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I got this 1978 Artist Model a couple of months back. The pickguard broke in transit. It was a replacement pickguard made of ebony, not the original.
The guitar has been at my luthier's shop in his basement for about a month. The pickguard was inadvertently destroyed by an associate of his. He's making a tortoise shell original-like pickguard. It's delayed due to his surgery today. I got the guitar back without a pickguard while he mends.
Our own life-with-a-song graciously sent me a Mylar tracing of an original HR pickguard. Many thanks, Greg.
The top of the HR has been wet sanded and buffed. Forty years of gunk has been removed. The wood looks very nice.
There is some checking. The checks are discolored. One is a prominent check, not a crack in the top. You can also see the discoloration where the screw on the top for the pickguard is. That's what happens to guitars over time that get used.
In a couple of weeks my luthier will wet sand the rest of the guitar, put on the pickguard, and set it up.
Here's some pics of the top.
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04-12-2018 08:52 PM
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Man, that looks sweet! As a former student and forever big fan of Howard, let me say "thank you" for keeping that guitar going!
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It's beautiful! How would you describe the acoustic voice?
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nice!!! howard roberts was always diggin for more sound out of his gear...cut up many a guitar...but had some great ideas
one floater pup with 3 knobs!!??...one's a tone choke...sends the signal thru an additional filter circuit...early 60's epi rivoli bass had similar feature
heres great pics & info-
(says page not found but link works...click it)
404 - PAGE NOT FOUND
congrats and enjoy
maple top should clean up nicely
cheers
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Very nice
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MG,
I really like that guitar!
GT
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Congratulations on the project. Restoration projects are noble endeavors.
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It's too soon to tell. I haven't changed the strings yet. I'll do that when the pickguard is completed.
Originally Posted by AlohaJoe
It will be positive but I don't know how sensational.
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Here's an update. I've been playing this HR without a pickguard. The luthier had some unavoidable delays, but there was no hurry on my part.
The pickguard material arrived. I meet with him this weekend.
Here is the material. It still has the plastic coating on it.
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Sorry but I always wonder what is the third control for?
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The third knob cuts some of the mids, so they say. It is subtle.
Here's some details.
Early 70's Howard Roberts :: one pickup, two tones — Chubbuck Guitars :: making & repairing Guitars in a old building just north of Boston, Mass.
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Making progress. The plate to cut the pickguard is about done. The pickup recess should be done tonight and the complete pickguard very soon.
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You did that Grass?
impressive..
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Originally Posted by Max405
I have better judgement than to try that! The guy who used to build Heritage's floating pickup, not the Floating #3 but the Tonebar, did this.
He's a wizard with guitars and pickups. I'm incredibly blessed to have him near me.
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Pickguard update. It is now ready to apply the binding.
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Here's some new pics. The binding layering is uneven. The white stripes vary from thin to thick. The luthier is dissatisfied with it because he wants it to be identical the the original.
It should be done in 1-2 weeks.
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Gorgeous HR Mark! I'm a fan of bound pickguards. Love the fact you're doing your best to recreate the original. Can't wait to see it in all its bound glory!
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That looks like a fantastic guitar. I hope that you will post some video of how it sounds. I have the unrelated HR Fusion III, but I have never had a chance to play the full-hollow one you have. That is nice that you are putting it back to original with the new pickguard.
I like that something so intricate can be made from such simple materials. I made a bound pickguard for my Sebring a few years ago and it really adds to the appearance of the guitar.
I was anxious about my miter joint so I did it a little different. I made the long piece extend past the joint and cut it with a blade and then pre-made the stack for the little piece. That way I could try cutting the little piece at a few slightly different angles to get it perfect before actually gluing the little piece in place. A nice little 'cheat.'Last edited by icr; 09-14-2018 at 10:04 PM.
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How did it work out Marty?
How much would your luthier charge for a guard like he made you?
Gftz
Richard
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I bought a vintage-correct pickguard for my '74 Gibson HR Custom from Fox Guitars. It is nitrocelluloid, bound, and aged to agree more with older binding. I am very happy with it but it was a bit pricey at around $350.
Gibson Howard Roberts TruVintage guitar pickguard celluloid tortoise 5-ply aged binding | fox-guitars.com
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Ouch, pricey indeed.
Thnx for the link.
I keep it in mind.
Shipping and taxes would bring that close to 500 I'm afraid
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QUOTE=Djangorocks1;1251500]How did it work out Marty?
How much would your luthier charge for a guard like he made you?
Gftz
Richard[/QUOTE]
I'm happy with it. It looks as good as new. $75.
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Mine cost less for a couple of reasons. It was made by a friend who was doing a replacement of the midrange pot. He was buffing out the pickguard and it the wheel threw it across the room and cracked it. He built a new one for the cost of parts. My friend, who is an accomplished luthier, was working full time in a white collar job at the time. He now he is in charge of repairs at Heritage. Originally Posted by Easy2grasp
He's amazing but now in high demand for these skills.
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Mine is broken in two and looks very brittle and shrunk a bit from the binding.
My befriended is going to try to fix it and glue it on plexiglass of some sort.
It that don't work he will make me a new faux tortoise.
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Your guitar is beautiful btw
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