'77 Wine Red Custom.... [PICS ALERT]

[jimmyq]

Hi Guys,

Well, I've finally got my '77 custom back from having a refret, so I thought I would share some pics.

This one has seen quite a bit of action over the years. All of the wear is genuine, no artifical relicing here, it plays like a dream and the T-Top pickups sound awesome....













All original parts, except for the knobs (from a '72 custom),the selector switch ring (from a '68 custom) and the stop bar tail piece. I have the original TP6 tail piece, but I have swapped it out for a stop bar tail piece as I'm not so keen on the TP6. Maybe I'll change my mind and swap it back some day...

This one is a bit special to me, as '77 was the year I was born.


Oh, and while I had the camera out, I took a few family shots (alongside '05 R8 and '07 R9);






Enjoy the pics!

Jim

[monroe]

Very nice indeed!

[dwagar]

looks great man, I especially like the wear on the bridge pickup cover.

I agree on the TP change, I'd do the same.

[Cookie-boy]

Delightful, James! I love those smooth worn Wine Red's!

[vladmaximus]

wow...

i love your red wine custom...

its beautiful man...

ROCK ON...

[jco.1]

Great guitars, and very nice pics. Thanks!

[Mark H]

Very nice!

I said something about this on another thread. Did the split diamond and HS binding, on these old Customs, come gold or is that aging? It makes the ax!

[LPinmydreams]

Originally Posted by jimmyq

How did the finish get worn away beside the bridge? Muting?

[wjbiii]

Originally Posted by LPinmydreams

How did the finish get worn away beside the bridge? Muting?

I can answer that question.

Good for you, Jim. It looks like it's really working out for you, and I'm happy to see that.

[jimmyq]

Hey Billy, good to see you here!

Guys, my friend wjbiii was the previous owner of this guitar. He owned it and played the hell out of it for about 24 years before I was fortunate enough to find it in my posession.

Here's the rest of the story;

Gougetop Across The Atlantic

[lazz]

great looking guitar,that neck can certainly be described as worn in.I've never seen wear like that at the bridge could have been from a watch strap or bracelet or something either way its a beautiful colour.

[stringwinder]

BEAUTIFUL...Rock on dude!

[wjbiii]

Jim-san,

Originally Posted by jimmyq

Hey Billy, good to see you here!

Thank you, sir, and likewiser. It's not entirely my style in the details, but I like what you've done with that guitar. I had actually pondered black speed knobs when I owned it, but always ended up preferring the gold ones. That's just me, though, and I think it looks great. Also, the stoptail. Even if it's not your way, it's smart to keep the TP-6, of course, because it's original. I notice that you're not a top-wrapper at the tailpiece. I am (that's how I string the Studio LE and the SG), but the stoptail is a cool, classic look in any case. The thing about the TP-6 is that it's a pretty good technical hack: I can't tell you how many times I found that extremely handy for on-the-fly tuning. It's instructive, though, I guess, that I haven't put 'em on the rest of my guitars. {shrug}

I would be curious to know how it feels after the re-fret. I was never entirely crazy about that thin profile neck, but that's a very fine detail, and that guitar always handled very sweetly in nearly a quarter-century of my experience with it. That chunk of three-piece maple is the steadiest neck I ever owned on an electric guitar.

And, yes: them T-tops is murder. They always sounded terrific to me, in every regime.

Make the most of it, man. It's a thrill to me that it's gone to someone who loves it, and I'm happy to know where it is. Thank you, mate.

PS. -- I see that you own a Studio Gem. That's one of my dream guitars, now. I lust for a P90 Les Paul.

[wjbiii]

If anyone is interested, you can see Jim's '77 LPC in action at YouTube.

Here

Here

is my little band playing Frank Zappa's "I'm The Slime" and "Dirty Love" live at The Haunt in Ithaca, New York. Turn it up as loud as your rig can stand it.

(For anyone keeping track at home, the bass player is one of my oldest and dearest friends, Garry Bordonaro, whom some might know from a band called The Rods, back in the day.)

[jimmyq]

Originally Posted by wjbiii

I would be curious to know how it feels after the re-fret. I was never entirely crazy about that thin profile neck, but that's a very fine detail, and that guitar always handled very sweetly in nearly a quarter-century of my experience with it. That chunk of three-piece maple is the steadiest neck I ever owned on an electric guitar.

And, yes: them T-tops is murder. They always sounded terrific to me, in every regime.

Thanks so much for posting the video link, Bill. It's really cool to see you guys in action, and another nice little piece of the story and history of this guitar.

It feels very good after the refret. It doesn't feel distinctly different than before, just smoother and nicer to play. The new nut has helped to even out the action. It feels like a new old guitar, if that makes sense....

The neck is pretty slim on this one, but I'm not one of those people who gets hung up on neck sizes. My R8 has a very chunky neck, this custom has a slim neck, and my R9 and Studio Gem both fit somewhere in between. They all feel great to me. Different neck sizes feel and play differently, sure, but I don't really have a preference, they are all comfortable to me. I like all of them, and I love the variety.

I gave the custom it's first real work-out session with the band last night. Previously, in this band, I had been using the Studio Gem almost exclusively. The Custom sounded great. Really smooth and creamy, with some nice bite. This one is probably going to become my main gigging guitar for this band.

Jim

[wjbiii]

Jim:

Thanks so much for posting the video link, Bill. It's really cool to see you guys in action, and another nice little piece of the story and history of this guitar.

I'm glad you enjoyed that, pal.

The neck is pretty slim on this one, but I'm not one of those people who gets hung up on neck sizes. My R8 has a very chunky neck, this custom has a slim neck, and my R9 and Studio Gem both fit somewhere in between. They all feel great to me. Different neck sizes feel and play differently, sure, but I don't really have a preference, they are all comfortable to me. I like all of them, and I love the variety.

Anecdote: almost twenty years ago, already, it was fairly common for my father to pick up the '77 LPC, noodle with it for a while, and then whistfully announce that he wished he could reasonably effect a swap of my neck for the one on his 1962 ES-355TDC. That one is a real, authentic, Slim-Taper, which he appreciated. What he liked about the LPC is that it's just a hair wider at the nut.

Dad is six years gone, now, and I'm playing his 355. (With the PAF's. No Varitone. Mono output.) I love that guitar and I'll play it for the rest of my life, but it seems to be a function of age that I prefer the fatter profile. The preference is more pronounced over the pass of years. I don't quite know what to make of it.

I gave the custom it's first real work-out session with the band last night. Previously, in this band, I had been using the Studio Gem almost exclusively. The Custom sounded great. Really smooth and creamy, with some nice bite. This one is probably going to become my main gigging guitar for this band.

Good deal then, man. I'm happy I could help.

[coolruler]

Thanks for the post beautiful guitar man. Im interested to know how the refret was done - was the binding removed to remove the frets? was the binding then cut where it mated onto the sides of the frets? looks like the new frets now sit over the binding now. my new custom has the binding riding up to the side of the frets. Also, roughly how much are we talking for a refret???

[jimmyq]

Originally Posted by coolruler

Thanks for the post beautiful guitar man. Im interested to know how the refret was done - was the binding removed to remove the frets? was the binding then cut where it mated onto the sides of the frets? looks like the new frets now sit over the binding now. my new custom has the binding riding up to the side of the frets. Also, roughly how much are we talking for a refret???

For the refret, the old frets pulled out and the new frets are fitted over the top of the original binding. So you're quite right, the new frets don't have fret end binding (nibs).

A standard refret should set you back roughly GBP150 / USD200. It is possible to have a refret which preserves / re-applies the fret end binding, so that the new frets have nibs, but that is much more expensive.

Jimbo

[Ben McLean]

Damn, that is one very fine looking wine...

Bet it tastes just smooo-oooth.

I hope one day my own LPC resto job looks as fine

Benny Mac
______________________________
"I got a 69 Chevy with a 396, fuellie heads, and a Hurst on the floor.." Springsteen

[DiMa]

I wear many bracelets but my top is not scratched...

[Cookie-boy]

Nice, interesting post Jimbo!

I'm always fascinated by a guitars history. Those stories bring character to an instrument. That's why I'm not interested in new guitars. There's no story to tell. Behind every bump and bruise, all the sweat, blood and tears there's a geezer trying to play some Rock 'n' Roll!