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Last edited by icr; 04-26-2021 at 09:19 PM.
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04-24-2021 02:40 PM
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I'm not injured, the glove is for recording, to preventing static noise from the pickguard and my fingertips when humidity is low.
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Nice!
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I made the pickup/pickguard to match an original McCarty as close as I could get, without buying one and unwinding the pickup.
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Still can't locate the original thread that shows in detail on how I created this pickup. Here is a picture of how the commonly available pots were modified to fit.
The one on the right fit better but was harder to create. The website selling the pots that already have the screws on the back (see picture) does not answer emails and may be a spam site. So you have to make your own.
The reason the screws are close together on my modified pot is that I had already drilled the holes in the pickguard. Otherwise one may need to mount the screws to match the little B&W photograph below if one is repairing an original fingerrest pickup.
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My original thread covered this, but there was (maybe still is) a website with these pictures that claims to offer the original pot and original knob for the McCarty fingerrest pickup. But they don't answer e-mail, so maybe it is (was) a spam site.
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Very nice! A combination of a nice archtop guitar, a single coil pickup that's not overly hot, a surprising (to me) amp choice resulting in an excellent warm, clear tone. Congratulations! And nice job on fabricating the pots and knobs!
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The replica McCarty looks great!
Keith
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Hello everybody,
I'm new on Jazz Guitar Online, I'm here because of this " '40s Gibson L7" thread, very impressed by your knowledge.
I've just acquired a 1944 L7 a couple of days ago and I need your advices.
The guitar sounds AWESOME (that's why I bought it ! ) although she was mistreated during his long life (low price, another reason of my purchase...) :
* a left-handed owner removed the pickguard and played "like a butcher" (respect to the butchers...) damaging the top with his pick
* the original brazilian rosewood bridge has been planed from the top (!!!)
* the guitar has been horribly refinished with a "water green like" varnish ....goodbye to the original sunburst...and the surface looks like "orange peel"
* Fingerboard has been refretted but frets are so extremely low that it seems to be worn out even though they are new
My questions :
First, I'd like to change the frets : what is the right size for this guitar ?
Second, according to you : does the guitar need a new bridge ? even it sounds already greaaaat !!
Third, if I decide to refin the whole guitar, what could be the price ?
Thanks for your reply
StéphaneLast edited by Steph17; 11-22-2021 at 01:27 PM.
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Congratulations on a fabulous instrument! I bought a '44 L7. It's amazing.
Regarding your questions,
I refretted it with Jescar EVO gold medium jumbo frets. That was after a neck reset. I had the fretboard pleck'ed. It's perfect.
If the guitar intonates well and sounds good, why change the bridge? On the other hand, a nicely made bridge and base is not typically a huge expense or effort. You can always try that if it pleases you to experiment.
Finally, I don't know about price of refinishing. What I do know is that you want to be careful with additional sanding and removal of thickness from the original wood. It definitely will change the tone and reduce the richness and quality of it. There are others that are experts on the forum that will chime in with their knowledge on this, I'm sure. Regarding the 'orange peel' effect, sometimes over-buffing and subsequent heating up of the lacquer can result in damage like that. At the guitar's age, some natural checking, or even substantial checking can be expected, depending on history. Sun exposure can also damage and color the finish.
These early L7's are really fantastic. And well worth the effort and reasonable expense that can be afforded to help them. Also, typically, those that have been played the most, and show it, often are the best sounding.
Once again, congratulations on the vintage L7. It's a piece of archtop history.
And, welcome to the Forum. There is plenty of expertise, and opinions!
Steve
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Congratulations on a beautiful instrument. Do what you can afford to do to restore it to maximum playability, and enjoy it in good health!
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Thank you, Steve.
About the bridge, I surely will test a new one, based on the original.
I think mine has lost his right shape, the area of contact with the strings is much too big, source of sound lost.
About the finishing, if the guitar sounds wonderful, I don't think it's because of this horrible varnish... It's painful to see this huge instrument in this state... This guitar needs love!
I'd like (if possible) to make it removed. I know it could be the start of a important and expensive work...Last edited by Steph17; 11-22-2021 at 06:39 PM.
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It probably is a great guitar and one that given all the stuff why not bring up and no worries about originality as that is gone. First off yes I would go with Jescar medium Jumbo frets although I prefer the traditional Nickle silver gold are fine but no...........stainless steel. The top of the bridge ( saddle)simply needs to be carved such that the break over is not so wide. That is not hard or complicated if the guitar plays well now then this is just a way to get more voice out of the strings.
As to the finish. Well that is where you have some serious decisions. If it were my guitar I would simply refinish the guitar completely blond nitro as that requires the least work no shading and would be easy to do as such. Given I can do that work myself this is the kind of guitar I love to find for the right price. In your case you need to find a luthier that can do this and get it nice but it is not like refinishing a Super 400 that only needs to be refinished. In my mind a refinish on a guitar like this in blond would not be nearly as expensive. It will not look exactly perfect depending on condition of the wood but a clean nitro finish bluffed out and the rest done, you got a nice guitar.
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this one looks like it needs a neck reset, the bridge has been cut down and the t.p. looks like it's almost touching the top, though a refret w/taller wire might be able to prolong a neck reset for awhile.
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Originally Posted by wintermoon
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Originally Posted by deacon Mark
..........I'm betting you know what you're talking about dM, so what am I missing ???
...Thx.....
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I think most luthiers would rather refinish a previous sunburst to sunburst again as opposed to natural as it involves far less sanding to get the dark color out of the grain.
there also might likely be imperfections like knots, spalting, etc in the wood as builders typically use such woods for sunburst instruments to cover the flaws
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Originally Posted by deacon Mark
20 mm = 0.787 inch
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Hello !
I contacted my luthier, explaining the situation without showing the guitar : he is not very inclined to tackle the varnish ...
He proposes to proceed as follows:
* new frets
* sculpt the saddle to find the original profil
* very gradual and light polishing of the varnish, step by step, to see if the appearance improves
He'll see the guitar next wednesday, I trust in him doing good and reasonable job
Thank you all for looking into my concern
Stéphane
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Originally Posted by DC Ron
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Originally Posted by Steph17
Here are some news of my L7 :
* I changed the tuners for Schaller GrandTune Butterbean. Great sound improve !
* My luthier and I decided to remove the terrible varnish (who seems to be an acrylic (no polyurethan, as we thought), embedded within the wood) and this is what we discovered : a very nice spruce top, no break, no crack (exept a minor injury on the front) who could be the base of a blond finish. The removing was very long and difficult, made with a scraper. It will take another long time to do it on the sides, back, neck and headstock.
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Originally Posted by Steph17
Great news on the top! Keep us posted with progress pics
Elias Prinz -- young talent from Munich
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