[Southbay Ampworks]

1961 LP/SG Std and Special

1968 Les Paul Custom

1963 LP/SG Cream Fool SG paintjob project (going to the paintshop next week)

 

[Xanadu]

oh man, thats a nice 61 SG std.:food-smiley-004:

 

[Southbay Ampworks]

Thanks, I got lucky on that one. Another forum member didn't "bond" with it. The original parts were all gone (most of them, at least). I had two PAF's, and the original plastic (I'd been looking to find one for years, and bought the plastic for my 63 SG that's become the Fool project). I still need original tuners, and a bridge/tailpiece, but even with those missing pieces, Gruhn just appraised that one at 12.5K USD.

I still can't believe the previous owner didn't bond with it, though. He paid for a fret job as part of the sale price...which was (as far as I was concerned) ridiculously low. It even came with two cases, the original yellow/black pebble case, and a new USA Custom shop case.

Needless to say, I've bonded with it! :rockon2:

 

[Xanadu]

Thanks, I got lucky on that one. Another forum member didn't "bond" with it. The original parts were all gone (most of them, at least). I had two PAF's, and the original plastic (I'd been looking to find one for years, and bought the plastic for my 63 SG that's become the Fool project). I still need original tuners, and a bridge/tailpiece, but even with those missing pieces, Gruhn just appraised that one at 12.5K USD.

I still can't believe the previous owner didn't bond with it, though. He paid for a fret job as part of the sale price...which was (as far as I was concerned) ridiculously low. It even came with two cases, the original yellow/black pebble case, and a new USA Custom shop case.

Needless to say, I've bonded with it! :rockon2:

wow, yeah i can imagine you have bonded with it lol

 

[davetcan]

Hey Jim, what ya doin' up in this neck of the woods :food-smiley-004:

Looking forward to getting that scumbag, I assume it's on the way?

Beautiful guitars btw.

 

[Southbay Ampworks]

Hey Jim, what ya doin' up in this neck of the woods :food-smiley-004:

Looking forward to getting that scumbag, I assume it's on the way?

Beautiful guitars btw.

Thanks Dave! No, the speaker is not on it's way, as Fedex seems to have taken the freaking day off, bastids! I got a shipping notice from Weber on Tuesday, generally that means it's here on Friday...well, gee, guess what? No shipment, although I've already been charged, of course.

I figure now that it won't be here until Monday, assuming Fedex is working on Monday, that is...but I'll email you when it goes with the USPS tracking # and all that good stuff.

 

[davetcan]

Thanks Dave! No, the speaker is not on it's way, as Fedex seems to have taken the freaking day off, bastids! I got a shipping notice from Weber on Tuesday, generally that means it's here on Friday...well, gee, guess what? No shipment, although I've already been charged, of course.

I figure now that it won't be here until Monday, assuming Fedex is working on Monday, that is...but I'll email you when it goes with the USPS tracking # and all that good stuff.

No problem, I've done without it for 12 years, a few more months shouldn't hurt
(can't wait to plug into it though) Would be nice if it showed up in time for Lowtones big party.

 

[Robert1950]

1961 LP/SG Std and Special

I Want !!! :rockon2:

 

[Yerffej]

so, you're a fender guy then?

 

[Southbay Ampworks]

Not much of a Fender guy, sorry! LOL I do have a Strat made of Warmoth parts with WCR SR pickups in it. But the neck just isn't the right shape (too used to Gibson necks, obviously!), so I'm having USA Custom build me a neck for it. I'm (this is sacrilege, right?) going to have my luthier measure the neck and have it made to my 68 Customs shape, depth, etc., but with the Fender 25 1/2 scale. I dig the tone of the guitar, just not how it fits my hand.

 

[faracaster]

Holy Carlos !!!!!! I sure love that vintage of SG Special.That is my fav of all the SG family. And that Standard is none too shabby either. Looks like you need a SG/LP Jr. to round out the cherry family. evilGuitar:

Cheers
Pete

 

[Southbound]

I love the binding on that LP

well look at that. My mouth just suddenly filled with saliva :tongue:

 

[GuitarsCanada]

Some nice weapons there. Never had an SG yet, must try one of those some day.

 

[Southbay Ampworks]

My 63 Fool SG just got out of paint last night. Significant drool material below...

 

[Southbay Ampworks]

 

[Southbay Ampworks]

Freaking double post...WTF? LOL Sorry!

 

[faracaster]

Holy Tales of Brave Ulysses!!!! That is great. I always wanted to do that to one of mine too. Who did the paint? Are you you doing thefront of the headstock like the original?
cheers
Pete

 

[Southbay Ampworks]

Pete, an artist/airbrush master named Jim O'Connor did the paint. He did all of the Cheap Trick guitars, and a bunch of others for Michael Anthony (Jack Daniel's bass), Steve Lukather (Robot guitar), Steve Stevens (Monsters guitar), as well as lots of Jacksons, Charvels and Gibsons.

I am not getting the front of the headstock done like the Fool SG. I'm leaving the Gibson logo and flowerpot inlay in there, and putting some Grovers and a truss rod cover on it. Most replicas are Epiphones, or Samicks, this one will still be a 63 SG, with the serial # intact and the logos, too.

I can always have that added back in later if I want to...but I think I'll leave it alone...

He just got done painting a second "Saxaphone Guitar" for Hamer/Hard Rock Tokyo/Rick Neilsen...it was his first custom guitar paint job in years, although he's done them since the 70's, he took several years off to pursue other work.

Now he's back to doing this as well. He told me he sharpened his chops on the Saxaphone Guitar, then did mine. There are only five colors on the Saxaphone, there are almost 60 colors on the Fool SG paint...and needless to say, quite a bit more detail.

It took him 9 days to paint this, and quite a few rolls of masking tape! Drool

 

[Southbay Ampworks]

Fool SG is finished...

OK, while there's a couple of spots on the pickguard that need touching up since they flaked off, for the most part the guitar is all dialed in and done.

Guitar Specs: 1963 SG (Jr. converted to Standard specs, measured off my 61 SG Std.), Brazilian board, MOP trapezoidal inlays, TonePros AVR-II bridge, old lightweight aluminum tailpiece using the original studs, CTS 500K pots/Bumble Bee .015 neck cap/.033 bridge cap, WCR Crossroads neck pup, WCR Goodwood plus bridge pup, Grover tuners, bone nut, stainless steel frets, reissue 61 SG plastic, old knobs, new wiring.

Inlay, logo, face cap restoration, routing, final nitro clear coats/sanding/buffing and setup done by Jim Foote of MusicWorks, Lawndale, CA.

Paint: Jim O'Connor (O'Connor Graphic Design). 60 colors applied via airbrush, 9 days of painting.

It's a loud guitar, it's light, it sustains for a long time, and it has no tuning issues, probably due to the Grover tuners, and new bone nut. The neck is bigger than my other SG's, probably due to the Jr. origins, I suspect. Small heel, easy access to the upper frets.

My thanks to the the Jims involved...Wagner, Foote, O'Connor, and my lovely wife for buying me the 63 SG Jr. as a project guitar in 2004.

Pics here:

Thorn Guitar event, Sunday 1/21/07

General shots of the guitar, more to follow after the paint on the pickguard is touched up.

 

[Lowtones]

That is awesome Jim. Although I believe Gibson likes to refer to that thing on the headstock as an urn not a flower pot. LOL It looks very cool.