Some Birthday NGDs

[badpenguin]

That old birthday monster came to visit me 2 weeks ago. So that means some new toys to help deal with the pain of aging non-gracefully. Went down to my fav shop, and came home with these two beasties.

 

First on the left is an 2016 IBANEZ AF-71. Part of the Artcore series, made for a couple of years, and forgotten about. Nice playing jazz box, completely hollow, floating mini hum in the neck, controls on the pick guard, decent playing beast. Sounds a bit boxy unplugged, but better thru an amp. I plan on replacing the bridge with a nice ebony one, and a bone nut. (Metal tun-a-matic on an archtop is the Devil's tool for messing with the proper tone of a jazz box.)

 

Secondly, is a circa 1970 WILSON & SONS Lawsuit Paul copy. Solid mahogany body, floating laminate top, Duncan 59 in the bridge, original in the neck. Had to replace the tone pot on the neck pickup, and the tuners. This was the rare case of the tuners being the sole issue of staying in tune. GARBAGE!!  I took the pickguard off, and plan to put another on, since the original sat on the pickup rings, and every time I hit the high "E" string, there was an annoying "plink". I don't need anything like that to make my playing more crappy, thank you very much. NOTHING is known about the Wilson & Sons brand. Wilson was a maker of classical guitars in Japan, with the help of one of the Yari children. Highly regarded despite coming from Japan in the 60's and 70's. The electrics, nothing is said. I would bet money that it's a Fuji Gen Gakki creations, sharing a few features from the early Ibanez's of that time.

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by badpenguin

[gardo]

Happy Birthday, I think you’re officially an old fart now. Don’t worry so am I 

I like the Ibanez a lot. You are correct on the bridge . Why they do that I don’t know. 
What do you mean by a “ floating laminate top’ on the LP type?

[badpenguin]

32 minutes ago, gardo said:

Happy Birthday, I think you’re officially an old fart now. Don’t worry so am I 

I like the Ibanez a lot. You are correct on the bridge . Why they do that I don’t know. 
What do you mean by a “ floating laminate top’ on the LP type?

Yep, I'm an old fart.

 

Anyway, on the goldtop, think of how a Paul is built. A flat piece of maple is glued to a flat piece of mahogany. The top is then carved into the arch we all know and love. On this, and many other Ibanez's of the period, a laminate (plywood) top is steam pressed into the arch shape, then glued to a flat top of mahogany. The edges are the only thing actually glued to the mahogany, the arch part "floats". It gives more of a 335 styled tone, then the completely solid sound of a Paul.

[gardo]

1 hour ago, badpenguin said:

Yep, I'm an old fart.

 

Anyway, on the goldtop, think of how a Paul is built. A flat piece of maple is glued to a flat piece of mahogany. The top is then carved into the arch we all know and love. On this, and many other Ibanez's of the period, a laminate (plywood) top is steam pressed into the arch shape, then glued to a flat top of mahogany. The edges are the only thing actually glued to the mahogany, the arch part "floats". It gives more of a 335 styled tone, then the completely solid sound of a Paul.

Wow, I never realized that. I just assumed they were all solid. No wonder people say the flat tops sound better 

Edited July 24, 2021 by gardo

[daddymack]

Happy B-day, bp!

the AF71, with a better bridge/nut combo, and a p90,  can get that 'oldskool gibby jazz box sound'...Did that for someone a few years ago, tusq nut, rosewood/ebony bridge with a Humbucker-sized P90 [I think it was a Lollar]...

[Mikeo]

23 hours ago, badpenguin said:

That old birthday monster came to visit me 2 weeks ago. So that means some new toys to help deal with the pain of aging non-gracefully. Went down to my fav shop, and came home with these two beasties.

 

First on the left is an 2016 IBANEZ AF-71. Part of the Artcore series, made for a couple of years, and forgotten about. Nice playing jazz box, completely hollow, floating mini hum in the neck, controls on the pick guard, decent playing beast. Sounds a bit boxy unplugged, but better thru an amp. I plan on replacing the bridge with a nice ebony one, and a bone nut. (Metal tun-a-matic on an archtop is the Devil's tool for messing with the proper tone of a jazz box.)

 

Secondly, is a circa 1970 WILSON & SONS Lawsuit Paul copy. Solid mahogany body, floating laminate top, Duncan 59 in the bridge, original in the neck. Had to replace the tone pot on the neck pickup, and the tuners. This was the rare case of the tuners being the sole issue of staying in tune. GARBAGE!!  I took the pickguard off, and plan to put another on, since the original sat on the pickup rings, and every time I hit the high "E" string, there was an annoying "plink". I don't need anything like that to make my playing more crappy, thank you very much. NOTHING is known about the Wilson & Sons brand. Wilson was a maker of classical guitars in Japan, with the help of one of the Yari children. Highly regarded despite coming from Japan in the 60's and 70's. The electrics, nothing is said. I would bet money that it's a Fuji Gen Gakki creations, sharing a few features from the early Ibanez's of that time.

 

Nice. The only thing I have like that Ibby is, a Godin 5th Ave King Pin I and the Kingpin II.

Juts like this.

 

[DeepEnd]

Happy birthday! Congratulations and Happy New Guitar Day X2. 🎉