So, my 2016 Gibson SG turned out to be a great guitar. Full copper shielding, Gibson 2 conductor pickups, Tone-Man 50's Harness and Faber Locking tailpiece. I only used it for work projects in the studio, because - to be honest - I just never really liked it. There was nothing wrong with it, but I could never bond with it. It earned me back many times over it's $749.00 purchase price
After trying to sell the SG for as low as $500 (with case) and getting low-ball offers, well below what my local Guitar Sinner offered me, I then decided to try and trade it for a third Les Paul for my stage show. I had my heart set on a '59 (looking) Gibson Les Paul, but didn't want to spend big $$$ on a R9, and then take it out to hostile, outdoor performances like Mojave Wasteland Weekend AND have to do the frets, nut and swap out all the electronics too.
I tried unsuccessfully to trade it here and on Reverb for a Gibson 50's Tribute or other lower-end Les Paul, like a Faded model, but it just never worked out, so I just gave up. The SG sat for months without coming out of the case.
Adrian and I talk almost every day about guitars and stuff, and he's become a great online musical chum. In our regular conversations, Adrian kept telling me about this 70 SG he had back in the day and how much he wanted one like it, but couldn't find one, and all the fond memories he had of that guitar, so I decided to just give this 2016 Gibson SG to him.
After our recent return from Nicaragua, I became convicted that we needed to do things for others, more than we needed to do things for ourselves. My wife and I have been pleased to get fresh water wells up and running near Leon, Nicaragua, in an agricultural area, hard hit by the drought and decreasing water levels. Of course, these projects meant putting a lot of things on hold, because while the USD is strong there, it is still expensive and one must pay cash "fees" (bribes) at every point along the way to get products and services completed, which is expected in a third-world country. However, when we see our relatives on face-time and see their excitement to have running, fresh water, somehow it makes everything else seem so utterly unimportant. You may notice this mantra as it appears in my signature line.
The temporary nature of our life on this earth has given me a lot to think about and this was compounded by the passing of Kevin Paul.
Before he passed away in October of 2018, our friend and TTR brother Kevin Paul gave me a few of his Gibson parts. I received (2) sets of Gibson Green Keys Tuners, a Gibson tailpiece, some gold knobs, all the cream trim from one of his Les Paul's that he converted to all black and a selector switch with a nickel, knurled metal tip. My plan for a while has been to use these bits & pieces on a Kevin Paul Tribute Les Paul. Additionally, I have wanted to add a '59 Les Paul on stage for not only "looks," but to rotate through as opposed to tuning my guitars mid-set.
Currently, I rotate through a genuine Gibson Les Paul, a Hand-Built Replica Les Paul Custom and the custom Von Herndon Double Neck, but a '59 Les Paul would be super cool, but I would never spend the money on one, even the venerable R9, when so many more noble humanitarian ventures could be undertaken with that money.
To build the perfect stage guitar, wouldn't take much effort. It would need to say "Gibson" and look authentic to the average audience member, but it would have to have premium internals and identical setup to my two main performance Les Paul's - guitars that work 5 nights a week. It would also need to be something that can handle high temperature outdoor events like Mojave Wasteland Weekend, getting knocked around in bars and biker clubs, and be cheap to replace if stolen.
Adrian is also a humanitarian and a philanthropist, so in our discussions about my desire to build a '59 Gibson Les Paul "Stage Prop," he was paying attention. Adrian was kind enough to send me his '59 Chibson Replica, which is an incredibly well put together guitar, better in some respects - with regard to neck angle and basic construction - that two CS Gibson Les Paul's I have been looking at in our local Guitar Sinner, and every one of them I have recently played that were in what I consider to be even a moderately affordable price range...and even those all needed work to make them reliable performance guitars.
Finances won't permit buying new stuff right now, so all modifications will have to be limited to what I have on hand, but I think the guitar has potential, not only as a living tribute to Kevin Paul, but as a money maker in our stage shows.
More to come...
After trying to sell the SG for as low as $500 (with case) and getting low-ball offers, well below what my local Guitar Sinner offered me, I then decided to try and trade it for a third Les Paul for my stage show. I had my heart set on a '59 (looking) Gibson Les Paul, but didn't want to spend big $$$ on a R9, and then take it out to hostile, outdoor performances like Mojave Wasteland Weekend AND have to do the frets, nut and swap out all the electronics too.
I tried unsuccessfully to trade it here and on Reverb for a Gibson 50's Tribute or other lower-end Les Paul, like a Faded model, but it just never worked out, so I just gave up. The SG sat for months without coming out of the case.
Adrian and I talk almost every day about guitars and stuff, and he's become a great online musical chum. In our regular conversations, Adrian kept telling me about this 70 SG he had back in the day and how much he wanted one like it, but couldn't find one, and all the fond memories he had of that guitar, so I decided to just give this 2016 Gibson SG to him.
After our recent return from Nicaragua, I became convicted that we needed to do things for others, more than we needed to do things for ourselves. My wife and I have been pleased to get fresh water wells up and running near Leon, Nicaragua, in an agricultural area, hard hit by the drought and decreasing water levels. Of course, these projects meant putting a lot of things on hold, because while the USD is strong there, it is still expensive and one must pay cash "fees" (bribes) at every point along the way to get products and services completed, which is expected in a third-world country. However, when we see our relatives on face-time and see their excitement to have running, fresh water, somehow it makes everything else seem so utterly unimportant. You may notice this mantra as it appears in my signature line.
The temporary nature of our life on this earth has given me a lot to think about and this was compounded by the passing of Kevin Paul.
Before he passed away in October of 2018, our friend and TTR brother Kevin Paul gave me a few of his Gibson parts. I received (2) sets of Gibson Green Keys Tuners, a Gibson tailpiece, some gold knobs, all the cream trim from one of his Les Paul's that he converted to all black and a selector switch with a nickel, knurled metal tip. My plan for a while has been to use these bits & pieces on a Kevin Paul Tribute Les Paul. Additionally, I have wanted to add a '59 Les Paul on stage for not only "looks," but to rotate through as opposed to tuning my guitars mid-set.
Currently, I rotate through a genuine Gibson Les Paul, a Hand-Built Replica Les Paul Custom and the custom Von Herndon Double Neck, but a '59 Les Paul would be super cool, but I would never spend the money on one, even the venerable R9, when so many more noble humanitarian ventures could be undertaken with that money.
To build the perfect stage guitar, wouldn't take much effort. It would need to say "Gibson" and look authentic to the average audience member, but it would have to have premium internals and identical setup to my two main performance Les Paul's - guitars that work 5 nights a week. It would also need to be something that can handle high temperature outdoor events like Mojave Wasteland Weekend, getting knocked around in bars and biker clubs, and be cheap to replace if stolen.
Adrian is also a humanitarian and a philanthropist, so in our discussions about my desire to build a '59 Gibson Les Paul "Stage Prop," he was paying attention. Adrian was kind enough to send me his '59 Chibson Replica, which is an incredibly well put together guitar, better in some respects - with regard to neck angle and basic construction - that two CS Gibson Les Paul's I have been looking at in our local Guitar Sinner, and every one of them I have recently played that were in what I consider to be even a moderately affordable price range...and even those all needed work to make them reliable performance guitars.
Finances won't permit buying new stuff right now, so all modifications will have to be limited to what I have on hand, but I think the guitar has potential, not only as a living tribute to Kevin Paul, but as a money maker in our stage shows.
More to come...
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