NUD: Introducing the Black Budokan!

[TheAce93]

Today is the first chance I've had to make a thread dedicated to this guitar since I got it back on Tuesday. After putting it through my DSL40 playing non-stop through KISS Alive! and Alive II...

I have to say I'm very proud to present what I call the 'Black Budokan'!!

I based the look on the Gibson Black Beauty played by Ace Frehley around 1978-1980 (and then later on in Frehey's Comet with that god awful trem). The pickups are the same as the 2012 'Budokan' Les Paul made by Gibson and Epiphone.

It now has pair of Dimarzio 36th anniversary PAFs in the neck and middle positions and a Super Distortion in the bridge. The bridge and tail piece have been upgraded, the stock electronics have been changed out with vintage wiring, CTS pots, orange drop tone cap, and Switchcraft toggle + jack socket. All of the gold hardware has been changed to chrome, the plastics from black to cream, and the pickguard was fashioned from one originally made for a standard two pickup LP.

The action is set up low and it plays like a beast, even with the chunkier neck profile I can still get my favourite two and a half step bends out of it without much effort. The wiring was done in a way that allows the volume of each pickup to be controlled independently, what would normally be the neck pickup tone is now the middle pickup volume, and the bridge tone is now a master tone which controls the tone output of all three pickups.

There wasn't much sunshine today (typical Britain..) but I took a few decent photos before it started getting dark. Enjoy!

 

[TheAce93]

I have a set of the pearloid banjo Budokan tuners if I ever want to complete the look but I find they don't turn as smoothly as the Grover kidney beans so for now they're staying off!

Ace in action!

 

[g8tr]

Looks great! Wish I had thought about doing the same before I sold my BB3. One helluva job you did there. Sounds like the upgrades would make it a heck of a player also. Enjoy!

 

[Tanqueray]

I like the look of it. HNUD!

 

[AK Epi Player]

Happy new Ace day and nice job! Looks great.

Very cool to see a BB3 transformed into a completely "new" guitar.

 

[TheAce93]

Thanks dudes!

Just to clarify, I've owned this guitar since January 14th, hence the 'New Upgrades Day' in the thread title, apologies for any confusion.

 

[Starchilduk]

Takes me back to Sydney 1980 and the inner sanctum programme.
Great stuff.
Do you play in a band Ace!

 

[TheAce93]

Takes me back to Sydney 1980 and the inner sanctum programme.
Great stuff.
Do you play in a band Ace!

I used to be in a classic rock cover band between age 17-19 (I'm 20 now, almost 21). None of us could drive at the time so gigging was somewhat difficult, but we tried our best. We all went off to different universities so the band kind of dissolved after that point

We played all sorts of stuff, from KISS to Red Hot Chilis to Hendrix to Guns N' Roses. These days I'm too busy or tired to gig after a long day of lectures so I just play at home. I'll probably start looking for a band again once I finish my education.

Thanks for asking

 

[DrBGood]

 

[TheAce93]

Awesome!!!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC31ZO01ZBc]Kiss - Calling Dr Love Live 1980 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Tenacious T]

That looks amazing! Love it bro.

I do think it would look better with a set of keystone tuner buttons...but I just hate the kidney beans.

It's a beauty no matter. I'm jealous.

 

[MidnightLes]

Way to replicate the look. Very awesome.

 

[JohnnyN]

Impressive! Happy NGD

 

[TheAce93]

That looks amazing! Love it bro.
I do think it would look better with a set of keystone tuner buttons...but I just hate the kidney beans.

Thanks T!

While I do think keystone tuners look good, I don't really like the feel of them, the corners are quite sharp which can be a bit painful when tuning up with sore fingers which can occur after a particularly long jam session.

 

[paruwi]

I've edited the first post for a more user-friendly viewing

cause not many will have 98" widescreens to view it....

 

[Tenacious T]

No worries brother...she looks stunning as is.

I just noticed you mentioned that you had a set of the pearloid's....Put those babies on there!

 

[TheAce93]

I've edited the first post for a more user-friendly viewing

cause not many will have 98" widescreens to view it....

What do you mean? I had no trouble viewing it on my 15" laptop and my 7" tablet. Even now it doesn't look much different.

Thanks I guess.

 

[Glegalee]

Lookin' good!

Cheers G.

 

[catmandu]

I like it alot!!!

 

[Tanqueray]

What do you mean? I had no trouble viewing it on my 15" laptop and my 7" tablet. Even now it doesn't look much different.

Thanks I guess.

Your browser probably automatically resizes images. Most browsers do it by default these days, but there's probably a few people out there who have that feature turned off for whatever reason.