Pete

Gibson Les Paul Custom..... Every single time. Pete

Nitefly, just out of interest, how about posting some details on your Strat? Have you tried experimenting with pickups on it? Pete

I should mention that my good LP has a mahogany/maple body, mahogany/rosewood set neck, and weighs about 10 lbs. Closest thing to a Gibson that I've ever seen. Pete

I just checked out the ebay link for the Greco. I don't have any experience with this brand name. However, be careful with "lawsuit" guitars. I have two Antoria Les Pauls (Antoria is a brand used in the UK, I don't think it appeared in the USA, but they were made in the Ibanez factory). One is absolutely superb, the other is a POS. Both were bought on ebay. The bad one had a bolt on neck (I didn't realize this else I wouldn't have touched it, should have asked), And the body cap is a sheet of ply shaped to a Les Paul type carve top. It's hollow underneath. The main body wood isn't ply, but I'm not sure it's mahogany either. Luckily it didn't cost too much, and will come in useful as something to experiment on as I learn about building. The top of that Greco doesn't look like maple to me. But I could be wrong. I gave you bad advice in my first posting, so I'll stick with "try before you buy", or at least be VERY sure about what you're getting. Call the guy. Ask him how much it weighs. A solid LP should weigh about 10-11lbs. Pete

I read those reviews on Harmony central too. As Nitefly says, many were from guys who had been playing for 30 odd years, which is why I took them seriously. I guess it had to be too good to be true. The only way to be sure is if you can check them out yourself Stagelefts post came in as I was typing this. He has a point, people could lie about their age, although I don't see that myself. But, there you have it, a member of the forum who has had hands on experience. Save your money and try before you buy. Pete

That SX looks really sweet. Seems like it has a lot going for it. A good price and good reviews from experienced players. They say good things about Rondos too. Some things you may want to consider: It doesn't have a maple cap, just solid mahogany, so it may sound a little darker than a Les Paul, more like an SG perhaps. Did you go through Rondos other listings? They're offering a model with an ash cap for $10 more. Looks nice. http://www.rondomusic.net/gg1stdashna.html For $149 I strongly doubt that the pickups will be that great, although the folks on H-C think they're ok. But it looks like you could have an instrument deserving of an upgrade. You won't go far wrong with a set of Duncans, a JB and a Jazz perhaps, although you'll spend as much on these as you would on the guitar. I have a set on my Antoria (70s lawsuit) Les Paul.... actually they're the "Duncan designed" HB 102 set, based on JB & Jazz, as good as, at a fraction of the cost and perfect for what I'm playing ... classic rock ... Thin Lizzy, Bad Company etc ... keep watching ebay! You didn't say what pickups you have in your Strat. Maybe you could swap them with the SX. If you do swap them out, throw some Lace sensor duallys in the Strat. With some clever switching you could turn this into a very versatile guitar, and it never hurts to have a backup. I'm working on something similar and hope to have it done in the next few days. I think you may be on to a winner here, just bear in mind that $149 probably won't be your final cost. The good thing is you don't have to spend all the money at once. If your finances allow, get the hard case too. I hope it works out for you. Go for it! Pete

Hey Frank! If you find one, can I have the pickups then? seeing as you don't like them! Pete

I'd expect that too. What I wonder though, is what pickup did Fender slant? Was it like their HM humbucker? Could they have used a pair of Strat pickups (with one coil RW/RP. Reviews say single coil mode was VERY Strat-like)? An entirely new design? I would presume they would have had a reasonably high output, based on what I assume would have been the guitars intended market. I don't want to blow these questions out of proportion, I'm just curious, and always interested in new ideas regarding pickup design (I have to admit to not ever seeing this guitar before). Pete

So I guess my chances of finding some of those pickups are pretty much zero then. Oh well...... Pete

WB, Thanks for reminding me about HC, must have had a brain f@rt or something. Also checked out ebay, but nothing listed right now. Pete

Sorry Matt, I think that looks awful. I am, however, intrigued by the pickups. Anybody know what this sounds like? Pete

Hi Steve Thanks, that's one of my questions answered! I have all the measurements, specs and pix in my brochure but the only thing I now don't know is...... Did the neck tilt back at an angle like a Les Paul? I'm really sorry your guitar got stolen. Pete

Ah yes! the Sonex! You've opened a can of worms with that one Idch. Actually, wasn't that what it was made from? Several cans of worms held together with frog spit? Or was that the Nighthawk? (Now that was ugly!) I looked it up... Multi-phonic??? What does that mean?? It's another one of those phrases like "scatterwound" isn't it? Wood core? What kind of wood? Velvet Brick!! As for the Marauder, yes Idch, I am hoping to get hold of one at some point (maybe an S-1 too!). I could always try and build one (that's why I'm here in the first place, I want to learn how to build my own guitars), but then I'd miss out on those Bill Lawrence pickups. And the info I seek? ... I've Googled. I've Asked Jeeves. I can't find a decent side-on photo to confirm neck angle. Anybody that talks about the pickups say how great (or crap) they are, but nothing about the volume balance between them. The next step I suppose would be to try contacting some Harmony Central reviewers directly. I'll post my findings. Pete

I would have thought so too, but..... Both these guitars were Gibsons, and the space between the strings and the body was so high you could limbo under it. Incredibly uncomfortable. Someone on Harmony Central made a vague reference to a neck angle, saying it felt strange after playing a Strat, but it was VERY vague and I can't seem to find it again for a quote. Somebody here MUST have either owned or played one! Pete

Thanks SP. From the photos it doesn't look like there's any neck angle at all, I can't really tell. What do you think? Can anybody confirm this? (The wiring schematic is VERY useful!) Pete

But back on topic..... Anybody else have any more details about the Marauder, especially neck angle? Pete

Oh, and as for the missed opportunity... I know the feeling! Saw an Ibanez Flying V bass advertised for £400 a few years ago. I was broke. Cried for days Why not build one? the sliding pickup may be a problem, but the G3 should be ok. Hmm... another idea to add to my (rapidly growing) list. Pete

Found it! Pete

Are you sure that's the right link? Can't see a Grabber there. Pete

LK - Thanks. The article was very useful. I remember seeing these guitars in the late 70s in London, and realizing they were an attempt by Gibson to emulate Fender, The S-1 of course, being essentially a Les Paul shaped Strat with its 3 single coils. The Marauder took me a little longer to figure out, but seemed to be a take on Fenders '72 Telecaster Custom, ie, bridge single coil - neck humbucker. A Gibson brochure I picked up at the time (still have it!) confirmed the "Fenderness" with details of the woods used in construction - Alder body, Maple neck. Unfortunately I only ever saw these guitars through a shop window, never got to handle them. So, can anybody tell me about the neck angle? SP - That same brochure shows the Grabber and her sister the Ripper. Such a shame you couldn't afford that bass! Which model was it, the Grabber, with the sliding pickup (a take on Ampeg, perhaps?), or the Grabber III, with 3 single coils? Once again, I only ever saw these through shop windows. Those basses must have weighed a ton, the bodies were huge!!! Sigh.... memory lane. Pete

Hi. A couple of questions about the Marauder: The neck. Although it's a bolt on, was this set at an angle like a Les Paul? I've seen an SG and a Flying V where the neck didn't have the angle. Both guitars were virtually unplayable. Pickups. Can anybody tell me what type they were? I've heard that they were designed by Bill Lawrence. Made by BL? Gibson? I always assumed the single coil was some kind of P-90. How well do they balance, volume-wise? Does the humbucker overpower the single coil? I'd be very grateful for any info you guys might have. Pete

Hey Tonemonkey, If malebolgia doesn't take you up on the offer, I'd certainly like to see that book! Safe return promised! PM or email me and I'll send you my address. Pete

Hey Scott. Can you tell me if your Corvus has a bolt on neck? And how well does it balance when you stand? I'm assuming Ash body, Maple neck. Pete

Terrific!! A melted Moderne! I have to admit tho, I never did like the breadwinner Pete

I got this message: The error returned was: Sorry, the link that brought you to this page seems to be out of date or broken. Toddler, maybe you can link to it because the page is still in your browsers cache. Pete