The TS808 Tubescream Clone

First Stage:

Rebirth and Death of the 1989 MIJ Fenix Les Paul Standard

The Journey...

I bought this 1989 MIJ Fenix Les Paul from a friend back in February 2009. The condition of the guitar was really bad; read on and look at the photos to see it for yourself. But I did notice one thing; the finishing and the body were unscratched and I dare say still in a mint condition. The guitar was truly a musician's guitar whereby the outlook weren't a concern to the previous owners as their only concern was how it sounds. Therefore I saw a lot of potential with this guitar and I purchased it to start my project on restoring this piece of mini antique (20 years is barely enough to classify it as an antique). The following photos below is self explainary of the guitar's condition but captions has been added as extra documentation of this little adventure.

Badly tarnished hardwares

Missing screws and enlarged screw holes for the tuning pegs... Basically it is not working anymore...

Around 20 years of finger grime and stains

More grime

Green tarnish on the humbuckers

Tuning pegs removed

Pick guard removed

Closer look on the fatally rusted screws...

Broken pick up holder and the screws are so worn out that they cannot be unscrewed anymore


Some of the screws had to be unscrewed using a pair of pliers

All the pots (variable resistors) had to be replaced as they are all screeching badly

Last piece of hardware removed for restoration

After 6 days of polishing and around RM80 worth of polish creams and solutions (like Brasso, Autosol and Tarnite)

The patient on the work bed...

Holes plugged (with toothpick, glue and wood putty) and ready for new holes to be drilled

DaySSSS of polishing

All the screws replaced with new shiny ones (almost RM200 worth)

Replacing the input jack and pots

Shiny machine head inserts

3 days of grime removal

A closer look

Even the metal scrub is busted after the 3 days of scrubbing

Machine head back in place with new screws and newly drilled holes

Gibson style tulip tuning pegs

Work area

Original humbuckers sitting on new pick up holders

A rag to protect the guitar while soldering the electronics

Almost done

Almost shiny

Work work

Standing tall

Everything is almost up and running

My room's condition during the 4 weeks of restoration

The almost finished product bonding with it's brothers

Shiny?

More shine

A lil more red

Set neck = transcontinental sustain

Finish

Sexy?

Please say sexy

Now... Spot the problem...

Someone killed it

I couldn't sleep for 2 nights

Because someone broke it... Sigh...

It is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so

-William Shakespeare-

This is a less popular quote by William Shakespeare. Might not make a lot of sense most of the time, but trust me, it does make a lot sense. I know I am rambling. I am sorry. This is my first day in blogging and I don't get the hang of it at all. Anyway, back to the quote, some things that a so called "right" or "good" might not be actually be the same to another person. Take for example all the recent act of terrorism in the past decade, we all know that it is wrong and bad to kill innocent people. But are you so sure that from the point of view of the killer/terrorist, it is bad? Can you say the same after witnessing the death of your parents, the raping of your wife and the abduction of your own child by another man? To men like these, killing another is no longer just a simple "bad" thing, to them, they are actually doing something good for themselves, protecting loved ones. It takes a lot from a man to actually give his life to kill thousands other innocent people. If he didn't think it was the right thing to do, he never would went through with it. Some things are not just "good" or "bad" just because it is the society's norm. Right or wrong is of a relativity question.

Take another simpler example from my life this time. Is it ok for me to love somebody that does not share the same feelings for me? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? To many, it might not be a good thing because you know you won't get to end up with her so why hurt yourself in the long run? To others it might be a good thing. But why bother so much between good or bad? Why not just choose whichever choice that makes you happier (unless it does harm to others) and just tell yourself that it is the right thing to do and stick with it? Just think that it is good. Because thinking makes it so. And when we feel that we're doing the right thing, we will automatically feel better and happier. Somethings, there are just no right or wrong, good or bad. It is at the discretion of the person asking this question. So if you're down lately, try thinking whether whatever you're doing is right or wrong and choose the answer which favours your action being right and take responsibility for it. You will feel a whole lot better.

All these words up there might not be a direct representation of what I really want to convey but I hope you guys understand what I am trying to say. If you got this far, thanks for actually reading.

P/S - It doesn't mean that you have to think everything you do is right, but instead just give yourself the benefit of the doubt.

Sharing my life with nobody

This is my first attempt to actually publish something for all to see in this world wide web of lies (or truth). I haven't been writing anything longer than 50 words ever since I left high school except for the occasional reports which I write about everything but myself. One of the main reason why I actually made this blog is a self help book that I've been reading that told me to put all my feelings, fears, emotions, ideas and that sort of things down in the form of words to make myself feel better. So here goes and I hope it works.