Marcel's GAS SGM-1 (PBG build #5)

[Marcel]

In a moment of weakness I succumbed again to GAS and bought a long time desired SGM-1 to build while my young nephew builds my auction win JK-2.

I have a set of Alnico 5 Belcat PU's that I'm allocating to it (and a second set if the nephew wants for the JK-2), and got Adam to add set of Grovers, so I'm expecting it to turn out to be a half decent sounding axe. If the PU's don't work well in it I have other PU's in my 'box of bits' that I can try.

Call me traditional but I'm going to try for the typical 'Faded Cherry' gloss finish, if that doesn't go as expected then I'll try for a Black gloss .... we'll see how that all pans out...lol

[wazkelly]

Cant beat a Heritage Cherry SG.

[Fretworn]

I don't know, Sel Balamir's very roadworn SG is more of a walnut colour......

[Marcel]

According to their web site the typical Gibson colours are the Black or Red or a Yellow/Black look two tone burst, or the faded Cherry. All with Black headstock's. In 2016 there was a Natural colour available and also a White SG available with with a White headstock. Maybe prior to 2014 there was a Walnut however it is not available now.

A quick search on Google images show that Sel also has used a P90 loaded SG with a very similar road worn Walnut appearance, and I suspect he has multiple SG's as one of them has the Gibson name logo on the headstock almost completely obliterated. There are even images of him with what appears to be an Epiphone branded LP in some darker colour.

As for this PBG build.... I'm still waiting for the postie to deliver it before I make any hard and fast colour decisions, and even then it will be a case of what the feelings in my gut tell me..... I strongly suspect the gloss 'Kermit the Frog Green' isn't in the running, nor will it ever be. Same goes for the gloss 'Fire Engine Red'. I do like the 'Aged Cream' and 'Washed Walnut' colours under a satin finish, but the odds-on favourite at the moment is 'Dried Blood' under a satin finish... ..

[wazkelly]

Fun part of a build where your imagination takes you many places dreaming about how it might look.

[Marcel]

And Waz, aren't those places are so tangible and vivid ?... with tones so sweet !!...


A few weeks back I found (re-discovered) a really old set of JBL Control 1 monitors in my shed that I first got back in the late '80's but had been set aside as the main woofer drivers in both boxes were in dire need of repair. Well, yesterday I repaired them, let them sit overnight for the glue to dry, and today I hooked them up to the just as old Concorde car radio that I use to kill the otherwise deafening silence between the passing traffic on the A3. First song up on the radio was "Rock-n-roll ain't noise pollution", and needless to say the old Air-guitar was instantly at hand, as were the many day-dreams of my up coming SGM-1 build....

[Marcel]

Today was a surprise... Aussie Post originally said the kit would take it's normal 10 working days and be here next Tuesday however it was delivered today. Only 3 working days.... Aussie Post must have found the overtime cheque book, or are trying (and succeeding) at beating TOLL for cross country deliveries...

Opened the box, and yep it's all there and accounted for.

Only slight disappointment was the difference in colour of the two halves of the body. Grain is matched nicely, just one side is distinctly lighter/darker than the other. Seems that will be my first indicator as to which colour to choose and will go on as a stain.

[wazkelly]

Always hard getting matching planks on these budget kits.

[Marcel]

It's a problem that just makes it all a little harder... but on a kit like this I doubt it would make much difference to most builders.

It's not like there would be many that would want to go the 'only clear coat' path on a SG build...

[wazkelly]

Strangely, clear coating mis-matched planks tends to work out ok as you don't have to worry about different colour absorption if using a dark stain.