A Gibson for some Heavy Metal...

HAL · « **Reply #100 on:** 25 Oct 2012, 07:48 pm »

The metal parts and coil bobbins to build a 9 Pole Sidewinder style hum-cancelling pickup.

The coil bobbins are being mailed to be wound shortly. WOOHOO!

HAL · « **Reply #101 on:** 6 Nov 2012, 02:54 am »

The speaker cabinet cables finally arrived after about 2 months of being on back order. Now I can use the attenuator with the speaker cabinet with the Laney GH50L head. This should be interesting.

A fun thing is occurring. Mike Clement, Tony Iommi's guitar sound guru is building me a new Dallas Rangemaster style treble booster like the new one that Tony is using. This one is going into a VPW reproduction kit chassis of an original Dallas Rangemaster. Will look like the original one from the late 60's! Retro look baby!

HAL · « **Reply #102 on:** 16 Nov 2012, 01:26 am »

Another fun project has started.

Read that Tony Iommi's guitar sound engineer had built him a new Dallas Rangemaster style treble booster. This is being used to record the new Black Sabbath CD.

I asked Mike if he would consider building one into the original style Dallas Rangemaster enclosure. Vintage Pedal Works in the UK made the kit for awhile and I was lucky enough to get one before production stopped. Mike said he would be happy to build it for me if I sent the kit. He has received the kit and should start working on it this week.

This is COOL!

He is also building another cable to connect the effects to the Laney GH50L amp.

Next will be to build the 9 Pole pickup once the coils are wound. Then get them installed into the red SG Special body.

The retro Tony Iommi guitar rig is getting closer! WOOHOO!

HAL · « **Reply #103 on:** 1 Dec 2012, 11:48 pm »

Latest update is that the coils for all the variants of the 9 pole pickup are being wound. There will be three different pickups for trial.

Waiting to hear about the new treble booster build.

Maybe by Christmas.

HAL · « **Reply #104 on:** 4 Dec 2012, 02:15 am »

Today was a fine day.

SDCS is winding coils now for both 9 Pole pickups. Should be completed this week. Once I have them, will take the guitar and pickups to Lou to refinish the SG and install the new pickups and create one of his masterpieces! I have to check that I have all the parts, but should all be in the box ready for the trip!

I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas! Not sure I am going to sleep much for awhile. WOOHOO!

Getting closer!

HAL · « **Reply #105 on:** 11 Dec 2012, 02:45 am »

SDCS emailed that the two 9 Pole pickups are complete and being shipped tomorrow. These are prototypes with Philips head screws, but should sound the same as the ones with the Pozidriv screws. Here is a picture of the pickups:

This project kinda started in 1974 when I was 15 years old and bought a 1972 Gibson SG Special. Will be 55 next year. Long time for a project!

SteveFord · « **Reply #106 on:** 11 Dec 2012, 02:51 am »

You said that you still have that SG, didn't you?
I wish I would have kept my SG Standard that I bought used for $300 back in 1975 - that was a tremendous guitar.

HAL · « **Reply #107 on:** 11 Dec 2012, 02:54 am »

I still have the 1972 Gibson SG Special. It was shop worn and needed some fixup. I bought it for $75.

HAL · « **Reply #108 on:** 15 Dec 2012, 11:03 pm »

The pickups were shipped and should be here early next week.

Will be taking the guitar to the expert next week for installation and some rework.

Oh yeah Baby!

HAL · « **Reply #109 on:** 20 Dec 2012, 02:26 am »

Two complete Seymour Duncan Custom Shop 9 Pole pickups sitting on the kitchen table.

Off to see the luthier on Friday to get the Gibson SG Special reworked for the new pickups.

HAL · « **Reply #110 on:** 24 Dec 2012, 09:09 pm »

Dropped off three guitars at Lou's for rework.

1) Gets a full rework with a 9 Pole and 6 Pole hum cancelling pickups like Monkey.

2) Gets a JB Magnum 2 and Gibson TI Signature pickups. Clear Plexigalss pickguard and picks underneath.

3) Gets reworked like a Gibson TI Signature guitar with two Gibson TI Signature pickups. Finished in gloss black.

And got to play this and his Old Boy while I was at his place:

HAL · « **Reply #111 on:** 27 Dec 2012, 02:35 am »

The beginning of the Gibson SG Special rework with the new SDCS 9 Pole and Lindy Fralin 6 Pole pickups, Leo Quan style wrap around bridge, Schaller tuners and 5 layer pickguard.

HAL · « **Reply #112 on:** 4 Jan 2013, 09:23 pm »

Here is a picture of the Gibson SG special with the new pickups, electronics, tuners and bridge installed. The strings are the C# Standard tuning set in stainless steel. The SG to the left is Lou's copy of Monkey with JB style JayDee pickups.

HAL · « **Reply #113 on:** 12 Jan 2013, 05:46 pm »

Going to have some fun with the stock Gibson SG Special, Music Server and a PrimeVibe to burn-in the guitar.

The instructions say to run the guitar with the PrimeVibe for 100 hours using music as a source. Sounds like a good use for the original MS-1 prototype to drive the PrimeVibe.

Will give the setup a 5 day run and see what happens.

Here is the latest YouTube recording before burn-in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnAVQ3Od5SE

HAL · « **Reply #114 on:** 18 Jan 2013, 11:06 pm »

Picking up the reworked SG Special on Sunday. WOOHOO!

jtwrace · « **Reply #115 on:** 19 Jan 2013, 11:53 am »

Quote from: HAL on 20 Sep 2012, 10:26 pm

The correct Output Tamer arrived today!

Was feeling nostalgic and had these made. Will have a few to give away!

I'm surprised you don't use these: http://www.redbeartrading.com/

SteveFord · « **Reply #116 on:** 19 Jan 2013, 01:15 pm »

That pick looks awfully familiar.
Out of all of your SGs, which one is your favorite?

HAL · « **Reply #117 on:** 19 Jan 2013, 01:33 pm »

Jason,
The InTune GrippxX picks are what Tony Iommi has used in concert and what Laney gives away with the new TI100 heads. I have one of his real picks in my guitar stash.

I have some other of Tony's picks and Lou also gave me some other TI picks for my other guitar that he is reworking. All going under a clear lexan pickguard he made. This is the 1984 Gibson SG Special that is being reworked. Will have the cross inlays like the Gibson TI Signature Custom shop. The pickups are an original John Birch Magnum 2 bridge and Gibson TI SIgnature in the neck. He is redoing the frets and putting on white bindings on the neck. It has the smaller neck profile.
Steve,
My 1972 SG Special has the smaller size neck and wider frets than the new 60's tribute. I like the older one mostly as I am use to it and feels good in my hands.

I am getting use to the wider neck on the new one after practice. Easier to do some of the lead playing with the extra space. Not use to that as I was always a rythm player. Now if my hands were only 18 again!

This is way fun stuff!

HAL · « **Reply #118 on:** 21 Jan 2013, 12:36 pm »

Met up with Lou yesterday and picked up the guitar. This baby is very cool indeed!

Still some things need to be done, but it is very close to the look.

Playing it tuned to C# Standard is now wonderful! The intonation can now be set properly. With the stainless steel strings and the neck pickup has some really nice tonal range from very clean to full on heavy!

The bridge pickup is similar technology, but lacking the output of the neck pickup. Already emailed SDCS to see if a replacement can be built.

Here she is at home ready for some playing.

HAL · « **Reply #119 on:** 28 Jan 2013, 02:39 am »

Here is a recording of the rebuilt guitar with the rig. The recording was originally done at 24bit/96KHz with a Shure SM57 mic directly to the Zoom H2 recorder. Had to downsample it to 16bit/48KHz for the video and then MP4 encoding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q67g8kDppFc

Hopefully this will be coming soon to complete the retro guitar rig!