Advice from the Legend

[DetroitBlues]

 Visiting Heritage on Friday, by chance Mr. Ren Wall himself walked in while I was showing Mike my reacquainted H140 from 1985.  
 

Ren noticed the strings were top wrapped.  He said all those guitars should be top wrapped.  It’s less pressure on the bridge to reduce bridge collapsing.  Then his second piece of advice is to use no heavier gauge then 10’s because the thin necks at the nut could cause a headstock break.

 Sound advice from the man himself.

 

 

[rwinking]

1 hour ago, DetroitBlues said:

second piece of advice is to use no heavier gauge then 10’s because the thin necks at the nut could cause a headstock break.

 

[rwinking]

Now I can legitimately justify using nines. 
"Ren said so...."

[kbp810]

If I recall correctly, that one had a neck break long ago (well repaired and stable); I don't remember the story of how that one broke though. 

Happy reacquaintence, and what better way to celebrate it than with a trip to the 'zoo. 

[Steiner]

The break was well documented on the HOC.  @smurph1was crestfallen.  His guitar did a faceplant into the stage from a stand.  Probably in '08 or '09.

Congrats on reuniting DetroitBlues!

[rockabilly69]

3 hours ago, DetroitBlues said:

 Visiting Heritage on Friday, by chance Mr. Ren Wall himself walked in while I was showing Mike my reacquainted H140 from 1985.  
 

Ren noticed the strings were top wrapped.  He said all those guitars should be top wrapped.  It’s less pressure on the bridge to reduce bridge collapsing.  Then his second piece of advice is to use no heavier gauge then 10’s because the thin necks at the nut could cause a headstock break.

 Sound advice from the man himself.

 

 

Wasn't that guitar a cherry sunburst when you first owned it? Did it fade out?

[kbp810]

10 hours ago, Steiner said:

The break was well documented on the HOC.  @smurph1was crestfallen.  His guitar did a faceplant into the stage from a stand.  Probably in '08 or '09.

Congrats on reuniting DetroitBlues!

Ahh yes, I do recall the story now. 

9 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

Wasn't that guitar a cherry sunburst when you first owned it? Did it fade out?

It was @smurph1's, I bought it from him, and was originally cherry sunburst; then I ended up passing it along to DB; DB had it refinished in amber; but then he passed it along to @Steiner

I feel like this is turning into one of those ancestry lineage tracking type things? 

[rockabilly69]

4 hours ago, kbp810 said:

Ahh yes, I do recall the story now. 

It was @smurph1's, I bought it from him, and was originally cherry sunburst; then I ended up passing it along to DB; DB had it refinished in amber; but then he passed it along to @Steiner

I feel like this is turning into one of those ancestry lineage tracking type things? 

I like it better amber, which is funny because I'm typically a cherry sunburst fan. 

[kbp810]

33 minutes ago, rockabilly69 said:

I like it better amber, which is funny because I'm typically a cherry sunburst fan. 

Oh I agree; it was a brave yet wise decision by DB.  

[DetroitBlues]

17 hours ago, kbp810 said:

If I recall correctly, that one had a neck break long ago (well repaired and stable); I don't remember the story of how that one broke though. 

Happy reacquaintence, and what better way to celebrate it than with a trip to the 'zoo. 

It most certainly did have a repair.  Scott has said he was using in band practice, left the guitar cable plugged in during a break.  When someone snagged the cord lying on the ground, pulled the guitar down from the stand.  I'd never had the guitar in the first place if it wasn't for the repair.  Couldn't afford it then.

Ren was impressed with the well done repair.  He thinks it was a prototype because of the specific attributes to the guitar.  He was rubbing a spot on the tip the headstock that should of had a "P" stamped.  Said it was too hard to tell now.

[Spectrum13]

the twist and turns of this post has me confused, is the Legend the 140?  What I find remarkable about that one is it looks closest to the 1951 prototype of the first solid body Gibson in the natural finish

[DetroitBlues]

1 hour ago, rockabilly69 said:

I like it better amber, which is funny because I'm typically a cherry sunburst fan. 

Due to the headstock break, the value of the guitar remaining orginal wasn't there.  There was some beautiful woodgrain underneath that tomato soup red paint on the burst.  At the time, I was really admiring the Peter Green/Gary Moore Greeny Les Paul.   Its burst faded a long time ago to be amber.

Here's the before and after.  Behind 140 in the After picture was a 5F1 and 5E3 KBP810 amps.

[rockabilly69]

4 minutes ago, DetroitBlues said:

Due to the headstock break, the value of the guitar remaining orginal wasn't there.  There was some beautiful woodgrain underneath that tomato soup red paint on the burst.  At the time, I was really admiring the Peter Green/Gary Moore Greeny Les Paul.   Its burst faded a long time ago to be amber.

Here's the before and after.  Behind 140 in the After picture was a 5F1 and 5E3 KBP810 amps.

Oh yeah the red defines CLOWNBURST! It looks WAY better in amber.

[Spectrum13]

[HANGAR18]

Good to see Ren!

[brentrocks]

On 11/13/2022 at 8:11 PM, DetroitBlues said:

  He said all those guitars should be top wrapped.  It’s less pressure on the bridge to reduce bridge collapsing. 

[brentrocks]

Just now, brentrocks said:

On 11/13/2022 at 8:11 PM, DetroitBlues said:

  He said all those guitars should be top wrapped.  It’s less pressure on the bridge to reduce bridge collapsing. 

 

I have always said that top wrapping is the best option for preventing forward pressure against your bridge!

 

nobody has ever called me a legend!?

 

????

[DetroitBlues]

1 hour ago, brentrocks said:

I have always said that top wrapping is the best option for preventing forward pressure against your bridge!

 

nobody has ever called me a legend!?

 

????

Oh you're legendary all right.....?

[DetroitBlues]

On 11/14/2022 at 2:42 PM, Spectrum13 said:

the twist and turns of this post has me confused, is the Legend the 140?  What I find remarkable about that one is it looks closest to the 1951 prototype of the first solid body Gibson in the natural finish

Twists and turns are part of the fun.  Ren is the Legend.  The guitar itself is rather mythical like a unicorn.  Never been another like it.

My assumption is the fretboard is a left over fretboard from a mid-70's SG.  Heritage was experimenting with leftover parts in the 80's, like using old Gibson LP bodies on the first 150's.

 

[mtpatty]

I always top wrap and I use '7s (good enough for the Reverend, good enough for me)!

[skydog52]

What did you order?

[TalismanRich]

20 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

Oh yeah the red defines CLOWNBURST! It looks WAY better in amber.

Now you're dissin' on MY guitar!    Them's FIGHTIN' words...

[bolero]

That's a great looking gtr. Original and refin!

[bolero]

Oh yeah, and it's good to see Ren too!

 

[rwinking]

I don't have my H140 handy today but it seems like it has one of those weird tailpieces that has those little saddles that you put the ball end into and then over the bridge. I have never top wraapped my strings but I am now intrigued by it and may have to get a new tailpiece for the 140.