#eb3mystery Semi-restoration :: 1970s Gibson EB-3 [7.7 lbs]

December 31, 2015

A poor 1970's Gibson EB-3 that was crudely modified at some point. The mods included adding a P pickup, active preamp, moving the rotary switch, plugging some of the controls, etc. I ended up removing the preamp and rewiring the guitar as close to stock as I could. The rotary switch was returned back home along with adding back one of the volume controls. The tone choke was also long gone so I replaced it with one courtesy of Curtis Novak. The original 2 point bridge didn't allow enough adjustment to lower the action, so a new Hipshot 2 point Supertone bridge was installed. I will eventually group this project into one blog post, but in the meantime you can follow up here: #eb3mystery

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Slip sliding bridge :: 1957 Gibson ES-175 [5.7 lbs]

December 30, 2015

This nearly 60 year old beast came in strung with 10s which was not enough tension to hold the floating bridge in place during bends and heavy strumming. We switched to 12s that added roughly 40 lbs of tension and locked the bridge down solid. The frets are pretty chewed up so when this guy gets new ones in the future it will play like butter. Love, love this guitar.

The serial number dates this gorgeous Gibson ES-175 to 1956, but it's most likely a 1957 since research tells me Gibson switched from P90's to humbuckers in 1957.

Setup video from the daily vlog.

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Another broken Gibson neck :: 1996 Gibson Les Paul Studio

December 30, 2015

A habitual issue nearly as iconic as the brand itself is a Gibson Les Paul with a broken headstock. This is the classic hinged break where the headstock is still held to the neck by the face overlay. These are the easiest of head breaks to repair since the headstock remains aligned during the gluing and clamping process. Just inspect the joint for anything that will prevent a tight joint, make the necessary adjustments, apply glue (hot hide glue is my preference) and clamp.

My 2 cents on why you see these breaks most often on Les Pauls versus Gibson acoustics or even SG's is that the Les Paul bodies are so damn heavy (SG's tend to break at the heel). When the guitar falls with such a huge counterweight it easily leverages against the short grain in the headstock and pops them open like a can of beer. Again, just my 2 cents.

Headstock glue-up from the vlog.

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Neck carving :: Chubbuck Mousa 003 hollowbody

December 30, 2015

The neck on the Mousa 003 hollowbody is rough carved and ready for me to finish getting the body together. This time of year is always crazy busy so I'm looking forward to getting this one into the booth once the dust settles.

Wood that didn't make the cut on the neck carve. Kind of a bummer to realize that more of the raw lumber ends up on the floor than in the guitar. But like any sculpture, you find what you need concealed inside and cut away what's unnecessary.