1977 Gibson Howard Roberts Artist

**Djangorocks1** · 03-12-2023, 10:56 AM

So I traded against a Les Paul this Howard Roberts Artist this week.
Has been a working man's guitar, so after 45 yrs it needs a tune and touchup
I decided to give it a refret, since the really low frets had some stringwear here and there.
I want it to be as good as possible.

What fretwire do you guys prefer?

Grtz
Richard

**Djangorocks1** · 03-27-2023, 08:02 AM

So I had it refretted, plays and sounds great.
Had the original pickguard glued back together on a sheet of seethrough plexi, so it won't break anymore and looks original.
Put Thomastic Benson 0.14 on it and its hard to put it away.
1977 Gibson Howard Roberts Artist-20230327_135839-jpg

1977 Gibson Howard Roberts Artist-20230327_135839-jpg

**Djangorocks1** · 03-27-2023, 08:04 AM

Now I want a blond one too

**skiboyny** · 03-27-2023, 08:39 AM

I've always really liked the tone Howard Roberts got on recordings. Congrats on your new guitar!

**wintermoon** · 03-27-2023, 10:09 AM

Congrats but I'd ditch that guard, it's a mess. It's going to keep offgassing and corroding your strings and any other metal parts close to it as well as the inside of the case lid.

**Djangorocks1** · 03-27-2023, 10:19 AM

Yeah but no thnx

**AllanAllen** · 03-27-2023, 10:31 AM

Won't the offgassing melt the finish and the binding as well. It's your choice, but I think you are effectively keeping acid on the guitar.

Anyway, I'm curious why there three knobs on a single pickup.

**wintermoon** · 03-27-2023, 10:34 AM

you can lead a horse to water....

**jazzshrink** · 03-27-2023, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

... Anyway, I'm curious why there three knobs on a single pickup.

From a 2012 article, "The controls are a master volume, mids / bass tone control (or "choke") and a standard tone control."

**jumpnblues** · 03-27-2023, 11:09 AM

Wow, I'd never heard of this phenomena before. So, never store your guitar in it's case, especially for long periods? Perhaps keep it in a gig bag? Not sure if I understand this?

**wintermoon** · 03-27-2023, 11:14 AM

and an extreme example....

**AllanAllen** · 03-27-2023, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by jumpnblues

Wow, I'd never heard of this phenomena before. So, never store your guitar in it's case, especially for long periods? Perhaps keep it in a gig bag? Not sure if I understand this?

It's the old Nitrocellulose pick guards. They rot, and it destroys the guitar.

**Woody Sound** · 03-27-2023, 02:38 PM

I’m not one for burgundy, but on that oval hole it looks fab.

**Woody Sound** · 03-27-2023, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

Congrats but I'd ditch that guard, it's a mess. It's going to keep offgassing and corroding your strings and any other metal parts close to it as well as the inside of the case lid.

+1. Once it has started it will only get worse. Your pickup and bracket will be ruined, and probably some of the surrounding finish too. There are plenty of sources for a repro, or even an original.

**jumpnblues** · 03-27-2023, 03:16 PM

Are these Gibsons or a specific brand? What year/s were they manufactured? Glad I don't have any affected guitars.

**wintermoon** · 03-27-2023, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by jumpnblues

Are these Gibsons or a specific brand? What year/s were they manufactured? Glad I don't have any affected guitars.

Most, but not all, batches of nitro from any era will eventually degrade, Gibson, Epiphone, D'Angelico, Stromberg etc....

**TMA** · 03-30-2023, 02:30 PM

It's the old Nitrocellulose pick guards.

How do you determine what your pickguard is made of? What defines…”old”?

This a selfish question. I’m not sure my 1952 L-5C has the original pickguard. It is stored in the case unless I’m playing it. I’ve had it since April last year. There is 0 evidence of the damage seen above.

Tom

1977 Gibson Howard Roberts Artist-2ee3941c-2ec3-4f96-a1d0-68fcbd3a3a7e-jpg

1977 Gibson Howard Roberts Artist-2ee3941c-2ec3-4f96-a1d0-68fcbd3a3a7e-jpg

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 02:52 PM

replacement

**TMA** · 03-30-2023, 03:27 PM

OK. So was the original 1952 pickguard made of the offensive material? And if this is a replacement, what is it constructed of? Can that be determined by looking at a photo?

Thanks!

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 03:30 PM

yes nitro like the current guard

**TMA** · 03-30-2023, 03:48 PM

Hate to keep pestering…..is it bad practice to store the guitar in an enclosed environment like the case?

Thanks!

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 03:54 PM

Only for extended periods in which case you should check it from time to time.

**TMA** · 03-30-2023, 04:40 PM

I take it out to play it a few times a week. And every Monday in the winter, up here in MN, I open the case and tend to the Oasis humidifier gizmo. So looks like I’m doing OK in heading off any de-gassing damage.

Thanks!

Tom

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 04:50 PM

Yeah, I was referring to extended periods as in months. That guard should last many yrs.

**Djangorocks1** · 03-30-2023, 04:57 PM

I am aware of the gassing of the celluloid pickguard.
It has been doing that the last 46 yrs.
The pickupcover lost 70% of its gold due to that.
But the plexi underneath reduced the gassing for what's it worth after 46yrs, with 50% and I keep it on a stand.
Maybe next yeAr I will put a repro on it, but for now this ugly motherfucker stays on it