1959 Les Paul Build

[preeb]

Originally Posted by mattij

Found this thread today and read it with most eager interest! Most inspiring and stunning project, to say the least! Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm and knowledge with us. I'm about to begin my third guitar project, and your methods and attitude have changed my thoughts and attitude about luthiering. Thank you for the inspiration.

- Matti

Thanks Matti and Welcome.
That's what I love to hear most. Good luck with your future builds!

[preeb]

Originally Posted by martin manning

Gil, I'd like to add my sincere thanks. The generosity you've shown in taking the time to document and explain your work here is astounding, and I'm truly humbled by your going the extra mile in graciously answering so many questions, be they uninformed, esoteric, or outrageous. It's a beautiful result all around.

Cheers,

Martin Manning

Originally Posted by sproing

Very good work preeb, been watching since the begining of the build and checking almost daily.

Keep it up!

edit: typo,

Originally Posted by BluesHound

Been away for a few days, so I've just been playing catch up with the tail end of the build. I'm absolutely gobsmacked, this build has to be the most incredible guitar related thing I've ever seen. I've chipped in with a few comments earlier, but seeing (and hearing) the finished result, I just can't put it into words.............

So I'd just better say THANK YOU GIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And even though you denied it earlier, I really do think that the title of true genius is applicable.

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Moggl

Another great build comes to its inevitable end, and again: Thank you, Gil!

Thanks guys.

[preeb]

Originally Posted by Jimijazz

Wow! This build has been amazing and the guitar is phenomenal! At first I thought the colour was too intense, but after you hit it with the UV, it looks close to perfect. I never knew they faded so fast though.

Thanks Jimijazz.

Regarding Aniline fading... it's a tricky thing.
Aniline gets it's color from certain molecular bonds.
UV light breaks the weak molecular bonds on the darker colors such as red and blue very quickly. That's the theory... but life is hardly ever working in theoretical accuracy... (-;

The color, before turning lighter actually turns darker!! or better described... the upper layer changes to a more brownish red while the deeper layers stay red. This combination, for some reason, looks darker than the original red.
A good example for this scenario is using a lightly yellow tinted color over red...although the yellow is expected to create an orange color on top of the red.. it gives a darker deeper red.
The other issue is the blue color I added to the red... when the red starts to change the blue is still strong and the mix is again, getting darker...
Eventually, it will start to really fade and become lighter.
The trick is to have the entire top "baked" evenly as you don't want some areas to look very light and others too dark... so when using a strong UV light it's important to set the distance and angle in such a way it would allow for an even result. Too close will fade the center and outer recurved sections and the result will look unnatural... too far will take days to get any fading... but the most important thing is to know when to stop. The molecular bonds have a delayed reaction and keep breaking even after the UV is shut down, so it's wise to check every hour or so and stop when it looks close to the desired target color.
In any case, sunlight is the best way to do it but will harm the instrument since it's not only the UV... it's the whole wide light frequency spectrum... and when there's strong UV there's also strong IR which is very bad for wood... especially rosewood.

[preeb]

Originally Posted by alexands

stunned! stunned is all I can say to sum up how I feel. You are an amazing artist.

will you ever sell your pickups? I doubt I could afford one of you beautiful guitars but I might be able to afford the pickups.

I think my wife was worried last night that I was going to sell the baby to raise the money to buy one of your guitars.

Thanks so much for you time and teachings.

Thanks alexands.

I don't build parts... I build musical instruments.
Can you please send a photo of the baby? LOL...

You're welcome... and thanks for the kind words (-;

[preeb]

Originally Posted by greeny

Gil, thanks for the blood, sweat, tears, love and understanding you have put into this build, amazing to witness.
I was just wondering how close Tom Bartletts plans are to your blueprints? I know the neck and pickup plane differ but what about plan view body shape profile? are they at all similar or just larger?
all the best.Thanks man.

Thanks!
They are OK. If you want to build a working Les-Paul type guitar I'd say they are close, but if you want to build an exact 50's replica for the purist of purists, I will not say they are the same at all.

[Sterling Sound]

Originally Posted by preeb

Beautiful picture! This is now my desktop background

[Bikersluggo]

Originally Posted by preeb

In any case, sunlight is the best way to do it but will harm the instrument since it's not only the UV... it's the whole wide light frequency spectrum... and when there's strong UV there's also strong IR which is very bad for wood... especially rosewood.

I've never heard this, though I'm not surprised. But isn't it possible that the damage from IR contributes to the great sound of all the real old Bursts? After all you're the one that taught me that every little detail matters.

[Doubletriode]

Hi!
I came across the following report about a PRS guitar and its pickups.
Following the very interesting lesson Gil gave us about recreating a PAF pickup I wonder what the specialist who have been following this thread think about it.

"Paul Reed Smith Guitars unveiled a limited run of solid body electrics featuring the new 1957/2008? pickups announcing that he acquired exclusive rights to the original pickup wire used in the most revered '50s era pickups in 2008, and 1957 was the year the humbucker was first commercially available, giving rise to the name for PRS Guitars' newest and most exclusive pickup.

1957/2008 humbuckers:

PRS is very guarded about its pickup specs - magnet type, wire gauge, etc. This is because they use, "the same [coil] wire from the same machine with the same coating: the machine that made the wire for Gibson and Fender in the fifties is the machine that's making our wire." This resource is exclusive to PRS. But it ain't just wire, it's the magnets too. What Smith will allow us to say is that the material composition of the magnet used back then is not the same as is commonly used today. "We have the old stuff being made again and it sounds exactly like the old stuff. It's the wire and the magnet and everything else. There is a magic to those old PAFs - that's why they cost a couple of thousand dollars each. These pickups just sound clearer, cleaner, less cloudy and even more musical."

To Gil: what's next?
I love this forum but, without one of your builds to follow, it loses a little sparkle (this is respectfully dedicated to Buckocaster too )

Best regards
Silvio

[MrB14ck]

Perfect build!!!
I love it...
Can you send the picture in higher resolution?
I want to make wallpaper from this snap.

[preeb]

Originally Posted by Bikersluggo

I've never heard this, though I'm not surprised. But isn't it possible that the damage from IR contributes to the great sound of all the real old Bursts? After all you're the one that taught me that every little detail matters.

I don't think the originals were lined up in the sun every morning (-;

[dietrichluthier]

Hi Gil

The Les paul paln stewmac.com 59 is approximate to the original 59?
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_p...Paul_Plan.html

Damian

[preeb]

Originally Posted by dietrichluthier

Hi Gil

The Les paul paln stewmac.com 59 is approximate to the original 59?
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_p...Paul_Plan.html

Damian

I do not wish to discuss other plans.
It is not my place to criticize the work of others.
I only use my own plans and never found commercially available accurate plans of templates for any guitar model (they might be out there, I don't know). I recommend to trust nothing but the original instrument in your hands. Also, even if you have a correct plan, it's still a must to hold and inspect the original to get the feel for it if you wish to create a good replication.

[dmerkuloff]

Gil, a bit offtopic. What's the table router you use? Is it factory or custom made?

[preeb]

Originally Posted by dmerkuloff

Gil, a bit offtopic. What's the table router you use? Is it factory or custom made?

My bigger 3.5 HP router is fixed under my working table with a raiser adjusting mechanism. When needed, I raise it and the table turns into a routing table. I also use it for neck shaping and pin routing. I can hardly call it "custom made"... it's a hole in the 1 1/2" thick HDF table really... LOL
I'm getting ready to expand soon and will build a dedicated routing table and other working stations... but until then I use the same station for multiple operations... and still enjoy my little shack... I got the feeling I'll miss it a lot when it's gone (-;

[dmerkuloff]

Thanks! But...pin routing you say? As a pin router with the top pin, like the one someone showed here?

[preeb]

Originally Posted by dmerkuloff

Thanks! But...pin routing you say? As a pin router with the top pin, like the one someone showed here?

Yes, with a top pin. It is mainly used for a direct copy of original vintage instruments, parts and routs.

Note the black massive steel arm in the back, this can be rotated to hold any pin size centered above the router bit with vertical adjustment.

[ehawley]

Best thread yet....EVER......Gil, is this the arm HERE (daisy pin router arm)?
Thanks again
Cheers
ED

[beach bob]

At the risk of sounding repetitive to many other posts~

Gil, I have been silently watching this thread for several weeks now, and am truly impressed from the top of my hair to the very tips of my toenails. Your work is beyond compare; your sharing of your knowledge, experiences, failures and successes, your fortitude, are all just amazing to watch unfold. *Plus* you share it all, in good humor, right here at the TDPRI! Your sharing of yourself, your lovely family, and your beautiful country is most inspiring.

When I was a boy, my best friend Scott lived next door, and his Dad was a master carpenter. He had a full basement shop in which he'd let Scott and me fool around and make small wooden objects, while Dad worked on his stuff. Which typically involved going to Amish auctions in mid-state Ohio, coming back with a 100 year old piece of handmade furniture, and making an exact replica of it... right down to doing French polishes and such... does that sound at all familiar??

Anyways, reading this thread has taken me back to those carefree days with my best buddy, just being a kid. So thank you very much for that... it puts a big smile on my face

Continued success and good health to you and yours

[alk-3]

Originally Posted by preeb

Thanks!
They are OK. If you want to build a working Les-Paul type guitar I'd say they are close, but if you want to build an exact 50's replica for the purist of purists, I will not say they are the same at all.

With all due respect Gil, the Bartlett plans were taken from 4 separate original Bursts, and have been verified by several of the top repair people in the Les Paul community.
They are very accurate.

[redstringuitar]

Man, I soooooo wish that package had my name and address on it...