The Re-birth of a Ledgend

Getting ready

2006-05-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

The day of reckoning has come . . .

Now there is now turning back. At lteast that is how I see it.
I phoned the Luthier yesterday, and made an appointment with him for later this afternoon. He works from his house, so that means I can pay him a visit after 6pm, to avoid the traffic, you see.

So, as you can see, if was off to the garage this afternoon, to prepare the Epiphone for her drastic transformation that she will soon under take. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn how little tools you need to strip an entire guitar to the wood.

I suppose these images doesn't need many words as you all can see what is being done . . .

As I took the pick-up's out, I still do not know witch ones will replace the weak-sounding-pansy passive EMG HZ's.
I kinda lean toward the Seymour Duncan JB/Jazz, or JB/'59s, BUT, I also love the tone of the Gibson Burstbuckers.
If any of the GG-geeks have any suggestions, please drop me a line, or anyone else for that matter.

There, job is done.
Looking at the wood in the pick-up cavity, it sure does not look like Mahogany, as some told me it would be.
That's good news to me as I am bargaining on a more light, swamp ash-like colour.

Now, the naked body is ready for a visit to the beauty-salon.
I suppose the next images that will get posted will be after the beautification process.
Regardless of the out come, it can only look better than it's current dart-board state.
Now it's off to the Luthier . . . cheers

- Jackfuzz

For old times sake

2006-05-10T04:47:00.000-07:00

Seeing that the guitar is going to undergo a huge metamorphosis very soon, I decided to take some "before" photo's, just like any good documenrary producer will do.
I actually found a Luthier here in my city of Port Elizabeth.

I am posting more than one photo as I really battled to get rid of the reflection, as can be seen on some of the images.

These photo's was taken almost as an afterthought, but they are ok for what they are supposed to be . . .

Tomorrow, I will start with the stripping of the body, and then it is off to the Luthier.

- Jackfuzz

My Geeked rig

2006-05-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

This is my geeked rig, just to see how it lookes like now:

Once again, I just need to day a very big, "THANK YOU", to Niels, for putting all the time and effort in, to produce this image for me.
Thanx, mate . . .

PS.

* the amp is not in my real-life rig yet, but that is the one that I am getting any day now.

- Jackfuzz

The idea . . .

2006-05-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

Impulse buying, don't you just sometimes hate it ?
I was in Vancouver, Canada last year, and needed a solid body electric guitar.

I was seriously pushed for time, and had the better part of an hour or so.
I had to make a decision, and quick.
Back home, I already had an Epiphone Les Paul (Gold Top), and an Ibanez Artcore AG75 (Blue Burst).
Ever since the late 80's (thank you, SLASH) I have been a big fan of the Les Paul-guitar body shape.
I had my eye on two Epiphone Les Paul models in the music store.

The one, was a beautifull wine red colour, and the other one, the Zakk Wylde Custom signature model.
Pressed for time, as I don't really have any other excuse (none that make sence, anyways) I decided on the alternative looking one. Stupid me . . .

Saying that, I really thought the EMG HZ pick-ups will rock a-hell-of-a-lot harder than what they do.
Remember, I am constantly looking on my watch, because I do have a cut-off time, no if's or but's !
I also have to mention at this point, that I am a huge fan of Zakk Wylde, and his Black Label Society band.
Pride and Glory, and the Hangover Music albums, from the ex-Ozzy Ozbourne guitar slinger, is some of my best albums in my 700+ CD Collection.

From Vancouver I traveled to various other places, before I got back home in South Africa, several months later.
This is where it all started to go downhill.
I eagarly plugged the guitar into my Marshall amp, and, ermmmmmm . . . . . . .nothing.
It sounded just like me.
Nothing special.
I even tried the MXR Zakk Wylde Over Drive pedal, to give it a good boost, and, ermmmmm . . . . . .nothing !
Several distortion, fuzz, and overdrive pedals later, I was still not happy with this new guitar of mine.

Keeping all those previously mentioned pedals in place, I plugged my Gold Top in, and, WOW !!!
It nearly ripped my head off.
Brute power, pure articulated harmonics, and sustaine for days . . . . . . . . it was all there.
The Zakk Wylde felt right on me, and it is much heaver than my Gold Top (something I like), but for tone, could not match the much cheaper Gold Top, with normal Epihone open-coil humbuckers.

Soon after that, the design on the body, a Zakk Wylde trade mark, became bland, and boring to look at.
After a lot of head scratching, I decided to sell the Zakk Wylde guitar.
My younger cousin works at a local music store and he said he will help me in selling it.
After all, he knows alot of guys who would be interested.

Fast Forward three months.
I still have the Zakk Wylde guitar.
It is still not sold, even if it could be the only one in my city (at the time) of Port Elizabeth.
Gibson S.A. does not import it to this country.
Too expensive for what it is, *they say.
(*they; being music store owners/clerks)

No one wanted to buy a signature guitar that "binds" you with one artist.
You automatically get labeled as someone who is trying to sound/act like the person in question.
(In this case, Zakk Wylde)
Those who did show any interrest, could not afford it.
"To much"; they shouted !

Some time went by, and I never played the guitar.
And then, one day, out of the blue . . . . . . .

BOOM - Massive Brain Storm !!!

"Why don't I costomize the Zakk Wylde, to a point that I would like it again ?"

The answer laid in front of my eyes all the time.

Costomize the Custom.

So simple, it's BRILLIANT !!!

So, the idae is this;

Strip the guitar from all its parts.
Get rid of that "dart-board" graffics.
Let the Mahogany body show off its natural wooden beauty.
. . . and from there, add all the components that I would like to have on a Les Paul.

Thats the idea, anyway.

- Jackfuzz