My 63 Fool SG project...

Post by **Scumback Speakers** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 2:49 pm

I posted this awhile ago at the TGP and other forums, but since the guitar came to me out of paint last night, figured I'd share it here.

I have the best wife...period...I'm sure some of you think the same way about yours, too. Let's face it, we're gear hoarding,
guitar playing, tone seeking, maniacal pains in the ass...right? So when they aid and abet that, you KNOW they're special,
and you'd better hold onto them!

Well, to prove mine is great, here's the tale...I was looking for an SG to turn into a Cream Fool SG guitar...tried to put one together
several times, bought a bunch of parts for the guitar, but could never find the right project guitar until a couple of years back,
so I acquired this one for my birthday in 2004 and I commissioned Jim Foote, (aka Dr. Scumbag, aka guitar tech to the
stars, yada yada yada...(fill in the blank) guitar repair guy extraordinaire...etc.) to get this guitar in shape.
So, ready for a little tour? Got a beer, big old fatty, Tylenol PM? All that good stuff?...OK...here we go!

This is what I started with, a 1963 SG Jr. with a body repair at the input jack, stripped, and alot of parts in it's case
(pots, caps, Grover tuners, plastic, etc.).

The body needed to be routed for two pickups, stop bar, ABR-1, and the correct control cavity for a 2 pickup guitar. The fingerboard
needed to changed out for a new one so that it can have
trapezoidal inlays, and a new Brazilian rosewood fingerboard,
with MOP used for the inlays. So, off with the old fingerboard,
on with the new one, binding, and stainless steel frets!

Close-up shot of the new Braz board and inlays (not all cleaned up yet).

Then you get the headstock overlay done, new logo in MOP,
flowerpot/crown inlay and holly veneer, and get that on...this
pic hasn't had the logo and flowerpot cleaned up yet...

Then I spent some time sanding off all of the old finish,
then pore filling the body, and sanding...groan...then Mr. Foote
wanted the edges sharper for the new paintjob. So, while
my original effort was OK at first, he decided later on to
re-do it so that the airbrush artist could have the flattest
surface with the sharpest corners to airbrush the paint onto,
so he resanded it and sharpened the edges again, and pore filled it again....yikes.
So that left us with a nicely dialed in SG body ready to be painted
in white so that the airbrush artist could paint "The Fool" on it.

Now it's off to Jim O'Connor, the airbrush artist. Jim is the
guy who did the artwork/airbrush painting of Michael Anthony's
"Jack Daniel's" bass guitar, plus hundreds of others for Jackson,
Charvel, Gibson, etc. in the 80's & 90's. It's going to him after I pickup the guitar from the shop
today...hopefully to look like this when it's done...minus the whammy bar...and the lumpy
paint the original had since it was brushed on.

Post by **Scumback Speakers** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 2:58 pm

The 63 Fool SG just got out of paint. Some pics below...master painter/airbrush artist Jim O'Connor did this for me... he's done guitars for several name players (Steve Lukather, Steve Stevens, Rick Neilsen, Michael Anthony, etc.), but this is his first Fool SG. I'm still drooling...
Feast your eyes...

And with my other two 61 SG/LP's, it makes for a killer threesome.

The guitar is off to Jim Foote in LA for the final clear coats of nitro lacquer and assembly. I'll post the finished pics in about six weeks.

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:02 pm

That looks amazing. I looove SGs. I just wish Gibsons White SG Customs werent so damn expensive.

Thats a one of a kind. Almost

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:45 pm

Dude, that is just freaking killer!!! I've always lusted after a "Fool" SG clone!!!! Somehow I doubt I can afford to do that to my SG though!!!

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:49 pm

Did Gibsnops custom shop ever do those? I dont remember seeing any replicas ever.

MacGaden · Post by **MacGaden** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 5:01 pm

I think some Japanese companies did some, but never Gibson.

BTW: I played a VOS SG, a very nice, very live, Guitar. Played with a but of boost through a Marshall HW it sounded really good, very easy to get feedback from at reasonable volumes. It was after i saw Derek Trucks play one with EC this summer. That got me interested in SG

MacGaden · Post by **MacGaden** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 5:03 pm

Just found this:

http://www.edromanguitars.com/guitar/gi ... ol_gib.htm

"2006 Gibson 61 Reissue Version Brand New $4,995.00 Complete"

And this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ERIC-CLAPTON-CREAM- ... dZViewItem

But Ed Roman ? And Jim

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 5:26 pm

Figures if there were any he'd have them! Its still cool as hell. I wonder how much he sells them for considering what he does to make them.

MacGaden · Post by **MacGaden** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 5:37 pm

From the website:

"2006 Gibson 61 Reissue Version Brand New $4,995.00 Complete"

Post by **Scumback Speakers** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 6:58 pm

Yup, ER has them, but they're hand painted, and lumpy feeling under your hands. At least someone who checked one out told me that, and that's probably why EC sanded the paint off the back of his, too.

$5k for a paint job and new wood.

I feel better about this project already as I'm "only" up to $3500...so far...that is...but at least I have the old wood...hell, it's one year older than EC's was...

johniss0001 · Post by **johniss0001** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 8:40 pm

jim that is a nice guitar i love sgs i love my 1970 with bisgby and p90s, she will be a beaut when done. got a question why are new sgs a lot heavier than the old ones i've played 1 or 2 modern ones and they are too heavy and feel like shit.

keep us updated with that guitar jim

Post by **Scumback Speakers** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:27 pm

While not a hard and fast rule, newer wood typically weighs more than older wood, because it isn't dried out fully. As for how they feel compared to your 70 SG, I'd imagine it's a different neck carve, depth or something.

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 10:23 am

Ive talked to people about this before. I wonder why people dont simulate old wood by kiln drying it? They do that with wood for other things.

MacGaden · Post by **MacGaden** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 10:33 am

Billy Batz wrote:Ive talked to people about this before. I wonder why people dont simulate old wood by kiln drying it? They do that with wood for other things.

They do that with woods for guitars too, but it never get as dry as old wood that was air dried. And old wood is different, from trees that grew slower, and got older before it was chopped down.

Post by **Scumback Speakers** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:27 pm

The old guitars were definitely built from wood that was older, no doubt. My Keebler LP replica was made from 50 year old (cut 50 years before the guitar was made) mahogany and the same age Eastern maple. It weighs in at 8.5 lbs total, so it's not a burden to play for hours at a time.

I haven't weighed this 63 SG but I'm sure it's lighter than the Keebler...I understand that regular "air" drying is better than "kiln" drying for guitars, although sooner or later the kiln dried wood should catch up to the old "air" dried wood...or at least that would seem to make sense.