .:lolspin

Really??? How come?

-Martin
 
M

Mojojojo

Guest
The 225P's are Polyester (I think) and the 715Ps are Polypropylene. Different materiels, different tone. I think the 716Ps have some difference in their composition and have gold plated leads. Not that it makes a difference, as I haven't tried those. I run 715Ps in the amps I build with good results.

You can order them at http://www.mouser.com
 
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