mickronson.com

[Billy Porter]

This one is re-listed yet again

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270532533760

Don’t know about the US but nearly £2k for a maple neck 70s custom seems a bit steep during a recession

Plus any real Mick Ronson fan knows its not like Ronno’s
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[Billy Porter]

A little porn for some of you out there

Latest piccie of my Les Paul. I’ve been fading it (sunbathing) as it was too brash as it had been a case queen for many many years.
It’s picking up lots of battle scars during fortnightly rehearsals and will be screaming again at our next gig in a couple of week’s time (we've slotted in Once Bitten Twice Shy ).
Great guitar for hard rock but not as versatile as the Strat or as cool as the Tele


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[gibsonfndr]

Many interesting questions here ...
Sanding ?
I have been playing a 66 custom telecaster since 1976 thru a music man amp since 78. I was a bit disappointed with a sound that was very dry (if not harsh).
this is the way she looked at that time.

Then in the late 80's after trying to upgrade various parts such as the bridge or the tuning pegs, I even changed the bridge pick up for a Seymour Duncan humbucker. I decided to sand it donwn to the bare wood.
This how she looks nowadays.

Did it change the sound ? definitely yes.
It became "mellower" to the point that I could go back to the original bridge pick up without getting the harsh sound I loathed.
and I still use the music man amp.

About the LesPauls. I do not know about the UK but here in France it was impossible during the 60's 70's and most of the 80's to get a Standard Les Paul. All you could find were black customs. Why ?
Ask the guys who imported them.
Yet I remember while in Edimburgh, July 74, drooling over the sexiest pair of sunburst standards in a music shop window ... so I guess one could find some of them in the UK ... I also remember there was a time when Les Pauls were not fashionnable so a custom one could've been just an affordable solution.

About the volume pot.
I too came to see the volume pot as a really good way to work on the sound instead of relying to switches ... I even took off the 12AX7 high level tubes on my mesa V-twin to replace them with lower output tubes and then end up with improved tonal modifications only using the volume knob that could go from screaming tone to a surprisingly mellow one just turning it down a bit ... thanks to Guitar Player Magazine for the tip !
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Cheers.
Laurent

[Billy Porter]

Hi Laurent

Nice Tele . I prefer the ‘harsh’ tone of the Tele though agree that the neck PU is a bit lacking. I’m resisting the Humbucker route but looking to get a better PUs sometime

When Gibson re-launched the LP in 68 you had a choice of the deluxe with mini humbuckers (very early ones had P90s) or the full humbuckered Custom. In 74 they finally brought out the full size humbuckered Standard.

This is why I believe Ronno chose a Custom

There was recently some discussion on the LP forum about why there was so many early 70s customs and the above is the reason why. Also, the nostalgia thing hadn’t really began and we liked a bit more glam back then.

Original 50s standards were very rare back then though not commanding silly prices – they were just old guitars and you only need to see what Bolan did to his original 58/59 back then

Regarding lack of standards in France. I'd guess that would have been the French importers decision though perhaps the French love of jazz had something to do with their decision - the Custom often being seen as a jazz guitar.

/keith
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[gibsonfndr]

You're right they called them "de luxe" and we had them around too ... I forgot this fact !
Remember Steve Hackett he played one back in ...
Those were the days of H/H amps.
Does any one here remembers H/H amps ?
Or am I the only old fart around ?
lol.
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Cheers.
Laurent

[Billy Porter]

[Billy Porter]

I came across this little gem whilst surfing around – cannot prove authenticity

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/norlin-years/38463-faq-norlin-identification-1970-1975-a.html

One other interesting item about the purchase, which back then was $450. I purchased the guitar from Brian Guitars based in New Haven Connecticut. Since it was a 2nd I was told there was no original case with it. The sales guy says "have I got a case for you". He pulls out this somewhat used rectangular case fitted for a Les Paul and called it an English Les Paul case, it was covered with David Bowie tour stickers. He said that Mick Ronson recently traded his Les Paul in at the store and this was the case it was in. Being the smart forward thinking 17 year old I was at the time when I got it home I removed all the stickers from the case, didn't care for the glam rock scene. Still have the case but now all I have left is the story to tell, oh well.

Note that its not necessarily 'that' Les Paul - could've been the upgraded deluxe.
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[A Rat]

[Billy Porter]

Thought I’d post this here rather than spoil the review section with guitar stuff

2 Years have already passed already since my 50th Birthday when I treat myself to a ’62 Re-issue Telecaster. A beautiful guitar that plays like a dream but alas….something was lacking in the sound dept. I only took it once to rehearsals/practice and the neck pickup screamed at moderate volumes being very microphonic and the bridge was no real match for my strat. As I’d already added brass saddles (for more twang ) and replaced the pots and capacitors so….the pickups had to go.

After much phoning around I found what appeared to be the last set of Fender Custom Shop Texas Special Telecaster pickups in the UK – they’re advertised on websites but then they wont specify a delivery time. Since I was pulling the innards out I thought I may as well upgrade to a 4 way switch. This allows the usual 3 selections plus a fourth that wires to the 2 pick-ups in series (a bit like Brian May).

We had a practice last weekend allowing me to crank it up. It sounded fantastic, the neck pickup having a nice bluesy sound whilst the bridge cut through like a knife through butter . The fourth sound is good but I used the neck and bridge seperately mostly.

Well worth the money spent. £99 + £19 for the switch

This of course leaves me with a dilemma – though a nice one to have. Which 2 guitars to take to rehearsals/gigs. The Strat is the most versatile, the Tele now sounds and plays fantastic and the Les Paul is….well a Les Paul.

Next upgrade will be a similar PU change on the Strat which, should make that number one choice

Some piccies though you can't 'hear' the difference

The original


Can you tell the differance? the Tex Special


The Tex special - seems a bluer chrome that the MIJ and is now a useable sound

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[weirdandgilly]

Years ago when I played with a band I would take my Tele and Les Paul to rehearsals but just to mess my head up I would play the Tele on songs that a Les Paul should be played on, oh what fun.
Try playing Moonage Daydream on a Tele and you'll see what I mean.
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Scotland On Mars

[Billy Porter]