Electric Guitars I have a bad itch.

Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
I just now got this email from my Sweetwater guy:

Hey Jim - I'd strongly recommend we get a pre order placed for you, without one I will see my entire batch of SGs come and go before you'll see anything show "in stock" on the website, and it will be many months before I'll have a surplus of these guitars.

If we get a pre order placed, I won't be able to give you the option to select from multiple serial numbers, and I won't be able to choose one for you, I'm afraid. I will be able to send you pictures of the guitar I receive for you and you'll be able to give me a thumbs up / down before you're charged for anything or a guitar ships to you. If you don't like the look of the serial number on the guitar we have for you, we can always wait for the next delivery from Gibson.

Be well,
~Nick

I am extremely picky about the grain in the wood, so it might take a long time to find me a guitar at this rate. If I don't like the look of one, it will be a crap-shoot what the next one might look like.
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
I started rounding up the other "niftys".
Got the Hipshot tuners ordered.
Got a great roller bridge ordered.
Found a Vibramate adapter on Amazon ... sold out everywhere else.
Had to call in an order with Callaham for the upgraded string shaft, sold out everywhere else.
Found an upgraded ball bearing front roller on Reverb ... only place I could find one in stock.
There is not a Bigsby B5 in stock anywhere on the planet ... have one ordered from Guitar Center but not expectd to ship until April 28.
Bottom line ... Bigsby B5's and upgrade components for them are apparently in high demand.
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
This thread just can't be finished without Scott Grove's two bits.
Love him or hate him, he is often right.
In this case he is oh so right about the string break angle over the roller bridge.
He strings his strings over the Bigsby front roller instead of under it to reduce that break agle.
Using a Vibromate instead of screwing the Bigsby directly to the guitar accomplishes much the same thing because it raises the whole Bigsby by 1/4 inch, which reduces that break angle even with the strings going under the front roller as intended.
I have B5's with Vibromates and roller bridges and locking tuners on two guitars already and they both stay in tune like a rock.
 
Last edited:
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
Just got an email from my Sweetwater guy telling me the earliest they will have a '61 SG in stock will be late April / early May. So I am going to have to keep itching for another good month at least.
 
straightblues

straightblues

Blues Junior
I was at Sam Ash in Westminster, CA yesterday and they had two of the new Epiphones hanging on the wall. They had the one with a Maestro and the regular stop tailpiece. I played them and they looked and sounded good. The neck shape they used for this guitar is exactly the same shape at the Gibson 61 reissue. I would call it D shaped. The back of the neck almost flat with large shoulders. The back to front isn't that big, my guess would be .80-.85 of an inch. Sorta like the modern C thickness. They weren't that busy. I bet you could get them to shoot you some pictures to see if it is to your liking.
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
straightblues said:
I was at Sam Ash in Westminster, CA yesterday and they had two of the new Epiphones hanging on the wall. They had the one with a Maestro and the regular stop tailpiece. I played them and they looked and sounded good. The neck shape they used for this guitar is exactly the same shape at the Gibson 61 reissue. I would call it D shaped. The back of the neck almost flat with large shoulders. The back to front isn't that big, my guess would be .80-.85 of an inch. Sorta like the modern C thickness. They weren't that busy. I bet you could get them to shoot you some pictures to see if it is to your liking.
Click to expand...
I did take a hard look at the Epi SGs. Maybe I'm just a picky bugger, but I don't like their veneer over a basswood body with no grain in the body contours giving the effect of an orange ring around the body. And their frets aren't plek'd and the pickups are different. And a nice hard shell case isn't included. This time I decided to bite the bullet and pay nearly 4 times as much for a Gibson.
Foolish? Up to now that would be me speaking. iyfyus.jpg.gif
 
jackderby52

jackderby52

Prehistoric blues knob (not newbie)
What the heck? Is this an alter universe RR buying a Gibson?? I been gone a few months and look what happens!! lol...

Congratulations RR... Enjoy...
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
jackderby52 said:
What the heck? Is this an alter universe RR buying a Gibson?? I been gone a few months and look what happens!! lol...
Congratulations RR... Enjoy...
Click to expand...
I know, I know, Jack, I am going against everything I have preached for years.
Guess I better learn to spell HYP-O-CRITE. iyfyus.jpg.gif
It comes with the senility of hitting the ripe old brain-fart age of 74.
But at least I'm honest enough to admit that I are one. :whistle:
And I'm choking on my crow. :confused:

My lame excuse is that I needed a guitar to go with this nifty strap.
IMG_0915.JPG
 
Last edited:
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
This is why I WILL NOT be swapping out the pickups or messing with the wiring.
Something tells me this will end up being my favorite guitar ... well, at least a toss-up with my heavily upgraded MIM Strat.
 
ervjohns

ervjohns

Blues Junior
Have you checked Chicago Music Exchange? They sell lots of Gibbys, got my 335 there a while back and had a good experience
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
ervjohns said:
Have you checked Chicago Music Exchange? They sell lots of Gibbys, got my 335 there a while back and had a good experience
Click to expand...
Nope. I am a Sweetwater guy. I have had nothing but stellar experiences with them. Do not want to take any chances on this Gibby. I am VERY picky about the grain in the mahogany ... what it look like. My Sweetwater guy says that when they get one or more in stock he will send me pics and I can pick the one I like, and if none of them float my boat, I can nix them and wait for the next ones to arrive. I may be at this for 6 monhs because I know what I want and won't settle for anything else.
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
I just got another email from my Sweetwater guy telling me that Gibson has told them it will be at least another month before they will receive a new SG.
 
Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
Well, Sweetwater won't get any new SGs in until first-middle of may, and I can't choose which one I want. Meanwhile, back at the Ranch, Guitar Center had a bunch of them in stock in several stores. They sent pics of a few and ... they found one new in the box with wood grain that I really like. I just a moment ago replied to the email containing these pics telling them to CONSIDER IT SOLD. I tried to call my gal at GC to sew up the deal but she wasn't there. I know she has the guitar info saved and ready to go. It is 4:43 here right now, and I don't expect her to return my call until tomorrow, but we will seal the deal tomorrow!
MY SG1.jpg MY SG2.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top