Cult Classic Posted December 25, 2008 Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 Hello all, im looking into a future build... something i would like to carry out when im more expierienced in the building of guitars. as the title suggests, im wanting to build a replica...a very very good carbon copy of the original guitar. mainly due to my love of les pauls, led zep and jimmy page as a guitarist. only problem being is that some of the stuff fitted was one off. the pickups for example if i remember rightly. is it possible for me to do this? many thanks for your time. Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted December 25, 2008 Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 Sure it's possible. If you want it replicated exactly you may have to pay lots of money for custom stuff or learn to do it yourself, but it's possible to replicate any guitar if you're willing to take the time and spend the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 im willing to give anything a go at learning. and this would be a long term build so timescale not a huge factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackdog Posted December 26, 2008 Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 What sort of stuff was "one-off"? I´m very interested in the idea...but how much can you really replicate it? It sounds really cool! Hi, I'm interested in this one too. What is "custom made" for this model. As far as I know it's just a 59 reissue with some selected details like the top, the color and the neck profile... In my opinion, perfectly clonable given the skills, the time and, of course, the money for the brand name hardware and proper woods. Mind you, not exactly what I would choose as a first build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted December 26, 2008 Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 Maybe he means the odd wiring scheme on the original Jimmy Page les pauls? Those had a really funky wiring with different push pulls and whatnot. Otherwise maybe he's goin' for Page's actual guitar, then maybe the pickups? I know he switched them out a few times, just from video I've seen, so maybe some of them are custom. Can't really say for sure though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted December 26, 2008 Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 Yeah, for wiring in that thing I think it had four push pull pots that coil tapped each pickup and put them out of phase separately. I actually have something very similar to that on my guitar, just two switches instead. As far as I know, besides pickups and the two switches that page had on his actual one, apparently two actually, I doubt there's anything that's custom. Well, I guess he did shave down the neck a little bit, but I think that's it, at least in the bit of research that I did before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 been fiddling about on the net again today (which is really slow thanks to the sales) what you have said is pretty much correct i woul think. the pickups are supposed to be exclusive on the model that gibson sell on their website, but im led to beleive that they are just normal pickups that have been split (im learning things here ) and of course there are the four push pull pots. i have found a kit on ebay (link) what are your thoughts on this kit?, tbh i think its overpriced but im not clued up on the cost of push pull pots and the like. many thanks for your time. Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 many thanks for that. iv seen a video and i like the amount of choice you get. for the record this is what im hoping to replicate (print screened from the gibson website) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackdog Posted December 26, 2008 Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 many thanks for that. iv seen a video and i like the amount of choice you get. for the record this is what im hoping to replicate (print screened from the gibson website) OK, this is a different matter altogether. I thought (I think we all did) you were trying to replicate the burst. Not the Custom. The problem with the Custom is indeed the custom-made toggle switch. This is not a standard component and you're not likely to find it anywhere. It has the usual 3 positions vertically and it has two positions horizontally making it a six way switch. The purpose of this switch is to have the normal LP combinations, with just the two outside pickups, in the first three positions. And then have the mid pickup added in the other three. This can be easily done with a normal switch and a push-pull pot. But, while electrically the same, it would not be an exact clone of the original product. Just keep in mind that what you would be cloning is a modern product. Page's original was a 1960 Custom, and no such switches were ever used on these Les Pauls. The pickups are also advertised as different, but there are dozens of suitable pickups in the market. Again, the real thing would have PAF pickups, those could easily cost you 4-6K just for the pickups. I'm afraid that an exact copy of the Gibson Custom Shop might not be possible after all. And an exact copy of the original item might well be a Holy Grail quest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 bugger >_<. i was considering a replica of the burst, because i have a cheapy LP replica thats cherry burst.. albeit its made of pine and not the posh woods used on real LP's and then later perhaps i can build my own signature guitar. so would transplanting the JPLP electrics into the cheapy lp be feasible? is pine a terrible guitar body/neck material? thanks Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 That guitar is tooo much. I actually have and played a black beauty for many years and the thing was like straping on a couple of bricks! But here they are "replicating" a guitar from the memory of one that was stolen before it was ever even used much historically...not accurately, nor even attempting the features of the original. All of what blackdog says is relavent but building any LP is a huge order for the most experienced builder... Even the sunburst #1 LP of which there are many details...was a hacked up road weary guitar. The neck pickup was replaced and is actually hotter than the bridge...there is only one push pull pot to put the pickups out of phase to get the Peter Green effect, but rarely used... In fact, the classic LZ record were all done on a telecaster (including stairway and the first two albums) and perhaps the more used JP guitar is the brown tele that has a B-bender on it. ... If you have a pine LP and you want to get the look and dress up in a silk dragon dressing gown in front of the mirror miming to song remains the same...you are in the right ball park. I have seen an LP recently...not a gibson but a decent copy...that was reliced very realistically to look like a JP-LP or at least an old worn sunburst with a fair amount of "vibe"...but that is really what it is all about. ... This Custom is "interesting" but boy does it hark back to the excesses of my youth in the '70's...way overdone, impractical bigsby that is going to go out of tune...an unobtainium switching system...weighs a ton...and is of historic importance only because it was stolen! Sheeesh! This has taken the "artist model" to a whole new level of ridiculousness and overpriced cynicism...something I guess only gibson can do to such an extent. ... Although the switch is tricky...out of interest though...I would like to know if anyone has any real details about it and the mechanics especially. There is a more practical solution to a 3 HB Les paul by the way, without this switch, and that is a push-pull mid pickup adder...or even better...a volume control for the mid pickup to fade in as much as you like into any pickup selection...something gibson neglected to include on the originals and so loose one of the best LP selections...neck and bridge combo....only gibson could do it, and they developed a special switch to do that even though better systems were already in production on their switchmaster and other three pickup guitars...go figure! For the classic 3 pup LP I always think of the old peter frampton LP...link But even here...they have added weight relieving chambers...however the middle pickup is always on! A better looking and historically significant look than the JP-LP...do you feel like id do.... ... All that...and I didn't answer your question...to be really authentic, just get a push pull pot and add a phase switch to the bridge pickup...that is all the original #1 had in it. A later guitar was built with tricky switching but is not the famous LP and probably a rarely used feature anyway. To sound like LP...get a tele or even dano and a little supro amp turned up to the max and rock out!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 Ahhh, as for the black beauty, like everyone else said, you aren't gonna find that switch. If you want to do that one, I'd say use a regular switch for the neck and bridge pickups and a mini toggle for the middle, it won't look exactly the same but you could hide the switch under the pickguard like page did with his burst LP, or do a push/pull pot like the other's suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 many thanks for your time consuming help. i think ill just save up, buy an epiphone (they seem to be going cheap on the bay) and strip that down and make it my own. in the mean time ill stick to fiddling about with my fake LP thanks again for helping the newbie. Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 That's probably the easiest way to go, and messin' with already made guitars is fun too. Good luck when ya get to the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 i dont feel confident building a body and a neck and all that shizz right now. i can bearly get a finger joint correct let alone an lp body made of fancy wood. stripping and modding is more my thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 cheers i have a strat replica im working on atm but its not going anywhere atm because im being lazy. treating it to a full rub down soon and ill update my thread when i get round to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotgoalie11565 Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 CC, to answer a question you had asked about pine as a tone wood, it has been done in the past. As a matter of fact, some of the first Fender Broadcasters had pine bodies. But it's not the first choice for a solid body electric. And definitely DO NOT use it for a neck. Pine can not handle the stress that steel guitar strings put on it. For necks you want harder woods like hard maple or mahogany to name a couple. I'm glad you changed course. But don't give up. Just read books about it if you're really serious and keep soaking in the advice of people here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 ooh dear :S looks like my fake LP neck is made of of pine. the actual fingerboard or whatever you call it, isnt.. but the main neck is. is pine a good body material, because my strat is pine and i dont want it to be rubbish. but then i guess its better than the 60s guitar i have which i just found out is made of ply >_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Are you sure it is really pine? You can't expect top quality woods on cheap guitar...but that doesn't mean it won't make an ok player maybe you should post some pics... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 Dude, I'd say don't worry about the woods if it's just a guitar your modding for fun (unless you're planning on spending a lot of money the guitar). Maybe even don't be afraid to spend a little extra on better electronics and hardware, whenever you get/make a better guitar you can always switch stuff out. But as for worrying about woods, if the guitar's already made and staying together, you're fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 this is the strat im on about.. (left) the one on the right im hopefully selling, despite its playability... its made of ply! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 yeah but the electrics and pickups are so rubbish, it sounds terrible. i was considering just keeping the neck and building a body, which after some research i feel confident of doing. i could happily build a guitar body that doesnt have a carved top. so i may just do that. sorry to hijack my own thread but where can i get the dye for a burst finish? i have painted my strat you see on the left, but its terrible because i did it with halfords rattle cans, and now i fancy re-bursting it. perhaps with some different colours. not decided yet. thanks Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 well im sure someone will know where to get the dye! iv had a wreccy round the net but nothing has come up trumps. if anyone knows where to find dye which i can airbrush (preferably from the UK) then please post it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted December 29, 2008 Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 I would suggest you could use candy to burst it. You'd want a coat of clear and then do it. I'd suggest a touch up gun over an airbrush though, the larger nozzle will help keep it smoother. As for the guitar on the right, that's really cool, I like that...if it plays well you should keep it, but if you really want to get rid of it I might want it..... I really think you're getting too caught up in tone wood. While that's important, on an electric guitar there are soooo many more factors to sound. There's the electronics you use, the hardware you use, and then the amp that can completely change the sound of the guitar. Just something to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Classic Posted December 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2008 its an audition surf special if thats any concellation to you. cheap and nasty, but feels easy to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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