ES-225 Detail Question -- Mike B & All

[S a m]

My 1959 ES-225TDN is getting a replacement fingerboard. (Way-pre-CITES raw BR board from my parts collection.)

The guy who is doing the work says that the current dots are pearl-oid plastic. Was the spec on this guitar real pearl or pearl-oid?

THANK YOU in advance, folks.

 

[MikeSlub]

Pearloid. :jim

 

[mbowen]

Pearloid. :jim

+1

 

[MapleFlame]

Actually they are celluloid. The dots that were placed into these guitars were the same pattern as the pre 58 type inlays in Burst and 345. Goldtops, Juniors, specials etc. had that pattern 57 and earlier.. The new inlay material would work from DJ or Kim but that isn't the same pattern. I used to have some of the pre 57material laying around, I will look this week to see.

 

[MikeSlub]

Actually they are celluloid. The dots that were placed into these guitars were the same pattern as the pre 58 type inlays in Burst and 345. Goldtops, Juniors, specials etc. had that pattern 57 and earlier.. The new inlay material would work from DJ or Kim but that isn't the same pattern. I used to have some of the pre 57material laying around, I will look this week to see.

Pearloid is celluloid.

Pearloid is produced by swirling together chunks of celluloid in a solvent, then curing. :jim

 

[S a m]

Thank you gentlemen. The opportunity to get the straight skinny from Thems Who Knows is deeply appreciated.

 

[MapleFlame]

Pearloid is celluloid.

Pearloid is produced by swirling together chunks of celluloid in a solvent, then curing. :jim

I'm sure you know that was the obvious to me, I was educating Sam on the important parts. If he typed in pearloid on the net, he might end up with an Old Slingerland drum set or a really bad toilet seat. :laugh2: :rofl :rofl


Sam would really love some pictures of the guitar now and with the restoration process. Good luck with everything.

 

[MikeSlub]

I'm sure you know that was the obvious to me, I was educating Sam on the important parts. If he typed in pearloid on the net, he might end up with an Old Slingerland drum set or a really bad toilet seat. :laugh2: :rofl :rofl


Sam would really love some pictures of the guitar now and with the restoration process. Good luck with everything.

MF, I knew that you knew that. I just posted the follow up so that I wouldn't look like an idiot when I said it was pearloid and you said it was celluloid. eace2

 

[Wilko]

"...or a really bad tiolet seat"

That's why pearloid is often called "mother of toiletseat"

 

[MapleFlame]

MF, I knew that you knew that. I just posted the follow up so that I wouldn't look like an idiot when I said it was pearloid and you said it was celluloid. eace2

:biggrin:

 

[S a m]

I'm sure you know that was the obvious to me, I was educating Sam on the important parts. If he typed in pearloid on the net, he might end up with an Old Slingerland drum set or a really bad toilet seat. :laugh2: :rofl :rofl

I think I'm all set in the "really bad toilet seat" department . . .

Sam would really love some pictures of the guitar now and with the restoration process.

Can't say anything except 'yes' to that. Here's some 'before' and I will post some 'after' barring the unforeseen.

My deal with the seller was that he got to keep the Bigsby. There is a footprint but it doesn't bother me and I hope it won't be glaring under the long-trap.

The back has some attractive pinhole-birdseye figure which doesn't show in this pic.

One more frontal:

This is going to be a "player" not a spot-on historic restoration. Sorry -- I know that's not the prevailing approach here -- but this is not the guitar, and at this moment I am not the guy, for spot-on treatment.

Instead, once Steve is done with the neck and fingerboard I will empty out the parts bin and build a nice, fun guitar. I've got this lovely 1946/47 P-90 for the neck and it sounds gorgeous. There's a Duncan Antiquity P-90 for the bridge with the magnet and bobbin set for hum-cancellation on the pair. I had 80% of a long-trapeze setup hanging around and bought the rest -- I know this guitar will sound great with a regular short-trap and the included BRW bridge but I want to try out the long-trap setup this time. Modern plastic except vintage bridge-pickup lifter. New tuners, pots, switch and wire. New Russian PIO caps.

I'll let everybody know when there's something to show.

Good luck with everything.

Thank you Maestro. Luck is always called for.

I bet I speak for many, many readers when I say that you and the Mikes are a large part of why I lurk here. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, enthusiasm and pics pics pics pics!

 

[MapleFlame]

I think I'm all set in the "really bad toilet seat" department . . .



Can't say anything except 'yes' to that. Here's some 'before' and I will post some 'after' barring the unforeseen.

My deal with the seller was that he got to keep the Bigsby. There is a footprint but it doesn't bother me and I hope it won't be glaring under the long-trap.

The back has some attractive pinhole-birdseye figure which doesn't show in this pic.

One more frontal:

This is going to be a "player" not a spot-on historic restoration. Sorry -- I know that's not the prevailing approach here -- but this is not the guitar, and at this moment I am not the guy, for spot-on treatment.

Instead, once Steve is done with the neck and fingerboard I will empty out the parts bin and build a nice, fun guitar. I've got this lovely 1946/47 P-90 for the neck and it sounds gorgeous. There's a Duncan Antiquity P-90 for the bridge with the magnet and bobbin set for hum-cancellation on the pair. I had 80% of a long-trapeze setup hanging around and bought the rest -- I know this guitar will sound great with a regular short-trap and the included BRW bridge but I want to try out the long-trap setup this time. Modern plastic except vintage bridge-pickup lifter. New tuners, pots, switch and wire. New Russian PIO caps.

I'll let everybody know when there's something to show.



Thank you Maestro. Luck is always called for.

I bet I speak for many, many readers when I say that you and the Mikes are a large part of why I lurk here. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, enthusiasm and pics pics pics pics!

Awesome guitar to work with. Whats wrong with the fingerboard. If it has divots from the cowboy chord area that can be easily fixed with Brazilian powder and crazy glue. I have done that to several guitars and hardly noticeable. Also I think I have two of those Bigsbys in a parts bin.

 

[S a m]

It needs another refret. The last "luthier" to refret slimmed the neck so that the binding is paper-thin. S/he also slightly thinned the profile front-to-back.

The alternatives are:

a) Refret again with paper-thin binding. No thank you!
b) Leave the board and rout it slightly to leave a sufficient 'shelf' for binding. Plus: Original board. Minus: It's not as easy as it sounds and the slightest mistake yields a pooched neck or even a pooched body.
c) Remove the board and replace with a very slightly narrower board.

Because I have an never-installed raw BRW fingerboard in the wood-box, the best result is to remove and replace. The binding will be squeaky-clean with all new, un-rounded edges. Plus -- and it's a big plus -- we can make up whatever thickness got lost front-to-back to arrive at an authentic, comfortable, chunky 1959 profile.

 

[Greasy G]

I love blond 225's, good luck with getting her up and running again. (And slap a Bigsby on her ass!)

 

[MapleFlame]

It needs another refret. The last "luthier" to refret slimmed the neck so that the binding is paper-thin. S/he also slightly thinned the profile front-to-back.

The alternatives are:

a) Refret again with paper-thin binding. No thank you!
b) Leave the board and rout it slightly to leave a sufficient 'shelf' for binding. Plus: Original board. Minus: It's not as easy as it sounds and the slightest mistake yields a pooched neck or even a pooched body.
c) Remove the board and replace with a very slightly narrower board.

Because I have an never-installed raw BRW fingerboard in the wood-box, the best result is to remove and replace. The binding will be squeaky-clean with all new, un-rounded edges. Plus -- and it's a big plus -- we can make up whatever thickness got lost front-to-back to arrive at an authentic, comfortable, chunky 1959 profile.

A good luthier can put the binding on that neck and make a new channel for it. I would at all cost save that board. To me, the tone is in the original wood. You can't buy 50 plus years of curing.