I restored my '95 Custom 22 today

Lewguitar

Old Know It All
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Dec 30, 2012
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Location
Paonia Colorado
I returned it to stock with the original Dragon I pickups and 5 way rotary switch.

Years ago I put a 3 way switch and a set of Duncan Antiquitys in it.

After removing the pickups and the switch, the next thing I had to do was fill the 1/2" hole I made for the 3 way switch.

I bought a 1/2" x 36" hardwood dowel, cut off an 1/8" thick piece, sanded it and shaped it a little, and glued it in the hole with 30 minute epoxy.

In 30 minutes I drilled a 1/4" hole in the wood plug, then enlarged it with a tapered reamer until I could slide the original 5 way rotary switch through it and put it back together again.

Then I replaced both old pots with 500K CTS, and used an oil and foil .02 Hovland capacitor for the tone pot.

Then I put the old Dragon 1's back in and completed the wiring. It was easier than I thought it would be to reinstall and wire the old 5 way switch.

I like the way it sounds. Powerful. The Dragons sound really strong in this guitar. It has no vibrato, whereas as my other two CE22's with Dragon I's do have a vibrato. It affects the tone of the guitar.

I feel like I increased the value and collectability of this '95 Custom 22 and I'm glad I did it.

I've always regretted altering it in the first place.

Now I have to find something to put those Antiquitys in - because they did sound great!



 
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That looks fantastic! Love the moons and hardtail...
Thanks. It says Orange under the pickups and it was made in January 1995.

I think of the color as Gretsch Orange.

I bought it used from a pawn shop 20 years ago and it had already been heavily played.

The chorme finish is worn right down to the bare metal of the bridge under the E, A and D strings.

It has a lot of soul.
 
Looking great!
Same colour as my recently acquired 97 10 Top.
Just Orange as it has been christened...lol.

Ps you could always send the Antiquity pups my way for my Marty Friedman :cool:
 
Looking great!
Same colour as my recently acquired 97 10 Top.
Just Orange as it has been christened...lol.

Ps you could always send the Antiquity pups my way for my Marty Friedman :cool:
They might be going in the '00 CE22 I've been working on. Bought the guitar intending to replace the replacement pickups the previous owner put in it.

Right now it has a JB and 59n.

I have three guitars with Dragon 1's and THAT sound is pretty well covered.

Antiquitys would be nice in that guitar!
 
Yeah, lampshades would look classy. Great looking guitar!
Might be too hard to turn the selector switch.

I put gold on last night. I like it. Need to find a darker shade of gold knob, like what are on my '97 CE22.

I like these gold knobs but they're a little too light.



This is how it looks with the original black knobs. Striking!

In two more years, this guitar will be 30 years old.


And here it is with AMBER knobs. I think I like this best!

 
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Nice work, you can't even tell it was ever modded. For my nickel, I like the gold knobs more than the black. I'm in the market for a set of amber ones too. my 1990 is tortoiseshell with black knobs and (see my avatar) and I don't know why they did that, just abut every other tortoiseshell one I've seen had amber. I think it just pairs better with the finish and I feel the same way about your guitar, for what it's worth.
 
I returned it to stock with the original Dragon I pickups and 5 way rotary switch.

Years ago I put a 3 way switch and a set of Duncan Antiquitys in it.

After removing the pickups and the switch, the next thing I had to do was fill the 1/2" hole I made for the 3 way switch.

I bought a 1/2" x 36" hardwood dowel, cut off an 1/8" thick piece, sanded it and shaped it a little, and glued it in the hole with 30 minute epoxy.

In 30 minutes I drilled a 1/4" hole in the wood plug, then enlarged it with a tapered reamer until I could slide the original 5 way rotary switch through it and put it back together again.

Then I replaced both old pots with 500K CTS, and used an oil and foil .02 Hovland capacitor for the tone pot.

Then I put the old Dragon 1's back in and completed the wiring. It was easier than I thought it would be to reinstall and wire the old 5 way switch.

I like the way it sounds. Powerful. The Dragons sound really strong in this guitar. It has no vibrato, whereas as my other two CE22's with Dragon I's do have a vibrato. It affects the tone of the guitar.

I feel like I increased the value and collectability of this '95 Custom 22 and I'm glad I did it.

I've always regretted altering it in the first place.

Now I have to find something to put those Antiquitys in - because they did sound great!



Really is a gorgeous guitar. Love that color.
 
It's been fun comparing this '95 CU22 w/Dragon I pickups to my '95 CE22 w/Dragon I pickups.

Same pickups...different guitars.

The CU22 sounds much more solid, as one might expect since it doesn't have a vibrato and isn't connnected to springs.

The neck is a glued on mahogany on the CU22 and bolt on maple on the CE22.

So the CE22 is brighter and a little more Fendery. Owes a lot to the Strat.

The CU22 is warmer, fuller and more solid and more Gibsony. Owes a lot to the Les Paul.

Which is more fun to play?

Well I miss the vibrato at first when I first pick up the CU22 but that feeling passes quickly and I find myself playing more chords and trying out different chord voicings and jazzy licks. It's a more elegant guitar than the CE22. Feels like a more serious instrument, like an old Les Paul.

When I pick up the CE22 I want to rock! I start playing Jeff Beck stuff and cranking up the Klon KTR. It's stable in that it doesn't go out of tune easily, but I do find myself touching up the tuning more often than I do with the CU22.

And the CE22 is brighter, livlier and more interactive. Allows for a more creative, untraditional approach to playing where "sounds" become as important as playing the proper notes.
 
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I don't want to hijack your thread but you inspired me to go ahead and put the amber knobs on my guitar. Tortoiseshell is a hard one to pin down because it is supposed to be brown but sometimes it's red, or in my case sort of a rust red. But it photographs as bright red, it's hard to get an accurate pic of the real color. Neither of these is perfect but close enough. First, original stock black knows. Second, amber knobs. Not sure about this now that I see it on the guitar.

CU24-Body.jpg


2023-04-01-16-54-08-283.jpg
 
I don't want to hijack your thread but you inspired me to go ahead and put the amber knobs on my guitar. Tortoiseshell is a hard one to pin down because it is supposed to be brown but sometimes it's red, or in my case sort of a rust red. But it photographs as bright red, it's hard to get an accurate pic of the real color. Neither of these is perfect but close enough. First, original stock black knows. Second, amber knobs. Not sure about this now that I see it on the guitar.

CU24-Body.jpg


2023-04-01-16-54-08-283.jpg
My opinion black knobs work better, I think it’s because pickup bobbins are black.

Beautiful guitar!!!
 
I don't want to hijack your thread but you inspired me to go ahead and put the amber knobs on my guitar. Tortoiseshell is a hard one to pin down because it is supposed to be brown but sometimes it's red, or in my case sort of a rust red. But it photographs as bright red, it's hard to get an accurate pic of the real color. Neither of these is perfect but close enough. First, original stock black knows. Second, amber knobs. Not sure about this now that I see it on the guitar.

CU24-Body.jpg


2023-04-01-16-54-08-283.jpg
My opinion black knobs work better, I think it’s because pickup bobbins are black.

Beautiful guitar!!!
Hijack away!

Black knobs and black pickups go together and make the whole look POP!

Mine still has the new gold knobs on it, but the original black knobs are in the case and will go back on someday soon.

Gorgeous guitar Slowhand!
 
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