Audio Zephyr

https://www.facebook.com/share/1A1cxHs2kt/

I guess this could also count as a cool job to do..😜

Mid '60s Gibson 335

Refret and setup....

As with most of these older guitars they have had a life and seen many a mod or repair over the years...this has had a trapeze tailpiece fitted im guessing a long while back...

It was recently refretted locally but with less than ideal results and zero setup....
Frets not seated and visible glue lines on the fingerboard next to the frets in an attempt to keep them down ...the fingerboard had been levelled pretty much right but probably with a flat block so the radius was off.... measuring about 8.5" at the nut and 9.5" at the top end
The original would have been around 10" from this period

So best just to do the whole job again 'proper like'...😂

Went for 9.5 " so as to remove the minimum amount to get it true...bone nut etc

Creamy sounding guitar...ooooh🎶🎶

Gotta admit.....this type of work does it for me....

'72 Martin D28....

Arrived in a very very sorry state...

Sad frets,butchered bridge,bad neck reset,loose braces...etc

So off we go....

Make and fit new ebony bridge

Neck reset- the previous guy had not increased the neck angle by much and glued the heel to the front of the body grrrrrr....

Refret inc board level and radius - not sure but possibly the guy who fitted the previous frets
Also did the non standard inlays which were sitting above the level of the fingerboard ....yuck

Various other fixes,braces,maple plate saver,new pickguard ,bridge pins etc
Bone nut and saddle .

Sounding and playing great

Tru dat!!

https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/why-the-cars-elliot-easton-believes-a-guitars-setup-is-more-important-than-its-price-tag

I guess its time for the 'Guild' story I promised a while back.....

About 30 years ago ( def last century sometime) I picked up a '76 Guild M80.....Luved it and played it live many times( pic 1...pic 2 is not my one but a better shot of the M80)

The M80 was a double cutaway version of the M75 ... basically a Les Paul but all mahogany ( no maple cap)

I sold that to buy an '86 Guild Nightbird...( My M80 after passing thru a couple of owners is now owned and luved by one of my good clients and we have done a complete overhaul on her so cool to see her again)

The Nightbird is a LP style but this time semi hollow....again luved and played many times (pic 3)
It unfortunately was stolen when I first came to AK 😔

Then around 2012 I found a 2002 Guild Bluesbird (think nightbird= LP Custom,Bluesbird=LP Std)
Again semi hollow design ... fantastic vocal like sound....

And then along came a tax bill and not really appreciating what I had ..I sold it....but with the proviso that if the new owner was to sell it that he give me first option on it.
And so it was....a couple of months ago contacted me and asked if wanted it.....oh my YES...
And this time its qualities are not lost on me.... quickly becoming my #2 guitar...
This period of the Bluesbird is after Fender bought Guild and just before they stopped producing them all together.
She was luckily still made in the Westerly Rode Island factory before Fender closed that...

1 piece Honduran Mahogany body carved out leaving a center block with a maple cap...
Original hardware was Duncan humbuckers,Gotoh bridge ,grover tuners...
I have upgraded to Klein HB sized P90s,Faber bridge/tail piece,gotoh vintage style tuners....her vocal like sound fully enhanced....

Pic 5 is an add for a Bluesbird with a serial # very close to mine...

Pic 6 is mine...

Another tele partscaster completed.....
Ooh and aint she a beauty.....'Plush Black' is the official colour....hand stained by the owner....
Guitar Mill one piece Ash body
Parklane roasted maple/ rosewood neck
'Sunday' custom wound pickups based on early early Gibson Jnr etc
T Tune bridge with Glendale saddles

Sounds sweet and nasty all at the same time.....🎶🎶