The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by Franz 1997
    Forgive me for stating the obvious, but you must only apply the iron, through a cloth and on low heat, to the back of the guard. Ideally the front of the guard is placed onto a totally flat and clean, cool surface - marble is ideal

    If you apply the heat to the front, the cloth can imprint itself slightly onto the the guard. You can guess how I know this..
    Great addition Franz, thanks!

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  3. #27

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    Well done! I like the look with the pickguard even better!

  4. #28

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    I guess wabi-sabi sounds more sophisticated than shabby chic ... or beautiful patina


  5. #29

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    Wow...so cool

  6. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by furtom
    I already knew your Zen leanings from your signature. And you spell Buddhist like a Victorian Englishman.
    Ha, yes. I have ataxia in the eye muscles. Sometimes my spelling goes off. I have to be careful when I write words like SHINTO and SNIPE.
    Last edited by jazzbow; 08-09-2017 at 04:36 AM.

  7. #31

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    Great score with a nice backstory. Love the little scallop in the neck by the 3rd fret. But found hanging in a pawnshop? "Son, if I had known back then when I met your mammy that you'd one day be my son I'd have castrated myself." How much was it pawned for? $200? Jeeesh.

    Frets look rather thin, low, worn and skinny. Is a re-fret in the cards?
    Last edited by Jabberwocky; 08-09-2017 at 05:25 PM.

  8. #32

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    Very sweet! Congratulations on a great guitar and establishing it's provenance. Awesome find and great story.

  9. #33

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    Quote Originally Posted by Easy2grasp
    The pickguard looks great now (even though the guitar looked cool the other way, too).
    Attachment 44717
    Attachment 44718
    Now I need to source a vintage correct bracket. Joe at Archtop.com seems to have mostly vintage correct ones and in an antiqued nickel finish. But they are kind of pricey and it seems like from the text that the screw hole will be in a new place (but the old one is covered up) and they have acorn nuts on them instead of vintage correct flat nuts
    Fortunately I found what I needed from this eBay seller and for cheaper, too. BRACKETS FOR A PURE NICKEL ES 175 L7 225 BYRDLAND NEW AND CHROME TOO BRACKETS FOR A PURE NICKEL ES 175 L-7 225 BYRDLAND NEW AND CHROME TOO | eBay
    It has the vintage correct flat cap nut and the vintage correct trapezoidal wooden block that goes on the bottom of the pickguard. I had to file about a millimeter off of the "ledge" to get it to match the existing screw hole.
    1956 Gibson ES-175-bracketcloseup-jpg
    Now I have an amp like Jim Hall's and a guitar like his, but I still don't quite sound like Jim Hall! Do you think it is my pick, or maybe I need one of those Van Eps string dampeners?
    1956 Gibson ES-175-jimhallkit-jpg

  10. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
    Great score with a nice backstory. Love the little scallop in the neck by the 3rd fret. But found hanging in a pawnshop? "Son, if I had known back then when I met your mammy that you'd one day be my son I'd have castrated myself." How much was it pawned for? $200? Jeeesh.

    Frets look rather thin, low, worn and skinny. Is a re-fret in the cards?
    I don't know why the grandson would have pawned it, after all he is a guitar player. I see from the internet that he got divorced earlier this year. Maybe his now ex-wife pawned it. That would be grounds for divorce, right?

    The frets are kind of flat and worn, mostly just the first 3-5 frets. But after putting on some 13's flat wounds, it seems to be okay for now. As my luthier says - "If its not broke don't fix it." Here is a picture and Wintermoon cover your eyes because some of the original owner's DNA is still there. I didn't take all of George Benson's mojo DNA off the guitar I got from him, so it only seems right to leave a little of Rulon Mecham's DNA on his guitar.
    1956 Gibson ES-175-closeupfretweares1751956-jpg

    Also, for those who did not see, I added the newspaper article to my initial NGD post about about the original owner being saved from an apartment fire - which explains the heat damage on the case.
    1956 Gibson ES-175-screen-shot-2017-08-10-3-43-21-pm-png
    Last edited by Easy2grasp; 08-16-2017 at 08:18 PM.

  11. #35

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    Hi, my name is Terry. I am the granddaughter of the original guitar owner. My cousin is the one who pawned my grandpa's guitar. We spent many happy days and nights listening to my grandpa Mecham play and sing. As far as I know, my grandpa never published any of his songs but, family members do have cassette tapes of him singing his songs and playing the guitar. I'm sad that it is no longer in the family but, glad that it found a good home. Please let me know if you would like any information on its use during it's time in the Mecham family.

  12. #36

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    my cousin must have pawned it in ohio? my grandpa was a fun entertainer we even have some of his music recorded. he wrote many songs, fun songs christmas songs love songs etc. it's no wonder the pick guard is worn out because he loved to play tongue twister songs and slap and pick for punch lines and such. he probably engraved the plate himself. he was an inventor and was very resourceful! how I would love to hear him playing again!

  13. #37

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    Please private message me who you are..

  14. #38

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    Oh the stories you need to hear about the man who owned this guitar. He was not the one rescued in the apartment fire. Best guess on the burn marks is that they came from the 3'x3' floor grate in the small front room where he entertained us with his songs. It was a tiny house - 2 bedrooms - and he and his adorable wife, Thelma, raised 5 kids there. Growing up I didn't refer to them as Rulon and Thelma. It was grandma and grandpa Grape. He was an inventor and a gold minner, a mink farmer and a tinkerer, and a musician. We have a set of songs he recorded for the family one Christmas in the 80s. About 15 years ago I transferred that tape to CDs for everyone one Christmas. If you want to know anything else about him please feel free to reach out. I am happy to know this little piece of our history has made a new home with someone who loves it, and wanted to know it's history. I hope you play it often.

  15. #39
    I'm the husband of Rulon Mecham's oldest grandchild. My wife has many fond memories of her grandpa playing that Gibson guitar and singing at family gatherings.

    The old favorite, "You are My Sunshine" was always dedicated to little Barbie. She would revel in being serenaded by her grandpa Rulon and her grandma Thelma Lou.

    Though it saddened her to hear that the guitar had slipped away from the family, she's happy knowing that it's being restored and will go on giving many more years of musical joy.

    When you play the old Gibson know that it's preformed a lot of country western songs at Saturday night dances in little beer bars, been played at family gatherings from Christmas to Easter and even at Thelma Lou's funeral.

    That 1956 Gibson wasn't just a guitar, it was the secret ingredient that bonded a family together for many years on many occasions. Even now as this latest chapter is being written and read, the family has been given the joy in sharing old family memories and experiences.

    Own it and play it and get as much happiness out of it as Rulon did when he'd take it out of the case, hold it in his working man hands and rest it on his knee. Play "You are My Sunshine" and see if it doesn't almost play itself.

  16. #40

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    This all seems pretty unreal..

  17. #41

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    Isn't it great to hear a guitars history? We all have had guitars pass through our hands with interesting historys. We should all make an effort to record our time with these pieces when we send them to their new homes. She's a beauty,congratulations.

  18. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by p1p
    This all seems pretty unreal..
    You can say that again I appreciate the literary passion and humor of some of our members.

  19. #43

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    I am very grateful to hear these stories of Rulon Mecham from his family. This guitar has such a legacy and has been bathed in joy and sorrow through it's years. I like to think that the family member who pawned it did so out of desperation. The family ties to this man, his guitar, and his music beget the guitar with a spirit energy that will always exist. Let us remember that it is the man, Rulon Mecham, and not the guitar. But all of us here can appreciate the guitar as a tool that can be used in so many useful ways to bring people together and bond family members in this case. This guitar was like the family dining room table, where people came together to enjoy each other's company and partake in the richness of life, thanks to this musician. It is an honor to be the present conservator of this instrument.
    Ted

  20. #44

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    Congrats on the instrument and thanks for sharing the whole story.

  21. #45

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    I have offered to sell the guitar back to the family for what I have in it. Otherwise, it is not for sale to anyone. This guitar is a keeper that one would regret selling for the rest of one's life, unless it was to meet some higher good, such as getting a family icon back in their arms.
    Ted

  22. #46

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    We're, as a family, so happy to know this piece of our history has made it to such a loving home. the best thing you could do for us is to continue to enjoy it. That would have made my great grandparents extremely happy. Natalie

  23. #47

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    Wow. Cool and congrats.

  24. #48
    With your interest in finding out about Rulon Mecham and his beloved guitar, and your generous offer to sell it back to the family, you've more than proven you are the rightful curator for this fine old Gibson.

    If it would make you any more comfortable in that role, consider yourself part of the family. Thanks again for reaching out and giving our family a chance to reminicse.

  25. #49

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    And yes, "You Are My Sunshine" popped right out of this guitar. Not sure how it happened, but I was instantly playing it in three different keys. I am going to work on an arrangement. I am wondering if Rulon Mecham was a country blues finger picker or used a flat pick. I am leaning towards country blues finger picker with the thumb on the sixth string type neck wear.

  26. #50
    Ted,

    As my wife recalls Rulon used a guitar pick. Also, He didn't wear a wedding ring due to working around machinery all the time. The damage you attributed to his wedding ring may have been caused by a metal "slide" he used on occasion when playing. Thanks for the feedback on "You are My Sunshine." My wife got a real kick out of that.

    Clayton