So I'm fortunate to have owned dozens of guitars in my lifetime. Many were real beauties (Gretch's, PRS McCarty and Customs, several Gibsons..hollow and solid body, Strats, Hamers, the list goes on). I'm 34 and have been playing for over 20 years now. I'm definitely a gear head but never really ventured much into modifying my guitars much beyond stock. I did have the pickups upgraded and new tuners put on my first serious electric guitar as a teenager (made in Japan 60s reissue Fender Strat) but other than finally ditching the awful Klusons for Grovers on my Les Paul last year I'm not sure I've done anything else to any of my guitars I've owned. In all honesty, most of them probably didn't "need" much help.
Long story long, I bought a brand new wine red Les Paul Standard back in 1997 (I was 15). This ended up being one of the only guitars I held onto while many many others came and went. I'm not even sure I can say it was even necessarily better than every single one of the others that came in and out of my life, and some of it may have just been chance at the time as to why something else got sold and I kept that one. But eventually over time, I realized how much I genuinely loved my Les Paul. Both Les Pauls in general (the looks, the vibe, the sound, the icons that have played them, etc) - as well as this one specifically. It just fits and feels right.
Other than the tuning head upgrade I mentioned, I've been playing all these years with the stock Gibson wiring/electronics (300k pots, stock caps, etc) as well as the stock pickups. After going through dozens of amps as well and playing some other Les Pauls, I began to entertain the notion a couple of years ago that I possibly didn't really care for the 490R and 498T combination. This seed has grown inside of me into a full out hatred of them. Now in a way I'm thankful for them, as I believe it's probably made me a much better musician..learning to succeed and find my way to good tone with such a mismatched pickup combination (not to mention the mud-saucey sludge that is my neck pickup). I've gotten many compliments on my tone over the years with it in the many local bands and venues I've played by fellow musicians and the like.
I say all of that to finally say - hallelujah. Thanks in large part to my lurking and reading these forums for the last couple of years..I'm ecstatic to report that I dropped off my 97 Standard at a trusted luthier's shop last week for a complete rewire (500k CTS pots, PIO caps) and a cow bone nut. He told me he'd also swap the pickups out for me for no extra charge while he is was in there doing everything else if I wanted. So I jumped at the chance and spent the last few days making a really hard decision. I'd narrowed it down to either the 59s, APH-2s, or the Seth Lovers. I finally settled on a matching set of Seth Lovers ($189.99 brand new, no tax and free 2 day shipping..thanks Amazon Prime..wow).
So with any luck..by this weekend I should have this baby back all freshly made over. I'm not sure I can put into words how pumped I am. Here's to hoping I bond with the Seths as much as I think I'm going to...(hell, after nearly 2 decades with the 490R/498T..it's hard to fathom I'd be disappointed with much of anything!)
My Mesa Express and AC30 (90s Korg era UK made with Greenbacks) are anxiously awaiting...drink one for me and _______ tonight (I refuse to name my guitars).
Long story long, I bought a brand new wine red Les Paul Standard back in 1997 (I was 15). This ended up being one of the only guitars I held onto while many many others came and went. I'm not even sure I can say it was even necessarily better than every single one of the others that came in and out of my life, and some of it may have just been chance at the time as to why something else got sold and I kept that one. But eventually over time, I realized how much I genuinely loved my Les Paul. Both Les Pauls in general (the looks, the vibe, the sound, the icons that have played them, etc) - as well as this one specifically. It just fits and feels right.
Other than the tuning head upgrade I mentioned, I've been playing all these years with the stock Gibson wiring/electronics (300k pots, stock caps, etc) as well as the stock pickups. After going through dozens of amps as well and playing some other Les Pauls, I began to entertain the notion a couple of years ago that I possibly didn't really care for the 490R and 498T combination. This seed has grown inside of me into a full out hatred of them. Now in a way I'm thankful for them, as I believe it's probably made me a much better musician..learning to succeed and find my way to good tone with such a mismatched pickup combination (not to mention the mud-saucey sludge that is my neck pickup). I've gotten many compliments on my tone over the years with it in the many local bands and venues I've played by fellow musicians and the like.
I say all of that to finally say - hallelujah. Thanks in large part to my lurking and reading these forums for the last couple of years..I'm ecstatic to report that I dropped off my 97 Standard at a trusted luthier's shop last week for a complete rewire (500k CTS pots, PIO caps) and a cow bone nut. He told me he'd also swap the pickups out for me for no extra charge while he is was in there doing everything else if I wanted. So I jumped at the chance and spent the last few days making a really hard decision. I'd narrowed it down to either the 59s, APH-2s, or the Seth Lovers. I finally settled on a matching set of Seth Lovers ($189.99 brand new, no tax and free 2 day shipping..thanks Amazon Prime..wow).
So with any luck..by this weekend I should have this baby back all freshly made over. I'm not sure I can put into words how pumped I am. Here's to hoping I bond with the Seths as much as I think I'm going to...(hell, after nearly 2 decades with the 490R/498T..it's hard to fathom I'd be disappointed with much of anything!)
My Mesa Express and AC30 (90s Korg era UK made with Greenbacks) are anxiously awaiting...drink one for me and _______ tonight (I refuse to name my guitars).
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