Les Paul Thru Neck

[cosmikdebriis]

As I understand it, the original design from Les Paul was for a thru neck guitar.

 

Gib**n however, in an attempt at cutting costs, built a fixed/glued neck and that system has gone on till this day. The length of neck tenon varies slightly but no through neck guitars have ever been produced (correct me if I'm wrong).

 

 

So... Here I see a great opportunity for a certain make of guitar that we are all fond off to produce a real "Heritage" instrument. A true Les Paul  8)

 

(Ok, so maybe the wrap around tail piece would have to go) ;D

 

I'd buy one...

[Dick Seacup]

Which Japanese maker was it that did those neck through double cuts in the 70/80s, do you know?  Vantage?  Aria II?  When I was younger I lusted after one of those...maybe they had bird names like "Cardinal" or something.  Hrmmm.  When I think neck-through "LP-style" I think of those Alembic "sandwich" guitars and the things that Jerry Garcia played.

 

It would be interesting to see Heritage do something like that, but I suspect they've got plenty of work just getting the current model line out the door.

[cosmikdebriis]

Hi...

 

The Japanese manufacturers did produce some through neck designs but not in the shape of a LP (that I'm aware of). The Ibanez Artist series were superbly made instruments, full of innovation. (It's a little known fact that Greco produced these first). However, from a business point of view, the money was in copying American designs so on the whole these technological advances were sidelined for profit reasons. More recently Minarik are producing some really innovative designs but they're made in Korea and as such will never get taken seriously. (Great guitars though).

 

There can be few, if any, other industries where innovation is so frowned upon. Where would the computer industry be today if we still worshipped the ZX Spectrum I know there's some nostalgia for 50's American cars but you wouldn't really want to have one as your only form of transport, drinking petrol (gas) and wallowing all over the road. The most that Gib**n can come up with is drilling some holes to make the thing lighter

 

Still, that's not my point. I just feel that Heritage could do so much better than making (and I'm probably going to get lynched for saying it) copies of Gib**n guitars. :o

 

From a business point of view to make anything other than an (for instance) LP copy would probably be financial suicide. Especially as one of the selling points is that the guitars are produced in America at the old G factory hand built by craftsmen. However to produce a guitar made to the original spec in the original factory would be a major selling point and I believe enough to put Heritage right up there with the best where they undoubtedly belong. ;D

 

I'm sure we'd all have to agree that Heritages are still sidelined by major artists for Gib**n despite the fact that the Heritages are so much better. :'( To have a chance to compete, I think Heritage need an "angle" on Gib**n.

 

My opinion is, that with all that talent and history behind them, they are under selling themselves by making copies (I can feel the noose tightening already). ???

 

They are in a unique position and no other manufacturer could do this.

 

Finally... Just ask yourself this... If you had the choice of a 150 standard or a 150 through neck, even if it was a couple of hundred dollars more, which would you buy???

 

I know exactly what I'd do. I'd be setting up a dealership in the Uk and watching them fly out the door... ;D

 

Come on Heritage... Give Les Paul a ring and show him you new guitar ;D

[doggy1972]

http://toguitars.com/gallery-japan/FUJIGEN/fujigen-001.html

 

Think this company has a handle on it. On of the worlds great makers I think. Sure I saw the do a thru neck LP somewhere

[doggy1972]

Or maybe these

http://toguitars.com/gallery-japan/BACCHUS/bacchus-002.html

 

WOW!!!

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[cosmikdebriis]

Beautiful guitars and no doubt exquisitely made but I feel this only reinforces my argument.

 

Those guitars just won't sell, or at least, you won't see "Slash" playing one. (sorry if I'm a bit out of touch with modern guitarists but all my heroes are already dead)!!!

 

So I refer back to Hertitages unique position within the industry.

 

Again, ask yourself the question. Would you buy a Heritage or a Japanese Fuji Gen through neck ;D

 

I'm going to run a poll on this one, lets see what happens ;D

[brentrocks]

would the neck-through be more expensive to make?  evidently so?

 

your body pieces would not need to be as wide, but your maple cap would have to be the same....the mahogany piece for the neck would have to be pretty big though

[cosmikdebriis]

Yes, I would expect it to cost more to produce.

 

However in a hand built instrument the cost of raw materials is less of a proportion to the total cost of making the instrument than in a machine shop environment.

 

So, the premium would be comparatively small.

 

(Why don't you pop in and ask) ;D

[brentrocks]

might be worth it to just ask...could be a cool conversation

[cosmikdebriis]

might be worth it to just ask...could be a cool conversation

 

Perhaps if you get anywhere they could call it the Heritage "Cosmikdebriis" He He ;D

 

My consultation fees are quite reasonable!!!

[Jorgen-Denmark]

Which Japanese maker was it that did those neck through double cuts in the 70/80s, do you know?  Vantage?  Aria II?  When I was younger I lusted after one of those...maybe they had bird names like "Cardinal" or something.  Hrmmm.  When I think neck-through "LP-style" I think of those Alembic "sandwich" guitars and the things that Jerry Garcia played.

 

It would be interesting to see Heritage do something like that, but I suspect they've got plenty of work just getting the current model line out the door.

 

It could be an ARIA Pro II Cardinal  type called NK-700/800 or FS1000 with neck through from the Arai-Matsumoku Alliance.

 

Here's a link to a brochure from 1978, showing the FS-series: http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/..._slick.jpg.html

 

After the law suit-period (headstock Gibson copies), the Aria pro II series was one of the first serious Japanese attempt to make a "unique" design to compete with the US makers as Gibson and Fender. Guitarist from brit rock groups as Duran Duran, Police an Boomtown Rats posed for ARIA in the late 70's on promotion adds at that time, trying to get the models on the EU-marked, but with little or less succes.

 

I cut this from the Matsusumoku Forum to give a little background information from the battle of guitars back in the seventies:

 

"Arai, like other Japanese manufacturers had begun bringing in skilled engineers and popular players to influence the design of their guitars. The "new" Aria Pro II line was designed by H. Noble (Nobuaki  Hayashi), and produced by Matsumoku. Quality was improved considerably and the models sported unique and innovative designs. Many models came stock with phase/series-parallel/coil-cut switching not commonly found on other guitars. Other innovations included active power boosts and unique tone circuits. Matsumoku's attention to quality and construction techniques soon began to attract people's attention and the line had easily jumped from entry-level to intermediate and even pro quality instruments.

At the top of the line were the PE Prototypes which appeared in 1977. Many of you have seen some of them as the PE "Masterpiece" or "The Aria Pro II". Many other high quality models were introduced, and for a decade, the Aria Pro IIs continually remained at the top of their class! Other notable models were the Thor Sound, Tri Sound, Noise Killer, Cardinal, and RS series"

The neck through and double cut types is represented here, as well as the attempt to build a jap Les-Paul killer, which the PE-series where meant to be.

 

Those guitars was made in very high quality accompagned by a smooth design.

 

I've still got a Aria Pro II PE1000 (it's not a real neck through model) myself from '79, it look gorgeous and plays like a dream (has it's own distinct tone). I used to have a Cardinal as well, but it got sold some where down the line. Here's a Pict or two of my PE1000 (just to show of):

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[cosmikdebriis]

Another, and better known, Japanese thru neck, though not en exact copy of a LP is/was the superb Yamaha SG2000 as played by Carlos Santana for many years. I own one of these and build quality is absolotely superb. Mine has the coil taps too. 8)

 

I also own and have owned, a few Yamaha SG 1000's which share the same pickups but have a set/glued neck.

 

So, there's a good platform for comparison of set versus thru neck....

 

Can I tell the difference? Nope, not a thing. Maybe someone with better trained ears than mine could, but I'd say the sound and play exactly the same

[Jorgen-Denmark]

Sorry 'bout the summer pics in my last post - just to show, that summer can be sunny over here  :-[

 

Remember the Yamaha SBG 2000 with the double cutaway, wonderfull guitar - looked infact a little like the H170..

 

BTW - in the '80 Charvel in Japan made neck thru super strat's (Charvel Model 6)...

 

There was a lot of talk around better sustain on these neck thru gits at that time I recall - but the only model, that I've noticed had a longer sustain than normal is my Aria Pro II SB900 bass guitar (neck thru, passive pickups) compared to my '78 Music Man Stingray Bass (bolt on, active pickup)

[cod65]

Carvin is still making a lot of ugly thru-neck guitars. Some of them resemble the old Arias. I would like to see waht the Allan Holdsworth guitar is all about - a combo of chambered and block.

 

but i digress .....

 

 

https://www.carvinguitars.com/catalog/guita...x.php?model=hf2

 

 

i think thru-neck guitars are overkill. looks pretty tho. usually walnut is involved.

 

i wouldnt really be interested in a heritage of that design..... well maybe the 'firebird' model?

[Thundersteel]

Sorry 'bout the summer pics in my last post - just to show, that summer can be sunny over here 

 

It looks like the rumors of "everyone is blonde over there" is true!

[Dick Seacup]

It looks like the rumors of "everyone is blonde over there" is true!

 

That's funny, I was thinking the same thing.  Then I was wondering if brown hair is a novelty and maybe if I went to visit I could pick up hawt Scandinavian chicks because of it.  According to my dad, our ancestors include a fair number of Swedes, so I have a reason to visit.  Other than wanting to pick up smokin' hawt Scandinavian chicks. 

[Jorgen-Denmark]

You should be very wellcome in Scandinavia. Right you are, there's a lot of blonde's, near blonde's and redheads too in Denmark and Sweden. And in the summer after a couple of sunny days, they all have red skin as well

 

Remember that this part of Scandinavia consist of a lot of islands and first became connected to the North European mainland by bridges i the late 1990.

So the origin people have not been exposed and mixed with more darkflavoured people from central and southern Europe since the days of vikings invasion

[Thundersteel]

Then I was wondering if brown hair is a novelty and maybe if I went to visit I could pick up hawt Scandinavian chicks because of it.

 

I'd be finding out of the carpet matched the curtains..yeah...so to speak! ...even though I prefer brunettes (but I married a redhead).

[jacques]

Any feminine sax player or innocent Danish holliday girl attracts our attention, while we should be discussing headstocks or tailpieces. Freud would have an explanation for all this girl talk. Guitar lovin' is mere sublimation of deep down and dirty sexual lust. If you look at all these posts here on the HOC (there are no blonde Heritages, like with the Telecasters, alas) and substitute the H-word for something feminine, it is easy to understand that all the guys here are in fact primitive cavemen on the lookout for SEX. A guitar is just a substitute dick, Dick, and don't you forget it.

I for one detest this.

[Paul P]

So the origin people have not been exposed and mixed with more darkflavoured people from central and southern Europe since the days of vikings invasion

 

I guess that's all in the process of changing, what with your ever-increasing immigrant population.

 

'dag.

 

Paul P    -  1/2 Danish, 1/4 Swedish, 1/4 English living in NA  ("America" to you Jørgen :-)