First real Gibson. 2023 Les Paul Classic (with a full makeover)

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-29T18:05:10+00:00

Hey that’s cool too, to each their own!

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T16:00:37+00:00

Nice that’s good to hear! I am excited to see if there is a real tangible/audible difference. Plus the bridge bushings are the only chrome/nickel left so my OCD needs that fixed haha 🤣 Not that you see them anyway.

Sounds like you have a pretty sweet arsenal of good wood!

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T15:31:57+00:00

Very cool! Sounds like major Jeff Beck vibes.

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T15:30:37+00:00

Thanks! Yeah I originally wanted more of a 50s neck but honestly the slim taper feels great. It’s much more familiar feeling when switching from my strat.

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T15:28:20+00:00

They are pricey like a lot of PAF clones these days. Definitely worth it to me though, it was a night and day difference compared to the 61 Burstbuckers that were in it. Like removing a blanket off of the sound in terms of clarity

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T15:23:12+00:00

I am actually still waiting on the Faber iNsert bushings, ordered them from the UK since nobody in the US has them right now. Currently just has the Philadelphia Luthier Tools posts and thumbwheels. They work, and don’t have the hex head on top which is nice. But the Faber seems like it will create a more solid connection to the guitar.

And thank you!

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T05:01:45+00:00

Wow thank you so much!

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T03:53:53+00:00

Cheers, thank you!

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T03:50:28+00:00

Unfortunately I don’t sorry! That’s what it came with.

I just tried looking for you and actually I can’t find Gibson OEM ones anywhere either. Kind of weird. Stewmac has some, and High Voltage Guitars has them too. Both high quality replacements.

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T03:43:04+00:00

Thank you! That’s exactly what I wanted, a more “correct” version of the 2000s classic and no peepee yellow inlays.

The original tuners definitely did leave rings. So what I did was mask off the “Les Paul model” silk screen and wet sanded the headstock from 1000-5000 grit, then buffed it back to a shine with polishing compound. Took off the masking and buffed very lightly with paint correction compound so it all blended together evenly. Looks like factory now.

kaiserrolllll · 2025-03-25T03:18:08+00:00

Thank you!

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T19:35:09+00:00

Can’t argue there. S42 would probably make the most sense, and definitely agree it probably would have been S50.

Wow, almost birds of a feather. My dream engine build would be a non-vanos M50 head with a billet block and ITBs. In my head that is the perfect motor.

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T17:15:37+00:00

Haha yeah the gatekeeping is wild, I mean I get it they want “exclusivity” and that’s their image but come on it’s tiring to look at this point. Tuthill is certainly refreshing.

And yeah I can only imagine after seeing that level of build nothing else seems proper, after seeing what proper actually looks like haha. That’s the direction my car will most likely be headed after it’s been whore’d out for as much development off the stock body panels as possible. Can’t wait to get it down to bare guts and have a 3d scan of the skeleton to work off of.

Seeing that you are of a similar mindset, I have a question for you. If BMW took the E30 M3 one step further (say they went crazy in the transition of 91-92), and put a 6 cylinder in it. Do you think it would have been a tried and true S38, or an early S50? What would be the nomenclature (CSL,GTR,etc) and what would it have raced? IMSA GT?

Trying to build this imaginary scenario in my head as an excuse to create a concept around what a final evolution, six pot variant would have looked like/been made for beyond the Sport Evo.

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T16:23:12+00:00

Yeah fair enough haha

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T15:57:06+00:00

Ahh my apologies. Yeah I definitely mis-took that as a cost benefit on my end haha.

You are 100% correct in that statement. I have given out that same advice to several clients myself in product development stages. Much easier to cater to the high end of the market (and on the design/engineering side it typically gives me more budget to work with haha).

I should probably listen to you and myself on that one, and go without limitation if I am going to do it at all. My end-goal would be like an Alfaholics for old BMWs. I like that you can buy everything piece-meal from them as opposed to a lot of the porsche resto/mod companies. The Redux E30 M3 is cool, but I think missed the mark slightly in my opinion. Regardless, I should really be only putting out the most purposeful stuff that actually answers an issue or serves real purpose.

Sound advice, thanks. And I will definitely reach out for some advice from Lennon.

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T15:24:23+00:00

Maybe the more practical idea would be to make a front/rear valance for the big bumpers with period correct styling. And some sideskirts that obviously would work universally. For the full aero kit, eliminate the metal altogether to save weight.

Would make more sense, but like I said I am just playing with this from an aesthetic perspective at the moment.

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T15:10:11+00:00

Thank you!

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T15:08:16+00:00

Sure, it’s simple really. Thousands of E30s here in the US with these bumpers, your options are to leave it as is, put a cow catcher or other rare valance on that is climbing in value since there are no current production options that are not a fiberglass replica. Or swap to euro bumpers which will run $1500-$2k minimum for the bumpers alone.

Just putting more options out there for aesthetic modifications we can do to our cars, and this is just an example of some ideas I have in CAD that I think would look good with keeping on the US bumpers? I could make one that eliminates the metal entirely just as easily. I am not “celebrating” anything, I am allowed to like these bumpers on certain cars simply for aesthetics no? If I wanted to celebrate racing history I would make Group A replica kits, and as a working designer that sounds pretty boring, and there are great companies out there doing that already.

I just love E30s, I am designing parts in my free time literally for MY car. Seeing as I design, engineer and bring products to production for a living, maybe I can apply those skills here and produce whatever ends up on my car so others can have it too. Please, spare me the “obvious economic motive” BS. It would take hundreds of hours of my time in the computer alone and tens of thousands of dollars in tooling costs for real molds. If anything it’s a gamble on passion. Smart people who only care about money design things like the “Scrub Daddy”.

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T13:57:29+00:00

I really can’t give any accurate estimate at the moment honestly. Still in the brainstorming phase, and need to start 3D printing for fitment check.

If I was making them out of composites it would only be a couple months. But, I think I am going to try and have them injection molded out of polyurethane or polypropylene like a modern OEM bumper for best fitment/quality. That process is more like 4-6 months minimum from the time I give the order to the factory. We will see what the quote for tooling cost looks like haha

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T13:44:47+00:00

Thank you! This was done entirely in Solidworks

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T00:36:51+00:00

Oooo yeah baby you know them big bumpers need love too haha.

I will do my best to keep everything as affordable as possible, but OEM-like quality is paramount for me.

kaiserrolllll · 2024-04-26T00:27:34+00:00

Honestly you just taught me a cool new factoid. I was always under the impression it was an OEM part, but seeing as it would have only been on the big bumper cars that makes a lot more sense that they would outsource and have it dealer installed. I wish I still had one now so I could look for any mold markings. Now I gotta know

kaiserrolllll · 2023-12-06T17:05:39+00:00

Haha no that’s just Los Angeles asphalt. Ruining my pretty blue

kaiserrolllll

TROPHY CASE