Conference napalm::guitar

    
    	If it was a Les Paul SG, it would have "Les Paul" engraved
    	in the truss rod adjustment cover on the headstock, and a
    	a trapazoidal shaped, plastic piece between the pickup frame
    	and the neck, with "Les Paul" on it. On the cherry SG, it's
    	black, on the Custom, white.
    
    			       |_______________|
    		Neck------->   |               |
    			       _________________
    			      /    LES  PAUL    \
    			    _/___________________\_
    			   |  ___________________  |
    			   | |	e  e  e  e  e  e | |
    	Pickup-----------> | |			 | |
    			   |o|			 |o|
    			   | |			 | |
    			   | |___________________| |
    			   |_______________________|
    			    			   

	If I recall the incedent properly, Gibson sold approximatly 600
	of the SG/Les Paul Guitars in 1961, without Les Paul being involved
	in the decision to put his name on the instrument. Consequently,
	I think that Gibson was unable to use his name again (until 1968
	when they settled thier differences), or make the original Les Paul
	guitar & call it a Les Paul model. This was the introduction of the
	SG (for Standard Guitar) shape (I own a 64 SG & really like it).
	They were available with lots of Inlay, a Tune-a-matic Bridge and
	PAF Humbuckers, as well as simple dots, single stop tailpiece
	bridge and P-90 soapbar Pickups. The Stop tailpiece model does not
	have any molded in ridges & it at a more extreme angle than the
	following years SG with only a stop-tailpiece bridge. On the lower
	end SG/Les Paul Models, they only had the 'Les Paul' on the plastic
	bell cover, at the truss rod, again the angle of the stop tailpiece
	is the clue to determine if it is or isn't.

							Jens

    re: .2
    
     . . . small technical correction:  I believe the S in SG stood
    for Solid not Standard.  There were SG Juniors, Deluxes, Standards
    and Customs.
    
    re: .0
    
    In the late 1950's, Les Pauls were not selling very well.  Gibson
    began prototyping new 'Les Paul' designs.  In 1959 they introduced
    a 'Les Paul' guitar which later became known as the Melody Maker.
    By 1960 the design had evolved to the SG shape with sharp double
    cutaways and bevelled edges.  These were sold as Les Pauls during
    1960 and 1961. By 1962, due to the differences Gibson had with
    Les Paul, they removed his name from the guitar and it became
    officialy known as the SG.  This is also why Gibsons present
    day re-issue of the original SG is the 1962 model, because the
    earlier ones were called Les Pauls.
    
    Steve

    I just spent a few evenings with a 30th Anniversary SG-LP Custom. The
    headstock is inlaid with the usual split diamond and "1961-1991" and
    covered with a nicely aged-looking varnish. The mahogany neck and body
    are finished in a color that I guess is supposed to look like a white
    finish after thirty years in a smoke-filled  bar, but which I found
    just ugly. There is a "Limited Edition" marker on the rear.The ebony
    fretboard has a very nice set of block pearl markers--unlike some other
    anniversary models, there is no engraving on any of the blocks. The
    hardware includes gold TOM, stop tailpiece, Grovers with kidney-shaped
    buttons, and black top-hat knobs. There are three humbuckers, two
    tones, two volumes and the usual toggle switch. The  pickup selection
    is : Neck only, Middle & Bridge, Bridge only. Pickup blending is  not
    possible.
    
    The guitar came with 010"-038" strings set for a very low action. There
    is some rattle at the first couple of frets which appears to be caused
    by lack of neck relief. The shape of the neck is very comfortable,
    fretwork is reasonable--no rough edges, fairly smooth and level. The
    frets are more square than I'd like--I'd round them if I were going to
    keep the guitar. The guitar is extraordinarily light (I thought the
    case was empty when I took it out of the carton), but still had good
    sustain and sounded quite powerful. The middle toggle position had a
    great, phasey, blues sound. This style of guitar has outstanding access
    to the highest (22nd) fret, and this one played nicely right to the
    top. Unfortunately, the neck is quite limber: applying my usual robust
    neck bend vibrato dropped the strings right against the fretboard.
    Overall workmanship is quite good, but there is some orange peel
    visible in the finish. All the parts and inlays are well-fitted. The
    Canadian-made, brown, plush lined case is outstanding.
    
    I'm not sure what to make of this particular model. It is $300 more
    than the non-anniversary version; this gets you a little extra inlay
    and some artificial aging. One can always speculate that a special
    edition will be worth more in the future, but this has not always
    proven to be the case.  I decided not to keep it.
    
    
    Danny W.

    Undaunted in my quest to find a white SG, I ordered a regular
    (non-anniversary) SG-LP Custom. It was drop-shipped from the factory
    and arrived perfectly set up and ready to play. The color is called
    "antique ivory" which I find much nicer looking than the anniversary
    model green. Workmanship is excellent--the only real flaw I could find
    was a little roughness at the edges of the nut, which was quickly cured
    with some Scotchbrite.  There is a very slight ledge between the
    fretboard binding and the neck. Fretwork is excellent and didn't
    require any touch up. After I put on heavier gauge strings I had to
    file the nut slots, since they were tightly cut to the original gauge.
    
    Funny thing is, the tuners are beautiful repro gold Kluson Deluxe's,
    complete with oil holes and authentic feel--they're really stiff. The
    pegs are plastic tulips in the same green color as the anniversary
    model, which had gold Grovers w/ gold pegs. I'd bet that these tuners
    were supposed to go on the anniversary model, but someone screwed up.
    In any case, they add a certain flair.
    
    I've been using SG's for practice for awhile now. Unlike the he-men in
    a couple of other notes, I'm getting too old to want to stand around
    for four or five hours with a 355 around my neck, and the SG's lack of
    heft is a prime attraction.  I haven't used one for performing  since
    1962, but this one may change that--when I showed up with it the other
    day, everyone went "ooooohhh."
    
    Danny W.

	I just picked up a Gibson SG standard with a broken headstock.
    Although the break goes clear through the headstock, it appears to 
    be repairable. At least the headstock cap is not cracked. I'm debating 
    whether to take it into a shop, or attempt the repair myself. I'll 
    be happy as long as the repair holds up. I can always throw a paintjob 
    on the guitar to hide the repairs. In fact, I'd prefer an antique 
    ivory finish to the cherry on it now. This guitar has a volute on the 
    headstock. The most unsightly part of the crack is at the volute, so 
    I'm thinking of possibly reshaping the neck/headstock to eliminate 
    some of the bump. 

 	Judging from the serial number and features it appears to be
    about a '73. It's dark cherry in color with small block markers     
    and a stop tailpiece. The bridge is the Schaller type. The deal 
    included an original Gibson hardshell case which is in great shape 
    and cleaned up nicely. I believe this case would fit a Les Paul. 

	If this guitar repair does not come out satisfactory, at least
    I'll be able to salvage lots of parts, such as the 2 humbucking
    pickups, the case, the tailpiece, bridge, etc. A friend of mine is
    looking for parts to spruce up his old SG, so I might just sell
    him what he needs for parts, and look for another project guitar
    to resurrect.

	Stay tuned !

	Mark
	

    An SG with a broken headstock?? I'm shocked!!!
    
    The SG, with its neck extending so far from the body, is particularly
    vulnerable to getting decapitated. I've managed to whack them into
    Zildjians more than a few times.
    
    Gibson started using volutes in an attempt to eliminate such
    disasters. Needless to say, it didn't help.
    
    Danny W.

I've repaired 2 of these in the past (It can be done), but, because of the 
thinness of the wood, you'll probably end up having to brace the break by
routing out some slots in the backside and placing some hardwood (maple or
mahogany - I prefer the Maple; it doesn't look as good, but it's stronger than
the mahogany, and the neck joint will already by weak no matter what you do
if you try to salvage the old headstock). I think that Gibson will sell you
a new SG neck, and you can cut the old one out and replace it (it's attached
like a mortise & tenon joint) - This is how Gibson does the repair.

						Jens

    I sold Mark this guitar.
    
    SG's are known for having thin necks.  In fact, a lot of SG players
    used to do whammy bar type things by bending the NECK!
    
    I bought this thing around '75 and it's been thru one repair already
    which lasted about 5 years.
    
    Mark, one request, if you paint white over that beautiful classic Cherry
    color, I'd prefer not to know about it  ;-)
    
    It's your guitar now, but I still think fondly of it.

	Update on SG repair/refurb.

	I glued the neck last week  and left it sitting in a clamp for
    about 3 days. The repair seems to be nice and strong. Before gluing,
    I cleaned out the area with acetone to remove the old glue (This neck 
    has been repaired once before). I used elmers carpenter cement because 
    it's very strong, and because it is very easy to clean up. I was able 
    to do the repairs without cracking the headstock cap. Once the glue 
    dried, I buffed the cap with a light rubbing compound. It cleaned up 
    really nicely. I'm planning to re-spray the cap with clear lacquer 
    while I'm doing the rest of the guitar.

	I have decided not to change the color of this guitar, mainly
    because the serial number is stamped on the back of the headstock, 
    and I don't want to lose the stamp. Looks like this guitar will stay 
    cherry. I stripped the neck (except for the back of the headstock) 
    by sanding with 240 grit emory cloth. I plan to buff the back of 
    the body with a heavy compound to remove belt marks, but the rest 
    of the instrument is mint and will not be stripped. I plan to 
    stain the neck and re-lacquer the entire instrument with nitro-
    cellulous lacquer.

	Joe Minville is advising me on the finishing. He has material 
    left over from his custom Tele project, including cherry stain. 
    I did a lacquer job on my Tele using Acrylic lacquer, but have never
    worked with nitro-cellulous. There's a first time for everything.

	I am planning/considering the replacement of the following 
    components:

	1. Tuners - Original tuners (nickel-plated Grovers with tulip
    shaped cranks) have very little plating left and one is broken. I'm 
    planning to replace with new Grovers (hopefully identical to the 
    originals).

	2. Nut - The slots on the old nut are unevenly spaced. I picked
    up a bone nut-blank and will make a new one before I reassemble.

 	3. Pickups - The bridge pickup is broken. The coil block is 
    dettached from the bar that connects to the pickup surround. I may be 
    able to glue it with epoxy. I'd like to replace both pickups with SD
    PAF pickups with black/white bobbins. I'll have to wait and see how 
    the refinishing comes out to decide if it's worth the expense.

    	I have a confession to make. I never really liked SG's very much.
    The looks just never appealed to me. This guitar is starting to grow
    on me. I can't wait to string it up and play it. The overall size
    and light-weight of this instrument makes it a breeze to strap on and
    play. Even in the case, it doesn't weigh much or take up much room.
    If it was assembled, I would probably take it on vacation with me along
    with my pignose amp.
    
    Mark Jacques

	I got together with Joe Minville last night. His custom Tele
    came out beautiful. It plays and sounds great. I especially like 
    the finish. I'll bet this guitar will look really sweet after it 
    has a couple of years for the finish to age. He sort of put the
    bug in me to build a custom guitar someday. 

	Joe related his experiences in this conference somewhere. He 
    gave me a copy of some articles that Dan Erlewine wrote for Guitar 
    Player magazine in 1988. These articles contain just about everything 
    you would ever need to know about guitar finishing. I've got some 
    reading to do!  One article also has instructions for building 
    simple spraying stands and hangers that allows you to swivel the 
    instrument. I'm planning to build one.

	Joe has plenty of transparent stain in four differant colors so 
    we should be able to match the original color of my SG. I'm planning 
    to place an order with Stewart Mac for more lacquer and some of the 
    other materials I'll need. They have a $30 minimum order, so I might
    as well get all the small stuff while I'm placing an order. Hopefully
    by the time I come back from vacation, I'll have everything I need 
    to get started.

	This project should be a good learning experience for me. I 
    thought I knew a lot about finishing, but I've obviously got a lot
    to learn. It makes you appreciate guitar prices when you see how much
    work it is to do a professional finish. From start to finish, it appears
    to take well over 6 weeks to complete a professional finish. Manufacturers
    may have a few tricks for speeding up the process, but nitro-cellulous
    lacquer takes at least 3-4 weeks to dry completely before you can do the 
    final buffing.
    
		Mark

    Mark,
    
    Be careful when you spray nitrocellulose, it's pretty toxic...
    
    Greg

	The SG Standard that I talked about in 1454.6 has been completely
    refurbished. Here is a rundown on all of the repairs and refinishing
    process that I followed.

    1. 	Disassembled all parts. 

    2.	Cleaned area around headstock damage with acetone to remove glue.
	Glued headstock with Elmers carpenter glue. 
	Clamped for several days to cure.

    3.	Sanded entire instrument with 240 grit paper to remove old finish. 
	Final sanded with 320 and 400 grit.

    4.	Pratt & Lambert paste wood filler to fill the open grain of the
	mahagony. Allowed 2 days to dry. Sanded excess with 400 grit paper.

    5.	Watco Danish oil to give the wood an even, mellow color after sanding.

    6.	Sealer - 6 coats of "Behlen's Qualalacq" clear nitrocellulous lacquer. 
	
    7.	Stain  - 4 coats of "Wolfes" transparent lacquer.
	(3 parts red/ 1 part brown)

    8.	Finish - 10 coats of clear nitrocellulous lacquer.

    9.  Wet-sanded with 600 grit paper to level the lacquer before polishing.

   10.	Polishing - McGuires #4 and #7 polishes were used with a 9" dual-action
	polisher and lots of elbow grease. 

   11. 	Final Assembly/Setup

	I made a new nut from a bone blank using a Dremel tool, mini files,
    and 240 grit sandpaper. I also sanded the ebony fingerboard lightly with 
    1000 grit paper to remove lacquer overspray and leveled the frets.
	
	When I got this guitar, one of the humbucking pickups was loose
    inside of the pickup surround. When I took it apart, I found the bracket
    was no longer attached to the pickup. I glued the bracket back on with
    epoxy glue, which consists of resin and hardener mixed together. This
    worked great.     	

	I replaced the original Grover tuners with a new set of Grover Roto-
    matics. I also added a set of Jim Dunlop strap locks. All the rest of the 
    hardware was in great shape and was re-used. 

	The color is cherry red, and the grain of the mahagony clearly shows
    through the transparent lacquer. The serial number and "Made in USA" stamp
    are still intact. Looks like an original finish !! The neck repair is
    strong and hardly noticeable. 

	I owe Joe Minville a great deal of thanks for helping me with the 
    re-finishing job. He provided valuable advise and saved me from having to 
    buy some of the finishing materials. Thanks Joe !!

	I have been working on this project since July, and have lost track 
    of the number of hours I've spent. The only real problem I had was with 
    moisture getting trapped under the lacquer. This results in a hazy finish 
    with a white fog under the lacquer. This is known as "Blush" and it is 
    easily remedied using "blush remover". In the future I hope to avoid 
    blush problems by building a spray booth in my workshop. 

    	When you take on a job like this, it is easy to see why luthiers have
    to charge so much for repair work. It probably makes more sense for people 
    to replace a damaged instrument with a new one, than to pay for major 
    repairs like this. I used this project as a learning vehicle, and I 
    definately learned a lot. I also ended up with an instrument that looks 
    new, plays great and didn't cost me much money. 

	If anyone has any damaged instruments like this SG and would like to
    unload them, please drop me a line. I'm looking for handyman specials. 
    

	Mark