Decided to start a new thread to update those who asked. The refurb of a 1961 Gretsch Corvette continues:
1961 Corvette resurrection
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Jul 20, 2007 11:43 a.m. lowbrow:
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Jul 20, 2007 12:54 p.m. Jet-Head:
Wow!
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Jul 20, 2007 5:50 p.m. guitarcapo:
Hey I saw you on Harmony Central. I've got a Deal for you if you are interested:
- a 1962 Gretsch Corvette body. Stripped of all paint but filled and clearcoated with shellac for surfacing and final paint.
- A 2 Pickup modern Corvette pickguard
- ONE working but rewound very hot 60's Hilotron pickup.
Another project I never finished
Email me if you are interested over at HC.
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Jul 20, 2007 7:24 p.m. jazzbo:
Nice blog and I like the way when you screw up on something, you admit it and tell what you did to try and correct it. Love the Corvette, too. I actually prefer the look of the 61 over the later Corvettes.
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Jul 20, 2007 8:43 p.m. Walter Broes:
Very nice, you're very handy, and very brave! Nice blog indeed.
Jazzbo, your avatar really creeps me out!
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Jul 20, 2007 9:42 p.m. dubkitty:
somebody's got a used Silver Jet bridge on eBay that might work for you...check it out:
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Jul 21, 2007 2:57 a.m. wenzel:
Cool man, I vote for putting HT-1's in it! Hi-lo's are original style pickups and it would just be cool to see it resurrected in a more stock form/modern form hybrid way. Gotta give you props for taking this on!
Keep it up.
Chris
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Jul 21, 2007 9:03 a.m. lowbrow:
Thanks for the comments everyone. I'll bump this thread as I update.
That Silver Jet bridge looks interesting...but I believe it would still be too tall. The shallow neck angle of the `vette just doesn't leave a lot of room for options unfortunately.
As for pickups, I'm getting closer to a point where I have to make a decision. I know three things at this point:
1) It will most definitely be a Gretsch (or TV Jones) pickup 2) It's gotta be a English mount to cover the poor routing job 3) A Dynasonic won't work
I have a 5238 ProJet with minis (which I like and are staying in), a 6120-DSW with Dynas and a 6119 with stock Flitertrons. So...I'm inclined to try something a bit different...how different is the decision I need to make
If I had to buy one today, it would be a Powertron. But I keep coming back to Hi-Los to keep the original flavor....but then I'm a hot rodder at heart so a hot Filtertron appeals...ugh....the hardest part of this whole ordeal is the pup choice!
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Jul 21, 2007 9:22 a.m. fieldhdj:
Lowbrow, your work is incredible.
I actually held this guitar in my hands - the seller was here in Arkansas - I decided the refit was far beyond my capabilities. How right I was. But your work is inspiring!
One question - was that an original case?
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Jul 21, 2007 9:52 a.m. lowbrow:
Incredible! That's so cool you had this exact guitar in your hands too. Ha! Got any stories about going to see it? I was actually able to play it for an hour or so before I tore it down. It wasn't easy though with those frets.
I knew I could do the refret, but I did not bargain for the truss rod work. She and her husband came across in her e-mails like they didn't know anything about how it got messed up. Maybe so, hard to say. No matter, what's done is done, and I'm not going to dwell on it.
It's a light sucker, isn't it? When I saw that one piece mahogany body in person, I was totally smitten.
Great question about the case...I have no idea really. It certainly looks period.
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- Rated: 56 ↑
Jul 21, 2007 11:21 a.m. fieldhdj:
lowbrow said: Got any stories about going to see it?
Oh yes. I'll mail you. I'll say here that they bought it on auction and it was not what they thought it was. I had to tell them it was a '61, and I don't think they believed me at first.
I was shocked at the wood pickguard. I wasn't expecting that.
Still, I was very close to buying it - I knew it would be a long term project for me. My hesitation was mainly because I knew that I would have to improve or grow a whole lotta skills to do it, and it isn't the guitar I want to do it on.
I felt the same way you do when I first lifted the thing - what quickly came to mind was what would HiLo's or maybe the new Mega Trons sound like on this? I played it just a bit, pretty much on the top five frets. It was tough to opt out in the auction, but I never crossed the $300 threshold.
I'm glad it found a good home. There is something special about rehabilitating a guitar like this. Again, job well done and a vote up!
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Jul 21, 2007 10:51 p.m. Murphy:
I put a tv jones in my '61 vette a few years ago, now it's amazing
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Jul 22, 2007 12:08 a.m. fieldhdj:
Murph, that looks like it may be a hell of a sleeper. I'd love to hear how it sounds.
When I played the one Lowbrow bought, I got curious about the original '61 tailpieces. I've read they were real string snappers - a failed tailpiece / tremelo experiment. Anyone have any experience with these tailpieces??
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Jul 22, 2007 9:56 a.m. lowbrow:
Murphy said: I put a tv jones in my '61 vette a few years ago, now it's amazing
Very nice! That looks like the original finish too!
So, which TV Jones did you go with, a Classic Plus?
And what are your thoughts on adding your tunomatic bridge?
I bought some tung oil yesterday and while in the store picked up some pen making blanks in case I want to try to stick with a floating bridge. Ebony, and a couple different kinds of rosewood.
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Jul 22, 2007 1:36 p.m. Badams:
Wood doesnt make a good bridge. It absorbs string vibration killing sustain. I'd stick with a hadrer material
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Jul 23, 2007 9:52 p.m. Murphy:
I think it is a classic plus. the tail piece and bridge where already changed to that when I bought it. stays in tune perfectly. Only other thing I did was make the black pickguard. the original one started melting a few months after I bought it. It moved from New York to Austin and the pickguard didn't like the move.
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Jul 23, 2007 11:37 p.m. guitarcapo:
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Jul 27, 2007 9:48 a.m. lowbrow:
More updates!
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Aug 27, 2007 9:23 a.m. lowbrow:
All done. Love the Powertron! Wow...I can't believe how much I like this old Corvette. It's blowing my mind:
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- Rated: 56 ↑
Aug 27, 2007 12:20 p.m. fieldhdj:
Wow. Double Wow.
As someone who saw the deplorable shape this guitar was in first hand, I am amazed at your work. You have done an incredible job. The blog is first rate, well written, entertaining and educational.
When I looked at this guitar, I wasn't sure it would be worth restoring. All I can say is that it found the right owner.
Congratulations!
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- Rated: 45 ↑
Aug 27, 2007 12:47 p.m. Tsar Nicholas :
Looks just plain gorgeous. In glorious LPSpecial-O-Vision.
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Sep 3, 2007 12:10 a.m. jazzbo:
Wow! That looks superb. I love 61 Corvettes. Not as flashy as 62+, but they're my favorite. Nothing like a big ole rounded off thick slab of old growth mahogany.
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Sep 3, 2007 7:21 a.m. Jet-Head:
Our friends keep quoting my original post: "WOW!"
Now I not only covet your guitar, l envy your skills, lb.
Congrats. Very well done.
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Feb 24, 2008 10:37 a.m. Nikki:
What kind of mounting option should I take to put a TV Jones Powertron in my 61 Corvette? With ears no ears? Thanks.
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Feb 24, 2008 3:17 p.m. jukebox:
Sweet job ,nicely done!You have the right to be proud of that guitar!
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