The Tone Thread

[Greg_L]

More forum appropriate, we typically host a big Christmas Eve shindig at my place and the last few years we play Greg's Christmas songs and she tells everyone "Oh i know this guy we had BBQ together in texas"


Fuck sakes.

Lol that's awesome!

I'll tell the kids they're minor celebrities in northern BFE Canada.

Whelp, I did it; pulled the trigger. 1973 Custom with what appears to be the original case.

20170424_135219.jpg

It's a player. The original owner changed the tuners, may have had some neck work (but looking further it appears to be wear from hanging in a stand/hanger). All the pots look like original soldering. This thing is HEAVY. I'll weigh it when I get a chance. Great condition for a 44 year old guitar. Plugged it in and it sounds great. Can't wait to put nice strings on it and set it up. I already put the pick guard aside; I'll see if the sig looks real but who cares? Either way I just bought a killer ax.

:

That's awesome! Congratulations!

Please do me a favor if you're ever up to it....pop the back cavity cover off of it and snap a pic for me. I wanna see the pots and wiring so you might need to take the ashtray off of it. If you don't mind. If you don't want to, no big deal.

[Bill L]

Is this what you're looking for?

20170424_202740.jpg

If not, let me know and I'll try to get you what you're looking for.

[Bill L]

Also, I'm trying to date this old girl and as can be expected with Gibson the serial numbers are all over. Perhaps someone with a better understanding can help me. Here's the headstock:

20170424_203555.jpg

The pots are #13776832 which should be 76. Any help with the serial number would be great. It's 00 122600

Look at the horrible job with the other tuners. Someone had no fuckin clue.

[rammer24]

I'm sure you did this. But just in case, some of these might help:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=gibson+l ... 8QfLp6_gBQ

[Bill L]

I'm sure you did this. But just in case, some of these might help:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=gibson+l ... 8QfLp6_gBQ

Yeah, I just found how to make since of these numbers. So it looks like a '76. No problem as it still sounds killer and plays great. Very different from my other Lester. Very glad I made the purchase.

[rammer24]

http://www.guitarinsite.nl/serienummers-gibson_eng.php

When I entered your serial number here, it says 2002 or 1976.

[Bill L]

http://www.guitarinsite.nl/serienummers-gibson_eng.php

When I entered your serial number here, it says 2002 or 1976.

You gotta love Gibson and their stellar record keeping.

[Bill L]

In case this helps someone else, I found this (originally dated 2010):

<not me>
I think it could be 1968-ish, Gibson reissued some 6 digit numbers from the 50's around 1968, I will have to dig out my gibson book to check.............I will report back......

Ha, I was wrong, they actually re-used some serial numbers between 1961 and 1969. In 1961 they introduced the 6 digit serial numbers as the standard. They used hyphened 5 digit X-XXXX numbers or six digit XXXXXX on the solid bodies from 1953- 1961.

So I was a little rusty on my gibson serial numbers, Gibsons serial numbers are convoluted difficult and random at best. But here is an exert from my book which will explain what you need to know.............

In 1970, the words "MADE IN USA" was impressed into the back of instrument headstocks (though a few
instruments from the 1950s also had MADE IN USA impressed into their headstocks as well).
Year(s) Approximate Series Manufacture
1970, 1971, and 1972 100000s, 600000s, 700000s, 900000s
1973 000001s, 100000s, 200000s, 800000s and a few “A” + 6 digit numbers
1974 and 1975 100000s, 200000s, 300000s, 400000s,500000s, 600000s, 800000s
and a few A-B-C-D-E-F + 6 digit numbers
During the period from 1975-1977 Gibson used a transfer that had eight digit numbers, the first two
indicate the year, 99=1975, 00=1976 and 06=1977, the following six digits are in the 100000 to 200000
range. MADE IN USA were also included on the transfer and some models had LIMITED EDITION also
applied. A few bolt on neck instruments had a date ink stamped on the heel area.
In 1977, Gibson first introduced the serialization method that is in practice today. This updated system
utilizes an impressed eight digit numbering scheme that covers both serializing and dating functions. The
pattern is as follows:

So from that we can deduce your Les Paul custom was manufactured between 1973-1975.
Im not sure we can narrow it down any further at this stage.........

Last edited: Sep 15, 2010

</not me>

[Greg_L]

Yes, from what I know, which isn't that much, yours would be a 76. And the weird documentation confirms that it's a 76. Yours should be the last year of the pancake bodies.

The control cavity pic is good. That's all I needed. Thanks. I wanted to see how it compared to my 78, but I think yours has been rewired. The pots may be original, but I suspect someone has rewired it somewhere in it's life. None of that matters, I just wanted to see if it had all the goofy shit mine did....which has since been gutted and reworked like yours.

[JD01]

Looks like a great guitar, Bill.

[Minerman]

Very nice looking guitar Bill, congrats!!!

[Greg_L]

So I got some parts in today to mod this 50w Plexi reissue. First mod will be to install the PPIMV. That will involve lifting the board, removing a few resistors, and soldering some wires to a volume pot in their place. Probably pretty easy for a pro, gonna be nerve-racking for a hack like me, but I've been inside amps before. Seems pretty straightforward but we'll see....

[WhiskeyJack]

Is this thread showing up pink to anyone else in the forum index?

[rammer24]

Is this thread showing up pink to anyone else in the forum index?

Not me. But I have a feature that turns anything I've already clicked on blue, and anything I haven't clicked on is red.

[Greg_L]

Is this thread showing up pink to anyone else in the forum index?

No, but it's all pink on the inside....so they say.

[JD01]

Another new tune I've been working on, made a few more small changes, mainly to try and make the bass a tiny bit less clacky.

Still working on this, have a riffs to add and havne't written all the lyrics yet, shouldnt be a fun one... its kind of a pop song!

[ido1957]

Just starting to put this together, but they say if a guy and his guitar can stand alone, it makes for a good arrangement. Guess I'll see if this one makes the cut. Got some lyrics from Mike's brother in law, who was wondering if we could use a few lines. The lyrics are all his, the arrangement and the vocal melody are Mike and I. He's got more I'm interested in working with.

This thing is in Em, is dark, and has a big chunk of plate reverb and a shelf at about 100K on the LPC.
2X2 about 88% panned for now. Middle position, all knobs at 8. Amp is Gain 6, treble 10:00, bass 10:00, middle 1:00. Master 5, JCM900/1960B
Vocal is U87 through an LA610 MKII - 7k -1.5db 100k - 1.5 db, Comp at 5 (centered) Both Gains at 6. Parallel compression and tons of Vintage Plate.

Still lots of work to do and things to add to this one, just imagine you hit the solo buttons on what's here.

[ido1957]

Another new tune I've been working on, made a few more small changes, mainly to try and make the bass a tiny bit less clacky.

Still working on this, have a riffs to add and havne't written all the lyrics yet, shouldnt be a fun one... its kind of a pop song!

Sounds good here in my headphones, and the bass doesn't have any clack that I hear. Good bass playing - it really moves on this one. Good choices on the guitars as well. You're getting some nice chucka chucka on the rhythms. Reverb adds some bounce to it too - nice one.

[rayc]

RIGHT ANGLE I know...
I've been listening to bass tone specifically for a long time. I been listening even more closely in HR, (past tense now), & TRR for something that can be achieved with minimal gear.
I usually use a Vantage bass (1981) with round wound strings, a DI device - Behringer Bass BDI21, and a tiny bit of very tight EQing in the box. When I can I'll use that DI & split the signal to also mic a Marshall superbass MkII into an Eton 200w box miked with a 57 1/2 way to the edge. Lately I've tried using some light compression on the way in as well - to compensate for under rehearsed picking. I seem to get away with, for me, a reasonable tone/sound/signal.
I know some of what you folk use - Rami uses an active bass, Greg mics his speaker and uses what he records, but I don't know much more than that. I am curious as to what you chaps are doing to get what you use & are happy with.

[ido1957]

Actually Ray we're following your tone, or at least trying to
I'm anxious to hear Mike's new bass recorded, Ampeg Tube/SS line out to his ISA2 then into Sonar. He's upped his mids a lot for definition on his Fenders as you know, but man that Ricky bottom end is pretty sweet. He cuts his string noise at 4K, drops the 84k slider on his amp's EQ, amp compressor at the point of where you hear it, then shelves it when he gets ITB to cut the boom and open up the kick. And with all this technology, we're still chasing your tone.