This was just a really cool later model Gibson Flying V that the owner wanted a Bigsby fitted (a la Lonnie Mack). After a few other modifications including some electric and a locking roller bridge, The Vibramate Kit was used and a fresh B-7 was loaded on. Looks so cool!
Ever wanted to see inside a Gibson from one of the most classic years? Well here ya go! This one was in stunning shape and a took a few pictures for records. Check it out!
Just a really unusual guitar for you here, a Gibson ES-775. Yes that’s right a 775! It was pretty short lived and was kinda like a cross between 175 and an L-4, albeit with some standalone appointments like a deeper cutaway and the neck pickup being moved right up next to the fingerboard. This one sounds as smooth and mellow as you would expect, and was just fit with a fresh set of flat wound 13’s
This old late 60’s Silvertone H1214 arrived missing a bridge and needing a neck reset, so why not go the full distance and convert it internally to an X-braced instrument and give it a truss rod?! Well, that’s exactly what’s happening here, and you can follow the process in the pictures.
This 1966 Hagstrom J-45 came in very tired, with a broken bridge, damaged braces and bridge plate, and needing a neck reset as well as having a head crack and top cracks. Check out the pictures as we go into it and sort things out piece by piece! Brace repairs, sorting out the original bridge and cleaning up that nasty oxidised gluing surface, a new pickguard to replace the non-original one, removal and eventual reset of the neck, and the re-fret it will need as well.
Yes I know it makes for sore eyes, but this was (and sort of still is) a 1963 Fender Precision Bass! The neck was in good shape, but there’s not much left of the body, having been hacked up, a very rudimentary fretboard extension added (made me laugh) and nearly all original parts missing or heavily damaged. Not everything handled at STK is crazy expensive, and the client actually did not want to invest in getting this sorted out. Fair enough, the other option of replacing the body with an aged Olympic White one was taken. After that, the original pickup was transferred over, and aged reissue or reproduction parts were used to complete it. Looked and played great!
Not all guitars are as easy to prevent noise and interference! With most Semi hollow guitars there are no cavities to line with copper or paint, so another solution is needed, and this is it. Much like the style of shielding seen in the last set of pictures, we encase each part in their own shielded compartment, and run screened cable throughout. It’s a long process, but the results are worth it. Guitars, including this Gibson ES-330, run with so much less interference!
This one didn’t need all that complicated work, it just hadn’t been used in a long time and required a really good cleanup, setup and adjustment. It was in incredible shape and played extremely well!
Amazing old Gibson L-1 from 1932 (I believe) that needed a new saddle.
Always a joy removing glued-in saddles on very expensive vintage guitars. Cut and collapse is usually the best way in my experience. I then carefully cut and shaped a nice new one that was slightly taller, with a littler added compensation as well.
Ya know, it was really nice to have an old guitar on my bench that has previously been worked on by another knowledgeable luthier, whose care and experience was evident in the quality of work present, thank you whoever you are!
This 1938 Kalamazoo KG-14 was in decent shape cosmetically, but functionality had left the room and the guitar was basically unplayable. With the blueprints to hand of a Gibson L-00 from 1937, the decision was made to not only sort out the playability but to convert this guitar to an L-00 style instrument complete with correct X-bracing and a truss rod. We did go with a modern 2-way rod adjusted from the inside of the guitar for a cleaner look, and the functionality it gives. There will be more pictures of this one as it progresses!