Good Burny?

[btmish]

Thanks MIJ, that helps. I am, say, 90% sure now this has NO heel cap. It very much looks like one piece of wood there, but I will post some pics tomorrow.

On the other hand, the headstock does have, running length-wise, what looks to be about a 1/4 - 1/2 inch of a different piece of wood running on both sides.

Hmm

 

[Ducati]

Is there maybe a different term for the multi-part neck heel? I always looked at a heel cap as a decorative piece of wood or inlay that you might see on a D'Angelico as a cosmetic upgrade, rather than a sign of poor materials

 

[btmish]

http://www.wizardsofaz.com/guitars/burn6b.htm

This is what I mean about the headstock, it's like this picture of this burny headstock on the right. Although not nearly that drastic of color difference.

 

[MIJvintage]

B, that's just the way they're made. The older Gibsons have that little bit of extra piece on either side of the head stock too.

 

[big-ace]

i would estimate about 90% of ALL gibson style open book headstocks (les paul, sg etc) regardless of country of manufacture will have a 3 piece headstock ( with little wings on the side where the tuners go). this is common practise and has been for many years. if your burny sounds good, plays good, looks good and you are happy with it, then just enjoy it and thank f**k it is not an epiphone.

 

[burny123]

Congratulations with Your new Burny !

Slotted high adjustment screws, heel cap and one or two piece back then a 1983/84 RLG 90

3 piece back and Phillips headed high adjustment screws no heel cap (one piece neck except for the wings on the headstock) , then 1988-1993 RLG 70 or 75

 

[burny123]

OK I did not notice page 2 !!

Your guitar is a 1988 -1992 RLG 70

 

[btmish]

OK I did not notice page 2 !!

Your guitar is a 1988 -1992 RLG 70

Ok, thanks for the help. For future reference, what about "page 2" makes this decisive?

 

[burny123]

No heel cap, slotted screws and 3 piece back

But still a nice guitar !!

 

[MIJvintage]

page 2?

I must have missed something :lol:

 

[btmish]

page 2?

I must have missed something :lol:

I think he is talking about page 2 of this thread. What is the difference between the 70 and 75 then, the 3-piece back?

Oh, and I am very happy with the guitar....it sounds amazing. Although I probably would not have paid that much knowing it was not "early" 80's, but that is a moot point and this juncture. Live and learn, or living is learning.....learning is living, something like that.

 

[MIJvintage]

Oh, and I am very happy with the guitar....it sounds amazing. Although I probably would not have paid that much knowing it was not "early" 80's, but that is a moot point and this juncture. Live and learn, or living is learning.....learning is living, something like that.

As long as you're happy with it, that's good

Now that you've had at least some exposure to the VH-1 pups, is it safe to say you are now a fan, maybe even a convert? 8)

What is it that, "sounds amazing" to your ears, the acoustic properties of the guitar itself, the pups, or all of it?

 

[burny123]

You are right about the pages.

In 1987 Your guitar was a RLG 60, in 1990 the same guitar was a RLG 70 and in 1995 it was a RLG 80. The RLG 75 had no fretbinding.

No heel cap started around 1990, that is the reason my guess is RLG 70.

 

[btmish]

Hi,

A few more things now about this guitar since I have read burny123's paper. Nice info in that paper Burny123. I am now guessing this to be some sort of transition burny from the late eighties. It has NO heal cap, which makes it seem later, yet it has the gold backed pickups and the green capacitors which would seem to put it at 87 or so. Also, and I don't know if this is just random or if it means something, but the capacitors have the number 87 on them. So, my guess is either a 87 rlg 60 with a transition neck that has no heel cap, or a later burny that came with left over capacitors and pick-ups.

Again, thanks for the info Burny123, it's fun trying to figure this stuff out.

 

[BigTone]

My (what I thought was 80s) plaintop burny also has slotted pickup height adjusters, fret binding and green capacitors and a 2 piece centre seamed back. Can't remember if it had the gold backed pickups though as I have only had them out briefly once. But I'm pretty sure mine doesn't have a heal cap either (don't have it to hand at the moment).
I'm confused, we're all pretty much in agreement that the earlier 80s burnys are the better ones, but the heal cap is a cheaper construction method to get away with using less wood, yet the later burnys have a one piece neck and the early ones have a cap. have I missed something?

Yeah I read burny123's paper too, very good work, nice to see some more information about burnys out there

 

[btmish]

I'm confused, we're all pretty much in agreement that the earlier 80s burnys are the better ones, but the heal cap is a cheaper construction method to get away with using less wood, yet the later burnys have a one piece neck and the early ones have a cap. have I missed something?

I don't know if I agree they are "better", for this one I got is a really great guitar. Maybe it is just the case they are 1. older, and 2. more scarce, and thus are more sought after and higher priced.

 

[villager]

they are better specs, one piece back and nitro finish for 80 and 81..

 

[burny123]

And often made of better wood!!

 

[BigTone]

Yeah Btmish, my lester sounds pretty much like your one and it too is a cracking guitar, certainly for the 300 quid I paid for it. And It really makes the epiphone I had feel like a childs guitar in comparison. Anyway, back to the heal, from reading burny123's paper I would of dated mine at 1987 too, but I checked and it definately hasn't got the heal cap. Not got around to checking the colour of the pickups, but I would say they sound quite sweet and aren't particularly high output, at least by modern standards. It does have the lower 'super grade model' script though, if that would help place it.