Black Bernie Arrives Today...

[Bogner]

So here's the plan: the Bernie is going to be a tribute to my favorite guitarist, Jeff Beck and the '54 LP he played on Blow By Blow.

Seymour Duncan wound the pickups Jeff Beck used on Blow By Blow.

I have a JB I put a roughcast A5 magnet in like Duncan uses in the Duncan Custom Shop for the JB. Makes it smoother and a little less sharp.

And I have a Duncan 59B that measures the same DCR as a PRS Dragon 1 neck.

The Dragon 1 neck has an Alnico 4 magnet like a 59 Gibson PAF. So that's what I put in the Duncan 59 and I'll use it as the neck pickup.

I'll split the neck pickup through a 1.1K resistor on one push/pull pot.

With another push/pull pot I'll have the option of series or parallel for the JB bridge pickup. Parallel gives a stronger sound than split, it's noiseless, but it sounds like two single coils both on.

It'll be cool and I'm working on it right now.

Here's what it'll look like. The parts are just laying on top of the guitar.

https://imgur.com/rf8oD0K

I Think It Would Look Better Without The Lampshade On Top Of It.

Looks Great Lew!

 

[Lewguitar]

I Think It Would Look Better Without The Lampshade On Top Of It.

Looks Great Lew!

That's my dining table/work bench. The stained glass reflecting is a chandelier on the ceiling.

I thought it was purty!

OK: better?

https://imgur.com/LGeCvbB

 

[Bogner]

That's my dining table/work bench. The stained glass reflecting is a chandelier on the ceiling.

I thought it was purty!

I Know...I Was Just Messing With You.

 

[Lewguitar]

I Know...I Was Just Messing With You.

As usual!

 

[FragileThunder]

@Lewguitar remember when you bought your "last Bernie"? I do. Just FYI...it was before this one

Looks great. When are you getting the next one?

 

[bodia]

And she is done!

Sounds wonderful!

The JB with the roughcast A5 magnet is much rounder sounding than a typical JB with a polished A5 magnet. Stock JB's are too bright for me but this one I've modded is really good.

The 59B I'm using for the neck pickup is modified with a roughcast A4 magnet and sounds a lot like a Dragon1 neck pickup now. The Dragon 1 neck pickup is an Alnico 4 pickup. The Duncan 59B has the same gauge copper wire and has the same DCR as the Dragon1.

It sounds a lot like a 59 paf. That's how Paul described the Dragon 1 neck pickup.

When I split it, it sounds like a single coil. Not a Strat pickup exactly, but it's clean, deep and bouncy. Both pickups split really well.

I reversed the neck humbucker so the slug coil would be closer to the 22nd fret. That coil is usually louder and sounds better as a single coil than the screw coil.

And I wired it so that the slug coil of both pickups is what's "full on" when they're split.

The single coil sounds are especially good. Almost an acoustic sound.

Here's Black Bernie...my tribute to Jeff Beck's '54 LP.

https://imgur.com/468IVxF

Looks great!

 

[The Bird]

That is fantastic.

But because it’s a Jeff Beck tribute, that bridge kind of throws me off. I can’t unsee the individual saddles. A Paul’s bridge like you have in one (or more) of your Bernies would look great here. But this is such a cool guitar.

 

[Lewguitar]

That is fantastic.

But because it’s a Jeff Beck tribute, that bridge kind of throws me off. I can’t unsee the individual saddles. A Paul’s bridge like you have in one (or more) of your Bernies would look great here. But this is such a cool guitar.

Thanks!

The MannMade sounds a little fuller to me than the Paul bridge/tailpiece.

The Paul feels much nicer against my hand, also improves the sound, and it looks classier. I have one on several guitars.

I like both bridges but the MannMade gives a more solid sound to me, and helps make up for the guitar not having a separate TOM bridge and stop tailpiece.

That's the sound I like best of all: the sound of a Tune-o-matic bridge and a stop tailpiece.

 

[The Bird]

That's the sound I like best of all: the sound of a Tune-o-matic bridge and a stop tailpiece.

Me too. Always. My guess is that the actual bridge in Jeff’s LP was pretty bad. It’s no wonder he had to bend every note.

BTW Did you see that Gibson just released Oxblood LP Standards? They’re (gasp!) pretty cool.

 

[Lewguitar]

Me too. Always. My guess is that the actual bridge in Jeff’s LP was pretty bad. It’s no wonder he had to bend every note.

BTW Did you see that Gibson just released Oxblood LP Standards? They’re (gasp!) pretty cool.

I haven't seen that. Wonder if they had access to the original and used the same pickups.

Jeff's looks like the Kluson tuners have been replaced by Schallers.

 

[The Bird]

I haven't seen that. Wonder if they had access to the original and used the same pickups.

No no, the Oxblood is now just a new finish option on Gibson USA Les Paul Standards. It’s not a Custom Shop replica of JB’s guitar or anything.

 

[Lewguitar]

Speaking of Jeff Beck and LP's, this is actually the one I identify with most.

This is a shot of Jeff playing it at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit about 1968 with the first Jeff Beck Group.

He played three nights and I was there for all three nights.

Even shook hands with him and chatted briefly.

Anyways, it's a '59 Beck stripped the finish off of and re-did in natural.

It and Clapton's are the reason I like double cream humbuckers.

https://imgur.com/v85JQRE

https://imgur.com/1RBa3PX

 

[SinSir]

I was looking at that set.

The DrV neck is 7.5K like my Duncan Antiquity. And they're both Alnico 2 humbuckers. Maybe they're similar.

After having the Marshallheads and the newer, stronger version of the PRS 57/08's, the Antiquitys seem a little underwound now.

I'm still thinking of another set of Alnico 2 Wolfetone MarshallHeads, but I'd put them in my '00 CE22 and move the BKP Abraxas pickups in it now to one of my Bernies.

I like the DrV in the neck and MH in the bridge combo best... but the DrV sounds killer in the bridge of my SG.

 

[Fullmoon 1971]

Get some nickel covers from philadelphia luthiervtools and spray paint thexact colour you want, them then clear coat them job done.

 

[Lewguitar]

Get some nickel covers from philadelphia luthiervtools and spray paint thexact colour you want, them then clear coat them job done.

That ain't gonna happen...