Guitars and Life

Many many years ago when I first started playing the guitar etc. John Miles was an artist I liked.  Remember him?  Most famous was his breakthrough hit of Music - which is a marvellous tune, with a bit of 7/4 timing thrown in with piano, orchestra and rock guitar solo. Anyway John Miles had a black Les Paul Custom - hmmm.... another influence on my desire for one of these in later years maybe.  But his was special.  Many customs from the late 50s were built with three pickups - it was the default set up and continued into the SG custom that followed in the 60s - it is extremely rare to see a two pickup SG custom although two pick Les Paul Customs became the norm after the 1970 reintroduction.   John's had three pickups but rather than the usual three way switch and two vol and tones his had a four way slider switch and six controls. Here is a video of him playing it in 1976 in one of his hits Slow Down.  Esp about 1:30 in you'll see the guitar duri...

Here is a picture of the new Gibson Les Paul Standard 2019 model. In the snazzy looking Blueberry Burst.  Not possibly the colour I'd choose if I was buying this guitar but interesting and actually quiet innovative for a production guitar finish - you've got a standard burst idea - i.e. fade from light to dark from the centre out to the edges and a colour transition from the neck joint to the base of the instrument.  Now - if you search on the Internet for Gibson Les Paul Standard 2019 - you'll find a whole host of articles and videos with people in melt down.  I've not seen this level of hate for Gibson Les Paul since the addition of robot tuners and the height adjustable brass nut. I thought I write and give my take on this... firstly by talking history. Exhibit one the original Les Paul model as introduced in 1952. (from GuitarHQ.com) Let us roll on to 1957. (This is actually Snowy White's guitar that he has used throughout his career with Pin...

I've had this on my Amazon wishlist for a while now.  It's not a cheap book and in the end Mrs F perusing said list for inspiration for a Christmas present bought it for me. I have to say my knowledge of Gibson's ES-300 series isn't that good.  I can easily spot Les Paul's, SGs, Strats and Teles readily knowing the age (or increasingly the reissue basis) etc. quickly but other than telling an ES-335 from an ES-345 or ES-355 my knowledge lacked.  To that end this has been a really useful read.  I knew that through the 60s and 70s the ES-335 moved from dot finger board with a stop tail-piece to block inlays and a trapeze one but the other changes around particularly the internal construction and the move from "mickey mouse" ears etc. made this a good read. Also Adrian covers a lot of other models, notably the obvious sister Epiphone line with Sheratons, Casinos etc. which in the UK are possibly more sought after with their associations with Lennon, Welle...

Gibson made this announcement a few days back... Now... if I had $2,000,000 - which sadly I've not - I've just checked with my bank.   They're still laughing btw....  and I could spend in on guitar(s) ... I don't think I'd be buying that. So here's a game what would you buy instead? Me... hmmm....    Probably some silly PRS Private Stock 513 to start.   An old Strat, early 60s rosewood board, an ES-175 with PAFs, 335?... more likely knowing me a 355 again early 60s preferably or a good modern one....   A Les Paul - a real late 50s?  Don't know possibly one or more from the great current custom range a "Gabby" or a "Dutchburst" of the ones I've seen recently....    Maybe that original prototype Custom that sold for $300K recently - that was one of Les's own guitars and whilst not what was claimed a really important piece of history.  Or could I get hold of Rory Gallagher's beaten to death Stra...

I got an email from Gibson as I'm on their email list. This had a link to A Guitar Geek's Guide to Gibson ES Models - brilliant... Now the little bit that really got me was side by side two new models... The new ES Les Paul - which is another attempt to make a hollow bodied Les Paul... And the 335-S - another attempt (there was one many years back) at a solid ES-335... errrr.... Odd when you think about this... but hey people out there might want them... I like the LP one better but there is a much cheaper option via Gordon Smith...

Stupidity!  Don't be hasty.  Leave it to someone who knows... etc. Ok My Gibson Les Paul Custom, which used to on the old blog at least and maybe here for a while be my banner at the top, has had to go to the menders. Why?  Cos I was daft that is why.  I've filed a few nuts in my time, normally on my cheaper guitars or on the kit build etc. and in those cases all has been fine, a success.  I took my time, carefully noting what I was doing.  So one day a little while back I thought may be if I lower the nut slots on the Gibson some of the intonation issues on the lower frets will be fixed.  Good idea I thought.  I remember laying it down and thinking "This is a pretty pricey guitar do you want to do this?"  I went at it.  Stupidly I went just one or two strokes too far on the low E string.  It buzzed it rattled.  I was mortified, how stupid.  I did a temp fix with superglue and some dust off a spare nut blank but frankl...