NGD...Zhivago's adventures in The Land of PAFs...

[zhivago]

I have a small bucket list of guitars, this was #4 on the pretty short list. I actually gave up trying to find one of these about two years ago, and then this appeared at a store in Ireland. Having sold a few guitars I had some money together, so I managed to make it happen.

I now have all four guitars I lusted after as a teenager. An early 60s Jazzmaster, an "Alnico" Les Paul Custom, a Martin 000-28 and now this...a PAF LP/SG Custom in white.

It is a strange feeling indeed, and I present you with:



1963 Gibson LP/SG Custom, one of the last SGs that had Les' name on it, and also one of the last short magnet PAF guitars. Many thanks to our very own Despot (Kevin), that went to the shop in Dublin and test-drove it for me. His detailed review pushed me over the edge and I went for it.

[Bert Camenbert]

Nice! How do you like the sideways vibrola? Never played one, but they have a bad rep.

[i love sharin foo]

Stunning!!!!! Congratulations Yannis!!


That is an amazing specimen right there!! I am truly impressed

Can’t wait to see some more photos!

[Fiddy]

Lovely, you can be as cool as Rosseta Tharpe now then.

[PixMix]

That's a real deal! Great find, enjoy it!

[Larry Mal]

Jesus.

[clef051]

Wow, congrats looks beautiful

[sookwinder]

Nice one Yannis

[BoringPostcards]

Amazing. Your collection was already as sweet as it gets.

[Ursa Minor]

Beautiful! Looking forward to a detailed review.

[NickD]

Well, now I covet your collection even more.

[zhivago]

Thanks gents, I will post more pics later on tonight when I get back from the office.

The sideways vibrola actually works ok on this one for some light warbles...it is definitely stiffer that I thought it would be, maybe that helps in it staying in tune after some light use.

More to come later tonight.

[Fiddy]

Sister Rosseta Tharpe

[Despot]

Yannis, as I've said to you quite a few times already ... that's a really really nice one. And I'm delighted that it's gone to someone who has wanted one of these for a very long time.

I like SGs, but they're not bucket list guitars for me (if this was a '63 ES355 ... different story). Even still when I was playing this one I was thinking to myself that maybe I should reconsider!

The pickups on this one are possibly the best balanced set of PAFs I've ever encountered, with an actually usable middle position voicing (they're usually a bit meh in that weird out of phase bridge/middle setting) - on this one it's a lovely sweet tone that was actually the nicest setting (not to knock the bridge/neck - but they good PAFs and the sound was sort of what I'd expect, the middle position surprised the hell out of me).

I'm looking forward to your full review on this

[shadowplay]

Did you sacrifice your Penguin to the sea gods?

Very much congratulations otherwise, I'm not much of an SG person but I'd say that's probably peak SG on the humbucjer sides.

D