Another Gibson acoustic in for a setup. Note how low the saddle extends out of the bridge. This guy is just about ready for a neck reset.
![2003 Gibson Hummingbird [4.7 lbs] :: setup](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53dfcee2e4b0c0da377c65c7/1487711179266-OF1NXV9ULHME1T625LCE/20160929_2003_Gibson_Hummingbird_bench.jpg)
Viewing entries tagged
gibson acoustic
![1964 Gibson J-50 [4.3 lbs] :: setup](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53dfcee2e4b0c0da377c65c7/1487710997694-03W3F3P3XKFBS0SLMANN/20160929_1964_Gibson_J-50_bench.jpg)
A 1960s Gibson J-50 in for a setup. Note the super thick pickguard on these.
![New archtop pickguard :: 1933 Gibson L-12 [4.9 lbs]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53dfcee2e4b0c0da377c65c7/1484371952220-KGC3GQ63OXSSNKAX5IR9/20160902_1933_Gibson_L12_bench.jpg)
A gorgeous 1933 Gibson L-12 archtop in for a new pickguard. The guard was supplied by the customer without any hardware so I needed to source the appropriate parts. I did not want to drill any new holes so I used the same mounting points on the guitar. Gibson neck mounted some of these but this one was anchored in the top. First I made a wooden spacer and found an old slotted brass screw that looked right.
The tricky part of this installation is finding the best elevation over the top. Too close to the top and you will not be able to mount a floating pickup in the future. Too high and the guard interferes with your right hand. Another consideration is the angle in which the guard gradually falls away as you move from the strings towards the lower bout. This is more of a cosmetic thing that just looks good or odd.
Note that I had to add spacers to both ends of the bracket to get the angles right. There is even a little piece of leather on the bracket spacer where it comes in contact with the body binding.
![JJB Electronics pickup install :: 1951 Gibson SJ [3.8 lbs]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53dfcee2e4b0c0da377c65c7/1465675244023-GBQAMHGTKAFMPJ0PJT3Z/20160610_1951_Gibson_SJ.jpg)
This super killer, previously refinished '51 Gibson SJ is back in the shop for a pickup swap. The old Fishman was giving the player trouble so he supplied a JJB Electronics pickup for me to install for him. These pickups are pretty much identical to the K&K Pure Mini's. Check the video below for the install.
![No pickup, new nut & tuner fix :: 1993 Gibson J-100 xtra [4.6 lbs]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53dfcee2e4b0c0da377c65c7/1464058719653-QT3N9884JUP28TKMZ2IK/20160520_1993_Gibson_J-100_body.jpg)
A made in Montana Gibson jumbo in for a few things. Originally it came in for the pickup to be removed and for the bridge pins to be better fit. The pickup was a Barcus Berry bridge plate pickup that was fairly easy to remove. The adhesive had deteriorated so it peeled off cleanly. The output jack in the tail block was replaced by a NoJak. These are sized to fit an enlarged end pin hole with a collet and allen screw tightened from the inside. It's a good solution to plugging and redrilling the tail block, but always seems to require quite a bit of fitting.
While addressing the pickup removal, I noticed that the Gibson Deluxe tuners were damaged so I attempted to repair them.
During the setup I discovered that the nut was too worn out with excessive open string buzzes. We went with a new bone nut and shimmed up the saddle to round out the setup. Check out the shaping of the new bone nut below in the video from the daily vlog.
