It's been a long time! I know it's been so long that you don't remember 。。。。。
This is the second installment of my selfish project, which some people call TC instruments, Matsui things, Matchan, and others do not.
This time, we are going to compare Les Paul Goldtop thoroughly, and one of them is the vintage Les Paul Goldtop made in 1956, which is the perfection of P-90 equipped Les Paul with Tune-O-Matic first adopted! The other is a Historic Collection 1956 Les Paul Goldtop Leash made by Gibson's premier Gibson Custom Shop!
This comparison of the two manufacturers is only possible at a music store like TC Instruments, where there are no ties with any manufacturer! If you have any complaints, please contact us at 、、、、、、. Sorry..........................
Please understand that this is just a comparison of one individual to another, and one thing does not equal another...so please be prepared to look at it. 。。。。。 Hmmmmmmm....
Logo
Historic is beautiful, of course.
At first glance, there seems to be little difference between the two. However.... The logo position of the original seems to be much lower than that of the Historic. This low position of the logo was the specification from 1952 to 1957 when Les Paul was born, and it was changed to the same position in 1958. Furthermore, while the original Les Paul has the logo carefully embedded in the veneer and attached to the head top, the Historic uses the logo from the early 60s, when the outline of the logo was changed, and the square lines around the Gibson logo are clearly visible, and the logo has been changed from the original to the new one. major differences were observed.
Head top
Both original and Historic use hollywood for the head top, the original can be seen from the peeled paint. The shape of the head from the top is almost the same!
Adjustable cover
The adjustment cover position is slightly higher on the original, and the screw hole on the nut side of the adjustment cover is 6mm from the nut on the original, and 5mm on the Historic. The original adjusting cover is a remnant of the process of machining and cutting after stretching the rolled state because it was not possible to produce plastic on a flat surface at that time. The roll marks are not visible on the Historic as well.
Pegs
The original pegs are no-line pegs without the Crewdson logo. The knob is a single ring, transparent, and the marble pattern can be seen clearly on this peg, which is closer to 1955. The Historic is a Crewson peg with two rows of engraved GIBSON DELUXE. The milky white colored single ring knob was used on the original 1956 and is well reproduced from the shape to the appearance, but it may be inferior to the original in terms of power as it has not developed the yellowing that makes the marble pattern stand out with age. As a side note, have you ever seen vintage Gibson pegs with a small shrinkage? That is a material used in the late 50's and early 60's and is called "shrink button". Shrink will shrink as it ages. 。。。。 I know everyone is replacing them because they are almost impossible to turn.
Head angle
Both heads are angled at 17 degrees. The thickness and shape of the neck varies slightly because the original neck was cut by hand in the 1960s. In the 70's, the grading was changed to one that could be done with a small amount of wood, but this resulted in a number of broken necks. As a result, Gibson changed the material to maple neck, which was a reversal of the original plan, and the Gibson company was on fire. 、、、、、 After such a history, there was no way that Gibson would stand on their feet! The Hiscore is also designed to be strong where the head angle is beautifully angled.
Neck thickness and width
Width at actual size
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Thickness in actual size
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The width is a little wider and the thickness is a little thinner than the original, but when you actually hold it, you can feel that the Hiscore is thicker than the original. This is due to the way the side of the neck is cut. In extreme terms, the original is cut close to a C-shape, while the Hiscore is cut close to a U-shape. Since this is the part that is in contact with the guitar the longest, the slight difference makes a big difference in the impression.
Fret
The frets are 1.85mm wide on the original and 2.2mm on the Hiscolle. The frets are wider and higher on the Hiscolle. I am not sure if this is for the neck to be worn out or if it is an insurance policy in case the neck moves. 、、、、 This is just a speculation. But the current trend in refretting, etc., is to use high, slim frets. It certainly gives a sharp rise to the sound that you can't get with jumbo frets or medium jumbos, so I wonder if more people are concerned about attack. My heyday was jumbo frets and medium jumbo frets..................................shows my age, doesn't it? The original frets were used until 1959 and are called small frets because they are small and low.
Fingerboard
The original is made of Brazilian rosewood, a rare wood whose import and export is currently restricted by the Washington Convention. Historic is made of Madagascar rosewood. Madagascar rosewood is actually the hardest and heaviest variety in the rosewood family, and Brazilian rosewood is also hard, so it is thought that the wood was selected to be close to the original in terms of sound, which shows the high degree of perfection of Hiscolle.
Position Marks
Both of them have celluloid mother-of-pearl style position mark (crown inlay). The color of Vintage is more yellowish and deeper than Vintage. Vintage is made with smaller position mark than fretboard, and the gap between position mark and fretboard is filled with wood filler. The Hiscolle is built in a way that you can't feel the gap, and here again, the Hiscolle is showing off its meticulousness!
Neck Joint
It is a well-known fact that Gibson has a set neck construction with strong joints, but the original production method is slightly different from the method used today. The current production method is to set the body with the fingerboard attached to the neck for convenience in terms of work and tools, but on Les Paul in the 50's, the fingerboard was glued to the body after the neck was set to the body. This tedious method further unifies the body and neck and produces excellent sustain. The cores at the joints are both cut out and glued in place, but the Historics have some gaps in the glued surfaces.
There is no doubt that both are long tenons, but just because you can't see them, it doesn't mean they have been cut out ～～～～. The original cavity under the front pickup has the bottom surface cut off to match the angle of the neck. This is to equalize the slope of the strings and the height of the pickups, and is one way to distinguish the original from the newer models. 、、、、 Hiscore is flat. 。。。。 It is reasonable to think that it does not matter if you consider the pole piece as the fulcrum. 。。。。。
Neck joint angle
The neck joint angle is 3 degrees for the original and 5 degrees for the Historic. Neck joint angle and sustain are closely related: the shallower the angle, the lower the tension and the more sustain can be obtained. In 1953, the neck angle was changed to 3 degrees as the bridge was changed from a trapeze bridge/tailpiece to a stud bridge/tailpiece. In 1968, when the Les Paul was re-produced, the 5-degree neck angle was still used. A high neck angle provides more tension and attack, while a shallow neck angle provides more sustain, both of which have advantages and reflect the preference of the player. Therefore, the Hiscolle has a stronger tension, while the original has a slightly weaker tension. This is the part that makes the difference.
Pickguard
The original is machined from a plastic plate. Historic's pickguard is also perfect. By the way, the regular model is made by mold shaping, so the edges are smooth. Which is better?
Pickups
P-90 pickups are said to be developed by Walter Fuller. Walter Fuller was an engineer at Gibson from the 1930s and was involved in the development of Les Paul. The P-90 pickup was first introduced in 1949 and was used in most electric guitars until the introduction of the humbucking pickup developed by Seth Lover. The number of turns of the coil is 900, so 900 turns, that's why P-90. The original and the Hiscolle are the same, but the parts you can't see are different. Even the back plate is gold on the Hiscolle, and the old P-90s have minus mounting screws. However, the sound produced by this traditional pickup is glossy and strong, but it does not lose the rough high frequency, and it is rich in overtones. No wonder there are so many fans of this pickup.
Zaguri
Gibson is a manufacturer that excels in woodworking techniques, and the Les Paul guitar is a true culmination of their skills. When Leo Fender saw the custom-made solid electric guitars that Paul Bigsby was making and started making solid electric guitars in earnest, Gibson also began making solid electric guitars. The archtop structure was created using a carving machine, which Fender did not have, and this is an anecdote that reveals the heated exchange between the two companies.
The Les Paul was built with as little unnecessary woodworking as possible, and the pickup cavities were carefully machined to the very edge of the pickups, with careful clearance for the wiring. The control cavity was also machined before the body top was glued to the back, and the position and angle of the knobs as seen from the front were calculated. Now, the original is of course perfect in the aforementioned areas. 、、、、、、 The Hiscolle has the bottom of the control cavity flat 、、、、, which is evidence that the top and back were machined together after the top and back were glued together. ～～～～～. This explains why the angle of the knob is slightly different between the Hiscolle and the original. いやーーーーーここでは大きな製作での違いが見えました。
Body thickness
Both are about the same at about 50mm. Gibson started out developing solid guitars using only maple. However, they wanted to preserve the excellent sustain, so a maple top and mahogany back was adopted. Gibson pioneered the idea of laminated bodies, which is now considered the norm, and their creative sensibility led to the creation of the Les Paul, which is considered the perfection of its time.
Thickness of maple top material
There are many opinions on maple tops, and to be honest, I don't know how much to go into it. 。。。。。 From the wood story, it is a hardwood in the maple family. It is abundant in Canada and the United States and is valued as a material for furniture, musical instruments, and all kinds of buds. There are generally two types of maple: hard maple and soft maple, with hard being hard and soft being soft. Hard maple includes sugar maple and black maple, and soft maple includes red maple and silver maple. Curly grain, which looks wavy and has a shrunken grain, is often seen in white sycamore (European maple), which has been used for violins since ancient times. Naturally, if the wood is hard, you can expect excellent sustain and a strong attack, but if it is soft, you will not get the sustain you originally planned. 、、、、But all maple 。。。。。。。
I have to play it to know for sure, and since I have my own preferences, I can't measure the goodness or badness of the two. Both of the two guitars we compared this time have a good sounding body and a good sustain. The originals are 、、、、、、 and ～～～～～～, and if you look closely, you can see 。。。。 The original has a shrunken wood grain! Imagine that beautiful grain that is often seen on bursts is hidden under the gold top of this 1956............、、、、
Mahogany back material
Mahogany back was used in Les Paul for a while as a pancake body, but the basic material of Les Paul is one-piece mahogany. Here is another story about wood. I knew that there are actually only three types of mahogany. There are three types of mahogany: smallleaf mahogany, bigleaf mahogany, and Honduran mahogany. The trade of these woods is restricted by the Washington Convention, and they are very expensive. The most common alternative is to use a wood with a similar appearance and grain, which is commonly referred to as mahogany. 、、、、 The African mahogany you often hear about is a member of the Kaya genus of the Cendaceae family. The original Honduran mahogany is found in the southern part of Mexico, and it is moderately light and brings out a beautiful sound. The original has a dark back and the grain is a little difficult to see, but there seems to be no big difference. Gibson says that they use Honduras mahogany, so we believe that there is a route that only a big company can take.
Bridge
The 1956 Les Paul was the first Les Paul to be equipped with the Tune-O-Matic bridge. This bridge, which is still used as the standard today, is such a highly accomplished bridge. This bridge joined Gibson from Wurlitzer in 1948 as vice president. After that, in 1950, he took the lead as president of Gibson, and left the company in 1966. In the 1990s, he was involved with Paul Reed Smith as an advisor, and sadly passed away at the age of 91.
The original ABR-1 has a die-cast bass and a brass saddle, as can be seen from the peeling plating, and it also lacks the retainer that is commonplace on today's ABR-1s. That's right! The lack of a retainer to hold the saddle in place is a characteristic of early ABR-1s. If a string breaks during a live performance, there is a possibility that the string will fly to the saddle. If the original saddle of a vintage bridge is lost, it is a big problem, and you can't afford to lose your mind while playing. There is a mark on the side of GIBSON ABR-1.
Hiscore ABR-1 is also made of the same material, die-cast with a brass bridge saddle. However, a retainer is installed to prevent the saddle from being lost easily. This is a better choice for safe use.
As a side note, the patent for this Tune-O-Matic was filed on July 5, 1952. At the time of the patent application, it was filed on the assumption that it would be used on a full acoustic guitar without a pickup and with an open F-hole. Originally, Les Paul's patented trapeze bridge/tailpiece was used on Les Paul guitars when they were released in 1952, and then around 1953, a stud bridge/tailpiece, also known as a bar bridge/tailpiece, was applied for on January 21, 1953, after the Tune-O-Matic. This bridge was made to be used on Les Paul from the time the patent was filed, and the inventor of this bridge was Ted McCarty. As a result, both the tailpiece and the bridge of the 1956 Les Paul, which is called the "finished product," have these two bridges designed by Ted McCarty. The tailpiece is based on a stud bridge/tailpiece, which has the functions of both a bridge and a tailpiece. What had been developed separately became one and evolved into a complete instrument. Whether it is coincidence or inevitability, I feel that there is something fateful in the path Les Paul took to become a masterpiece.
Tailpiece
The tailpiece is based on the stud bridge/tailpiece filed on January 21, 1953, as mentioned above. Since it is used only as a tailpiece, the adjusting screw for angling the bridge, which was provided to correct the octave pitch, has been eliminated. The original is about 6mm thick on the side of the stud holder, while the Hiscollet is slightly thicker at about 7mm, and the original is made of aluminum, while the Hiscollet is made of cast metal. Since this model is compared to the 2000 model, the material of the tailpiece is different, but in 2001, Hiscollet will adopt an aluminum tailpiece.
Gold top paint
Comparing the original and Hiscolle ~~ totally different~~. Both are painted with lacquer, and Hiscore does not add plasticizers to prevent paint cracks over time, and all work is done by handmade without using machines. The ultra-thin coating is natural and the finish is perfect. 。。。。 And yet the color is different 、、、、、. This is because the original is painted with brown powder, which is iron powder mixed with lacquer! The coloring is greenish with a greenish-blue tint in areas where perspiration has adhered to it over time.
The overall color is also impressive with a dark and deep gold color. Then, why don't you just paint Hiscore with a mixture of brown powder? But the paint is mixed with iron powder. If you inhale it, you will die. 。。。。 Guitars are made with the maker in mind. The gold color is a symbolic color of richness, and this coloring was proposed and adopted by Les Paul. 2000 Hiscolle is different, but the current Leash model is also available with a lacquer mixed with brown powder, which is a symbolic color of the maker's intention. The coloring was proposed and adopted by Les Paul.
Knob
The shape of the knob has changed from the barrel knob used from 1952 to early 1955, when Les Paul was born, to the hat knob used until around 1960. The appearance of the knob is an important part of a vintage Lesue model, and it has a great influence on the look of the instrument. The shape is almost perfectly reproduced. But the color of the knob is different from the body top as well as the body top. The lettering is also slightly different, with the Vintage having slightly rounded letters.
Capacitor
The original capacitor is a Sprague Bumblebee, which was used in the mid to late 50's. Now Historic is 、、、、、 tiny 。。。。 The current Hiscolle is a replica of the Bumblebee, and it looks just fine, but this 2000 Hiscolle is a bit disappointing.
postscript
In this second installment of the Selfish Project, we went head-to-head with the two guitars. There are many differences between the two guitars, but the results show why Gibson is still the top guitar maker in the world today. However, the question remains 、、、、、 if the Leash model can sound and behave like the originals if it is reproduced well.
This is because a guitar is something that depends on the player. The sound that develops as the guitar is played, the scratches that occur naturally, and the memorable moments that some people may have with it, are the relationship between the player and the instrument, which cannot be felt with a similarly made instrument. Therefore, I feel that by loving and caring for the instrument and playing it with love and care, it will become a unique existence. I have concluded this article in a very positive way, but I still use a Fender Japan Strat that I bought when I was in high school. To be honest, it suits me better than any vintage or custom store model! I look forward to seeing you again, and thank you very much.