westhemann Posted October 24, 2010 Report Share Posted October 24, 2010 That guy looks like my car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted October 26, 2010 Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 I would not mess about with it, Just put some realy thin CA into the cracks to sort them out & thats it. Plug it in & go apeshit !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted October 26, 2010 Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 Re: the Dave Hill pics; Wow, it just does not get much more glam than that! oh really! lets have another unusual john birch I wonder what that guitar is called, The Wangcaster ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 that was the name of a similar version done later by someone else- here it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Here ya go.... http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1975-John-Birc...=item1e5f564e9e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 thx - i will keep an eye on that! edit: this line of teh auction made me laugh "JB Pickups are pretty rare" - yes "but finding one hand-engraved and 'hand-signed' by John is a real find!" - no harder than finding one in the first place. finding an un-engraved one from john birch would be much rarer! John apparently liked to put his name on everything - he even used to put his own name on stuff he modified or repaired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 Its here... and it sounds pretty damn sweet - a lot better than i expected actually. the pickups are old dimarzios with no model codes stamped on the back like i think they have now Splits are rather serious as they go all the way through and its basically just the jack and back plate holding it together - but i dont mind that as it makes for an easier reglue pics: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 Awesome. Please take pictures as you rebuild it... (don't restore it just fix it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 will do, and its definately just getting glued for now.... refinish may come later though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 wiring and missing wood near jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 what i am about to say quite surprises me. I really like these dimarzio pickups! Maybe even enough for them to stay since they seem to be the same age as the guitar. Looks like its a super distortion and a PAF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 man thats a cool old beast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 also, its all maple. john claimed to be using rock maple but i am sure i remember suggestions that it was more likely sycamore. The wood was all sourced from bannister material and john did not believe wood was tonally important - all about his pickups as far as he was concerned. The all maple construction is why i was unsure this would work for me tonally.... but its actually pretty well balanced. I would describe it as lively and responsive, but i wouldnt call it bright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1975-John-Birc...=item1e5f564e9e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 Here ya go.... http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1975-John-Birc...=item1e5f564e9e you were beaten to it tim tbh i think the price is already pushing my limit. I would maybe push to $200 for one but i suspect it wont stay at that price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 i just did a quick search for john birch to see what was on there and thats all that popped up. any way i hope you get it up and going soon also do you have a wiring diagram for that thing it looks like a monster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 sketched out the wiring for reference. Its rather odd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 the wiring has officially got me confused! looks like the rotary is not doing any mono/stereo operation as would be normal. Seems to me like it gives 1. Bridge wired normal, neck wired in reverse (out of phase) 2. Bridge wired in reverse, neck wired normal (out of phase) 3. Bridge and neck wired normally (in phase) God knows whats going on with those tone pots! Seems like the mini toggle is supposed to be doing the mono/stereo bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osorio Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Wez - don´t you think in gretsh pickups? They looks like Birch and sounds great too. Can´t remember where I have read, but gretsh pickups are wound with extra thing wire too, WG46 or 44. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 gretsch pickups do sound pretty good, especially the TV jones variety. the look would certainly be close - especially a supertron in the bridge i dunno though, i dont think the look or sounds would be quite right for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Can´t remember where I have read, but gretsh pickups are wound with extra thing wire too, WG46 or 44. waiting for R.A.D. to chime in...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 iirc the gretsch pickups commonly used 43awg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 couple of much nicer john birch guitars have just been listed http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JOHN-BIRCH-70s-DOUBL...=item33620a7211 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JOHN-BIRCH-70s-/2206...=item33620a6f9f Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 I have contacted Alan Exley but he hasnt got any pickups available, does have original routing patterns for them though if i manage to get a set and need to plug and re-route cavities. he also explained the thinking with the tone controls: "the idea was, one way was treble cut & the other way was bass cut. so you could get a good tonal sweep, but in my way of thinking, I think this is a bad idea, cause it made the pick ups sound slightly dull & with less power, but the tone controls seem to be wired up incorrectly anyway. " i have just had a little play with the wiring and it does seem to be all working. although as alan points out, the tone controls may be wired incorrectly. To me they are oddly placed in the circuit with the signal having to go through them before reaching the volume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 i have updated my current diagram with the way things are currently wired and how they seem to be working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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