SG John
Ambassador of Cool Guitars and Amps.
I guess that I should do a NGD thread for this.
Back in 2008, Java started building a John Cipollina tribute SG. Since he wasn't trying to replicate the electronics and some of the other expensive modifications Cipollina had done to his guitar, it was considered a "tribute" guitar, and not an exact copy. I was probably Brian's biggest fan-boy during the building process as he was posting progress at ETSG. Since we actually developed a pretty good friendship over the years, I actually had the opportunity to spend some time at his house in Ennis, Ireland, and play many of the guitars and amps he had built. The guy is a master craftsman. He also holds a degree in architectural restoration for period correct restoration of architecture between 1500 and 1800's.
A few times I had mentioned that I would love to be able to make him a non-insulting offer for the SG, as it is such a beautiful guitar. As we were discussing my impending trip to England, he asked me about the possibilities of returning with a guitar. I didn't give it much thought as he had told me a few times about a distant relative who lives on Cape Cod who had been bugging him to build a guitar for him. Java said he would just sell him one of his Teles to get him off of his back. That's what I thought I would be bringing back. When we met last Sunday at Foyles Book Store near Denmark Street in London, he had a Gibson case with him. After we went to a cafe and ordered some coffee, he finally asked if I was to see what I was taking home with me. He had quite the smile on his face when I saw the Cipollina SG sitting inside the case. I was shocked! I think shocked might be an understatement, as I was in a trance for several days, as I could not believe it. Java said it was time to give the guitar a "good home" as it is need of work from living in the damp environment of south west Ireland.
So, now that a week has gone by, and I've played it every day, I think it's settling into my brain that it is actually really now my guitar.
The neck is a three piece neck made from reclaimed mahogany that Java grabbed along the way at some work site. The body is Sapele (African Mahogany) and has an ebony fingerboard. The pickups are low output Fralin humbuckers (around 7-8 ohms), has RS pots and caps, Grover Imperial Tuners, and a Bigsby B-5. Basically, the best of everything. The craftsmanship in this guitar is amazing. Other than play it, I have not tried to take it apart and inspect it. It's perfect as is, and I'll leave it alone for now.
A couple of nights ago, I played it through my 50 watt master volume Marshall JMP. The sounds were luscious. with the guitar volume on 6, you could get really clean tones by playing with a light touch. Attack with a bit more aggressive picking, and it had a nice crunch to it. Start rolling up the volume, and guitar just snarls at you. I can see me playing this guitar a lot, as it should be played.
Back in 2008, Java started building a John Cipollina tribute SG. Since he wasn't trying to replicate the electronics and some of the other expensive modifications Cipollina had done to his guitar, it was considered a "tribute" guitar, and not an exact copy. I was probably Brian's biggest fan-boy during the building process as he was posting progress at ETSG. Since we actually developed a pretty good friendship over the years, I actually had the opportunity to spend some time at his house in Ennis, Ireland, and play many of the guitars and amps he had built. The guy is a master craftsman. He also holds a degree in architectural restoration for period correct restoration of architecture between 1500 and 1800's.
A few times I had mentioned that I would love to be able to make him a non-insulting offer for the SG, as it is such a beautiful guitar. As we were discussing my impending trip to England, he asked me about the possibilities of returning with a guitar. I didn't give it much thought as he had told me a few times about a distant relative who lives on Cape Cod who had been bugging him to build a guitar for him. Java said he would just sell him one of his Teles to get him off of his back. That's what I thought I would be bringing back. When we met last Sunday at Foyles Book Store near Denmark Street in London, he had a Gibson case with him. After we went to a cafe and ordered some coffee, he finally asked if I was to see what I was taking home with me. He had quite the smile on his face when I saw the Cipollina SG sitting inside the case. I was shocked! I think shocked might be an understatement, as I was in a trance for several days, as I could not believe it. Java said it was time to give the guitar a "good home" as it is need of work from living in the damp environment of south west Ireland.
So, now that a week has gone by, and I've played it every day, I think it's settling into my brain that it is actually really now my guitar.
The neck is a three piece neck made from reclaimed mahogany that Java grabbed along the way at some work site. The body is Sapele (African Mahogany) and has an ebony fingerboard. The pickups are low output Fralin humbuckers (around 7-8 ohms), has RS pots and caps, Grover Imperial Tuners, and a Bigsby B-5. Basically, the best of everything. The craftsmanship in this guitar is amazing. Other than play it, I have not tried to take it apart and inspect it. It's perfect as is, and I'll leave it alone for now.
A couple of nights ago, I played it through my 50 watt master volume Marshall JMP. The sounds were luscious. with the guitar volume on 6, you could get really clean tones by playing with a light touch. Attack with a bit more aggressive picking, and it had a nice crunch to it. Start rolling up the volume, and guitar just snarls at you. I can see me playing this guitar a lot, as it should be played.
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