trinityamps.com

ooops a double post, it was soposed to be posted here:
viewtopic.php?t=1698&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=20

But it got started as a separate post, well well...

_________________
Regards
LesPaul_1982

Very nice indeed?

Well thank you Stoo , would you belive I bought this guitar used and unseen?
I was a bit skeptical first, but when I first opened the the case and saw my first Gibson guitar, and then strummed the strings I was in heaven.. The hole guitar was just "alive" after I strummed it, vibrating in the wood..
I had a Epiphone Lespaul first, and I can say it was quite a "upgrade" foir me , the epi was a good guitar also, but this gibson was so much better I could feel it right away.
This is guitar is a working-axe with lost "dings" and "scratches" and it's been well played, and you can feel that "mojo" I think..

The strange thing about this guitar is the maple top, its uneeven in the finnish ,quite strange, almost as if it had the topsection removed and re-topped ?? but then they could not find the same flame-maple??
Because if you look on the upper part there is a flame, and on the lower parts it is not a flame top ???

_________________
Regards
LesPaul_1982

I've heard that Gibson will sometimes make guitars out of scrap pieces of wood at the end of production runs, so maybe this is an example of this It's unique, right??!!
Just as a suggestion... you may want to upgrade those ceramic tone caps

Joe G

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Some assembly required,
Brain sold separately...

joeyvelour, that actually makes sense when you look at it, but it would seem a strange thing to doo with such an expensive guitar...
But yes it is uniqe lol

Do you happen to see what finnish is used on this guitar? I bought it as a Tobacco sunburst. But I don't think it is the right finnish name anymore, after all the reading in Lespaul-forums, what makes most sense to me is: icedtea sunburst ?

PS, can you see what pots and electronics is used in my gibson overall?
300k pots or anything like that?? As I said earlier up, I am thinking about getting a WCR PAF pickup-kit and also upgraded-wiring from either WCR or RS-guitarworks

What change in tone would it make to change only the ceramic-cap which you pointed out?
I don't know if I would like 50s wiring, as I use both my tone and volume pots to fine-tune my sound when i play, but I feel the tone is a bit sharp and harsh sometime could that be due to that ceramic-cap?
Overall I sort of like the sound of my Lester-pickups, I am wondering about one thing though, I can sort of get a fender-ish sound from my neck-pickup , whould this go away with PAF's ??
And it's hard to get a good "woman-tone" from the neck-pickup, it is a bit muddy and thick sometimes
Is there a big diffrence in "pick-attack" when using custom pickups compared to those standard gibson-pickups?? would it be easier to get the notes out of the guitar, with better "boutiqe pickups(WCR)" compared to stock gibsons??

_________________
Regards
LesPaul_1982

Rune, there is always the possibility that the guitar had a painted top originally and was refinished. Heck, my friend JCNY had one of his custom shop LP's refinished right out of the box (sometimes it's good to be single!). It looks like a pretty nice top though to be painted over... Don't know!

The standard pots and caps were 500k audio tapers and .022mf caps. I hear that some years during the 80's they used 300k pots (?) and the tone suffered. I can't tell what you have in yours from the pictures, but maybe someone else here can. Have you dated the guitar?

You should open a new topic here about the tone caps. There are lots of talented people on this site with lots of different opinions on the subject I'm sure

Joe G

_________________
Some assembly required,
Brain sold separately...

Is there a seam about 1/2 thickness in the mahogany section of the body?

1982 is right about the end of the Norlin era Gibson's, you have a 3 piece top which was not unusual back then as was having an off center seamed 2 piece tops. If it has a seam 1/2 way through the thickness of the body it's definitely a Norlin era "pancake" body.

Gibson still uses 300k pots on the USA builds, (500k on custom shop models). An RS kit and 50's wiring will help. It's actually better if you use your control knobs, the 50's wiring keeps the treble up as the volume is turned down. The 500k pot will increase the range of the tone control and give you more treble to use. getting rid of the ceramic cap will help (replacements come with the RS kits). The taper on the pots is much more usable too (easier to control)

Color is between a faded dark burst to an iced tea in my opinion.

NICE GUITAR and most importantly----YOU like it and it sounds good

Thank you guys,
LOL pancake body very fitting for this Lester eh
Yes I like my Lester pretty much , it's a working axe so I don't have to be too afraid of scratches hehe

Also I can't afford customs, and R8 and R9, espesially not new ones
the most expensive is a "Mike bloomfield 1959 lespaul replica" and it costs 14300$$$$ that is sick...
a regular R9 is 8300$ yikes

Hmmmm, I don't think there is a seam on the sides in the mahogany section, making it a layered body?
But there is a seam right below the binding, but that is normal? isn't it??
EDIT I just checked now, and it
is indeed a pancake model it is clearly visible in the control-cavity i seems to be layered up to 3 times? also the neck is 3 pieces side by side


- - - -

Cap value is:
M P
203M
100 v

- - - -
hope that helps somehow?
also the guitar is a 1982 model I think? serial-nr.: 80562510

thanks again for all help, and advice

_________________
Regards
LesPaul_1982

Seam at the binding is normal, it's the boundary between the mahogany and the maple top.

The pancake body has a thin (1 or 2mm thick) maple layer between two layers of mahogany that are close to being the same thickness (looks like a sandwich with thick bread, mahogany, and a thin layer of jam, the maple )

Date code says 56th day of 1982, Nashville plant, 10th LP built that day

The most expensive LP right now for new production is the Murphy aged, Billy Gibbons signed Pearly Gates signature, list price is $25,882 US THAT IS NUTS

Any price on the Gibson websight is list, you should be able to get a street price of about 40% off of that.

Congrats on having a nice lester

Once I get the interior house repairs done I'll have to take a picture of the collection

Well it seams like it has seams, but i don't think it has a maple layer between, it is layered mahogany circa 3-4-layers I think, and a maple top, but not maple back or??
It also has a 3 piece neck.
Is a "layered mahogany body" better than a "layrered mahogany and maple body"?? It is quite heavy my guitar atleast, thats a quality sign right??

_________________
Regards
LesPaul_1982

25882$ is redicilous price it is MENTAL ,
Cant' you almost get a vintage for that price? that Murphy aged gibbons model is that pricy because of Gibbons signature, and limited numbers right?

I'm sure you can get a Nice R9 with the same hardware for roughly 8000-9000$ ??
Actually I think you can get a superior R9 with WCR and callaham or other quality boutiqe hardware for way lower pricing than that gibbons model..

_________________
Regards
LesPaul_1982

They won't go out the dor for that price, I think I heard about $15k for the Murphy and signed.

A new nice R9 should be around $5k or less out the door, R7 or R8 around or under $3k.

Some guys like the Norlins better than the new ones, some like the newer ones better. The norlins are heavier, sometimes a lot, and seem to be liked by guys doing more "metal" type music

The most important thing is that you like your LP and like they way is sounds. That's the bottom line, I like the way my LP's sound and that's the way I like it too

Yes , we should be pleased with what we got!
The only thing I would like to do with my Lester would be a re-top vith a nice flame perhaps AAA-grade, but it is expensive though...
Also I don't like those over-exagerated flames, and dont like quilted- flames either, but thats me..
This Is my idea of a puurrfect Les Paul look and finnish: http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electri ... ishes.aspx
mmmmm luvely

Only improvements I WILL buy is:
WCR-PAF pickups, might order WCR-Darkburst in the bridge and a WCR-Crossroads in the neck
WCR wiring-kit or RS-guitarworks wiring-kit,
actually I might also try 50's wiring and perhaps "down the road" some Callaham parts,
and of course strings lol
And lets not forget my new TOY when it arives the Trinity custom 18watt sIII with both jtm-45 and plexi tone

Jcny, look forward to seeing your Lester collection

_________________
Regards
LesPaul_1982

I think your guitar looks great

If you did decide to redo the top, the person that I have heard about that is close to you would be Florian Jager in Germany. I understand he retops LP's as well as refinishes them.

The LP with the sIII should be very very good

I like my R6 and R8 through my SIIIv6 and my Triwatt

I just don't get enough time to practice

thanks jcny
after checking the price I am not sure I would proceed with a re-top, its roughly 1500$, that is just too much for new top, for a really good flametop. But this was Ed-Roman so it should be really good for the money though..

Now I why lots of people are against this, both because of the devaluation of the original guitar, and the the hefty price to doo it.. (dooh )

_________________
Regards
LesPaul_1982

STAY AWAY FROM ED ROMAN

He has a "thing" against Gibson's and he recently has been selling a lot of assets off, possible financial trouble. I've also heard a lot of negatives about his operation.

If I were doing it here in the States I'd go to Lay's Guitar Shop in Akron, Ohio. The refinished the top of my R8. I've been in their shop and they do excellent work and are VERY highly regarded in the LP community

Your guitar looks very nice and is appropriate for the year it was made.

Man....I think she's a beauty as-is. For me, much of that beauty is in the uniqueness. Plus, I'd be way too afraid of messing up the Mojo to replace the top. I'm a big believer in the mojo of well-made, well-used objects. I understand personalizing the electronics and mechanicals, but elective cosmetic surgery of this sort would scare me. In the words of Bootsy Collins, "...if it ain't broke, don't break it!"

Disclaimer: Any opinions stated here are entirely my own, and are rarely supported by those outside of my own head.

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- This Space For Rent -

I agree... Keep the outside as is, replace the caps and maybe the pots

Joe G

_________________
Some assembly required,
Brain sold separately...

I have a norlin era (74) deluxe that needed some tlc after I hacked up the top to install a Kahler tailpeice. I checked out a new top but decided on a paint jod instead.

Thanks for all comments
nice goldtop-modification there Stoo

Also I checked Florian Jaegers pricelist, way out of my league he charges 1600 Euros for retop with a nice flame

I think I will keep it the way it is... Damn GAS

but back to the pickups lol , have anybody here used a WCR-godwood pickups in a lespaul with a trinity 18watt amp? ??

_________________
Regards
LesPaul_1982