Two Gibson BR-9s rescued from husks -- which do you prefer?

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 11 Dec 2022 4:53 pm

Everything else being (approximately) equal, which color scheme do you like best?

Glenn Wilde · Post by **Glenn Wilde** » 11 Dec 2022 9:27 pm

Well, the dark one kinda reminds of something....

Michael Butler · Post by **Michael Butler** » 12 Dec 2022 8:29 am

either one. i do like the contrast idea. how they sound is more important. good job bringing them back.

play music!

Tony Oresteen · Post by **Tony Oresteen** » 12 Dec 2022 8:41 am

Nice! I love husk rescues!! I assume they both sound the same.

Are you keeping them both?

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 12 Dec 2022 9:03 am

I’d be interested to see what they look like with the pickups switched.

Both look more practical than the original with the pickup cover that kept your hand away from the bridge.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Dec 2022 9:13 am

Nice work. They both look good, but I tend to favor the blonde plate.

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 12 Dec 2022 9:18 am

I think I might prefer “Blonde on Blonde.”

Bill Groner · Post by **Bill Groner** » 12 Dec 2022 9:52 am

They do have more fun!

Jim Smerk · Post by **Jim Smerk** » 20 Dec 2022 12:17 pm

Not a choice, but I would like both with clear guards to let the color thru...

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 20 Dec 2022 1:50 pm

Jim Smerk wrote:Not a choice, but I would like both with clear guards to let the color thru...

Was not even a consideration for these two, since a clear plate would have exposed all sorts of nastiness that the opaque control plates (mostly) kept under wraps:

Additionally, I have gotten into the habit of shielding the undersides of control plates/pickguards with adhesive shielding foil, and slapping three coats of conductive shielding paint in the cavities on my rescues -- both Spanish and Hawaiian. Especially for those that receive single-coil pickups. Makes 'em almost as quiet as a church mouse peeing on a cottonball.

Tony Oresteen wrote:Nice! I love husk rescues!! I assume they both sound the same.

Are you keeping them both?

Thanks, Tony. Since the components are identical (save for the plastic pickup bobbin tops), they sound exactly the same to my decrepit old ears. The pickups are Sentells, the pots are CTS, the tone caps are Orange Drops, and the jacks are from Switchcraft. I followed the wiring of the 1950s Les Paul Juniors:

Unless someone makes an offer I can't refuse, I plan on keeping them both for the time being. I will have a similar BR-9 rescue available for purchase (with a tortoise bobbin, blonde plate, and brown knobs) as soon as I can snap some photos and get an ad posted here.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 31 Dec 2022 11:07 pm

Jack Hanson wrote:I will have a similar BR-9 rescue available for purchase (with a tortoise bobbin, blonde plate, and brown knobs) as soon as I can snap some photos and get an ad posted here.

And here 'tis:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... 65#3128265

Miles Lang · Post by **Miles Lang** » 4 Jan 2023 5:50 pm

If I ever found an ugly old BR9 husk, I’d paint it goldtop gold with cream hardware. I don’t like the ones with the plastic cover on the bridge, but the little ES295 flower decal would have to be on there somewhere.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 5 Jan 2023 8:14 am

Miles Lang wrote:If I ever found an ugly old BR9 husk, I’d paint it goldtop gold with cream hardware.

Sounds like a good combo. Gibson did indeed paint at least one prototype Ultratone in gold sparkle in the mid-forties, well ahead of the Les Paul (circa 1952).

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Two Gibson BR-9s rescued from husks -- which do you prefer?

I think this BR-9 is the most attractive

Two Gibson BR-9s rescued from husks -- which do you prefer?