User manual AEG-ELECTROLUX GIBSON USA

[. . . ] OWNER'S MANUAL 0309-04-GUS--10. 04 © 2004 Gibson Guitar Corp. To the new Gibson owner: Congratulations on the purchase of your new Gibson electric guitar ­ the world's most famous electric guitar from the leader of fretted instruments. Please take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the information in this booklet regarding materials, electronics, "how to, " care, maintenance and more about your guitar. And then begin enjoying a lifetime of music with your new Gibson. The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Gibson Innovations The History of Gibson Electric Guitars DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Body Neck and Headstock Pickups Controls Bridge Tailpiece CARE AND MAINTENANCE Finish Your Guitar on the Road Things to Avoid Strings Install your Strings Correctly String Gauge Brand of Strings 4 6 8 14 14 15 17 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 4 Strap Button Stopbar Tune-o-matic Three-way Tailpiece Bridge Pickups Toggle Switch 12th Fret Marker/Inlay Neck Fret Fingerboard Nut Headstock The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Featuring a Les Paul Standard in Heritage Cherry Sunburst Input Jack Tone Volume Binding Controls Controls Body Single Cutaway Truss Rod Cover Machine Heads Tuning Keys 5 Stopbar Tune-o-matic Strap Button Body Tailpiece Bridge Pickups 12th Fret Neck Marker/Inlay Fret Fingerboard Nut Headstock Three-way Toggle Switch The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Featuring a V-Factor Faded in Worn Cherry Input Jack Tone Volume Control Controls Pickguard Truss Rod Cover Machine Tuning Heads Keys 6 Here are just a few of the Gibson innovations that have reshaped the guitar world: 1894 ­ First archtop guitar 1922 ­ First -hole archtop, the L-5 1936 ­ First professional quality electric guitar, the ES-150 1947 ­ P-90 single-coil pickup introduced 1948 ­ First dual-pickup Gibson, the ES-300 1949 ­ First three-pickup electric, the ES-5 1949 ­ First hollowbody electric with pointed cutaway, the ES-175 1952 ­ First Les Paul guitar 1954 ­ Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Jr. introduced 1955 ­ Les Paul Special introduced 1957 ­ First humbucking pickup 1958 ­ Flying V and Explorer introduced 7 1958 ­ First semi-hollowbody guitar, the ES-335 1961 ­ SG body style introduced in the Les Paul line 1963 ­ Firebird guitars and Thunderbird basses introduced 1969 ­ Les Paul Personal and Professional with low-impedance pickups introduced 1979 ­ L. P. Artist with active electronics introduced 1982 ­ First solidbody acoustic, the Chet Atkins CE 1983 ­ Les Paul Studio introduced 1990 ­ Les Paul Classic introduced 1996 ­ Les Paul SmartWood introduced 1998 ­ Double-Cutaway Les Paul Standard introduced 2002 ­ Gibson Digital Guitar introduced 8 A BRIEF HISTORY OF GIBSON ELECTRIC GUITARS Gibson's legendary acoustic engineer, Lloyd Loar, was experimenting with electric instruments in 1924, at the dawn of electronic amplification. However, Gibson's struggle to dominate the banjo market took precedence through the 1920s, and it wasn't until the mid-1930s that the company once again turned its attention to electric guitars. [. . . ] Scale length (string length) is 24 3/4" on the Les Paul, X-Factor and SG models, 25 1/2" on the Chet Atkins, Americana and Hawk models and 34" on basses. Pickups. Humbucking (double-coil): Most Les Pauls have double-coil humbucking pickups, which were designed to do what their name says: "buck" the hum caused by fluorescent lights, rheostats and other electrical interference. They accomplish this with two coils of wire, wound in opposite directions so that they cancel out interference. Also, they produce a powerful sound that is the foundation of rock and roll music. 16 Gibson produces humbuckers in a variety of subtle variations, achieved by the use of different magnets and different combinations of winding turns. In addition, some Les Pauls have humbuckers without the metal cover pieces, which results in a hotter signal. For individual model and pickup specs, please refer to Gibson's website, www. gibson. com. P-90 (single-coil): Only a few Gibsons ­ some Les Paul Jr. 's, Les Paul Specials and Melody Makers ­ have single-coil P-90 pickups. Some have the original "dog-eared" covers; those without the "dog ears" are nicknamed "soapbar" because the original cream-colored plastic covers on the 1952 Les Paul Model resembled bars of soap. When the P-90 was introduced in 1946, it was the most powerful pickup of its kind. Among the many examples of the P-90 sound are Carlos Santana's Les Paul Special on Santana's classic recordings, Leslie West's Les Paul Jr. with the group Mountain, and The Who's Pete Townshend with an SG Special on Live at Leeds and at Woodstock. 17 Pickup adjustments. Although the pickups on each Les Paul are set to Gibson standards at the factory, they can be adjusted. The height of the pickup can be adjusted by the two screws found at either end of the pickup, in the mounting ring. Individual string volume can be adjusted by turning the polepiece screws. Bringing the pickup or pole screw closer to the strings makes the signal stronger or "hotter. " Controls. The standard Gibson electronic configuration is two pickups, four knobs and a pickup selector switch. The four knobs provide individual tone and volume control for each pickup. Models with only three knobs provide individual volume and master tone control. Climatic or humidity changes, or changes in string gauge, may necessitate a bridge adjustment. Any change ­ in bridge height, string gauge or climate ­ can affect the intonation and cause a guitar to play out of tune in some fret positions. When this happens, the string length needs to be adjusted, and this is accomplished by moving the individual sad- 20 dles forward (toward the neck) or backward (toward the tailpiece). The screw heads are on the pickup side of the bridge, although there are many Gibsons that have the screw heads facing the tailpiece. To check intonation, compare the pitch of a string that is fretted at the 12th fret against the harmonic at the 12th fret (accomplished by touching the string lightly with the left hand, without pressing it all the way to the fret). [. . . ] For some players, even light perspiration shortens the life of their strings. The sound of the strings is the only sure way to judge whether or not they need to be changed. And if one string needs to be changed, the others can't be far behind. To maintain tonal balance, change the whole set. [. . . ]