OWNER’S MANUAL
1550-07 GUS
© 2007 Gibson Guitar Corp.
To the new Gibson owner: Congratulations on the purchase of your new Gibson electric guitar—the world’s most famous electric guitar from the leader of fretted instruments. Please take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the information in this booklet regarding materials, electronics, “how to,” care, maintenance, and more about your guitar. And then begin enjoying a lifetime of music with your new Gibson.
The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Gibson Innovations The History of Gibson Electric Guitars 4 6 8 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Body Neck and Headstock Pickups Controls Bridge Tailpiece 13 13 14 15 17 18 CARE AND MAINTENANCE Finish Your Guitar on the Road Things to Avoid Strings Install Your Strings Correctly String Gauge Brand of Strings 19 19 20 21 22 23 23 NEW TECHNOLOGY The Gibson Robot Guitar 24
46 Strap Button Stopbar Tune-o-matic Three-way Tailpiece Bridge Pickups Toggle Switch 12th Fret Marker/Inlay Neck Fret Fingerboard Nut Headstock The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Featuring a Les Paul Standard in Heritage Cherry Sunburst Input Jack Tone Volume Binding Controls Controls Body Single Cutaway Truss Rod Cover Machine Heads Tuning Keys
57 Stopbar Tune-o-matic Strap Button Body Tailpiece Bridge Pickups 12th Fre t Neck Marker/Inlay Fret Fingerboard Nut Headstock Three-way Toggle Switch The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Featuring a V-Factor Faded in Worn Cherry Input Jack Tone Volume Control Controls Pickguard Truss Rod Cover Machine Tuning Heads Keys
6 Here are just a few of the Gibson innovations that have reshaped the guitar world: 1894 – First archtop guitar 1922 – First ƒ-hole archtop, the L-5 1936 – First professional quality electric guitar, the ES-150 1947 – P-90 single-coil pickup introduced 1948 – First dual-pickup Gibson, the ES-300 1949 – First three-pickup electric, the ES-5 1949 – First hollowbody electric with pointed cutaway, the ES-175 1952 – First Les Paul guitar 1954 – Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Jr.
7 1958 – First semi-hollowbody guitar, the ES-335 1961 – SG body style introduced in the Les Paul line 1963 – Firebird guitars and Thunderbird basses introduced 1969 – Les Paul Personal and Professional with low-impedance pickups introduced 1979 – L.P.
8 A BRIEF HISTORY OF GIBSON ELECTRIC GUITARS Gibson’s legendary acoustic engineer, Lloyd Loar, was experimenting with electric instruments in 1924, at the dawn of electronic amplification. However, Gibson’s struggle to dominate the banjo market took precedence through the 1920s, and it wasn’t until the mid-1930s that the company once again turned its attention to electric guitars. In 1935 Gibson’s Walt Fuller designed a pickup that was introduced on the E-150, an aluminum-body lap steel.
9 The first postwar Gibson electrics followed the prewar concept of an electric guitar as a conventional acoustic archtop with a pickup installed on the top. Gibson added a second pickup to the ES-300 in 1948 and then became the first company to offer a three-pickup model with the introduction of the ES-5 in 1949.
10 In 1954 the growing popularity of the Les Paul Model prompted Gibson to expand the line. On the high end, the Les Paul Custom sported an Ebony finish and low frets for fast action, and it immediately gained two nicknames: the Black Beauty and the Fretless Wonder. On the more affordable end, the Les Paul Jr. featured a flat “slab” top and a single pickup, and it became the best-selling Les Paul of the 1950s. One year after the Les Paul Jr.
11 The body of the Les Paul Jr. received a pair of rounded horns to become Gibson’s first doublecutaway solidbody. And the finish color on the Les Paul Model was changed to Cherry Sunburst, which let the grain of the maple top show through. The model name was changed to Les Paul Standard, and the sunburst Standards from 1958-60 would become some of the most valuable collectibles in the guitar world. All of this happened in 1958. The new Les Paul Jr. set in motion a complete redesign of the Les Paul line.
12 In response to the rising demand for 1950s-style Les Pauls, the carved-top models were reintroduced in 1968. A new model, the Les Paul Deluxe, featuring mini-humbucking pickups appeared in 1969. The Special was revived in the 1970s and the Jr. reappeared in the 1980s. The Flying V, Explorer, and Firebird were also brought back into regular production, as musical styles began to catch up with these ahead-of-their-time designs.
13 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Body. The solidbody guitar was invented to increase sustain, produce a brilliant tone, and eliminate feedback caused by a vibrating top. These qualities are enhanced by wood with high density, such as maple. Les Paul would have preferred for his model to have had a solid maple body, but density translates to weight, and a solid maple Les Paul Model would have been exceedingly heavy.
14 Neck Specifications. Gibson designs its guitar necks to complement and enhance the unique characteristics of each model. Neck profiles can be “rounded ’50s” or “slim ’60s” (or a slight V-shape available only on the BluesHawk). Scale length (string length) is 24 3/4" on the Les Paul, X-Factor and SG models, 25 1/2" on the Chet Atkins, Americana, and Hawk models and 34" on basses. Pickups.
15 without the “dog ears” are nicknamed “soapbar” because the original cream-colored plastic covers on the 1952 Les Paul Model resembled bars of soap. When the P-90 was introduced in 1946, it was the most powerful pickup of its kind. And it still is. Among the many examples of the P-90 sound are Carlos Santana’s Les Paul Special on Santana’s classic recordings, Leslie West’s Les Paul Jr. with the group Mountain, and the Who’s Pete Townshend with an SG Special on Live at Leeds and at Woodstock.
16 Volume controls: The two knobs closest to the fingerboard control the volume of the pickups. The volume knob nearest the bridge controls the “front” or neck pickup; the knob nearest the edge of the guitar controls the “back” or bridge pickup. Tone controls: The knob or knobs farthest away from the fingerboard control tone. The tone knob nearest the bridge controls the “front” or neck pickup; the knob nearest the edge of the guitar controls the “back” or bridge pickup.
17 The Tune-o-matic Bridge. The Tune-o-matic bridge allows for adjustment in overall bridge height and individual string length. Height is adjustable up and down by means of thumb wheels under the bridge at either end. Each string saddle is adjustable forward and back with a small standard screwdriver. Action adjustment (up and down) is set at the factory to the correct height for playing comfort and for buzz-free action.
18 The tune-o-matic bridge was designed to adjust for string changes (gauge or type) and other physical changes but not for problems with intonation due to string wear. Should a string lose its intonation due to wear, we strongly recommend changing the string and not the bridge setting. Adjustable Stopbar Tailpiece. The stopbar tailpiece may be adjusted up or down to change the downward pressure across the bridge.
19 CARE AND MAINTENANCE Finish. A Gibson instrument always attracts attention, whether it is on a concert stage before thousands or on a guitar stand in a home studio. After the classic body lines of a Gibson, the finish makes the strongest impression. Perspiration acids, heavy fingerprinting, dust, and grime from on-the-job usage are unavoidable.
20 Heat and cold: Gibson’s nitrocellulose finish can expand or contract to adjust to extreme temperatures and humidities—but not to sudden changes in temperature or humidity. Just as a hot drink will crack a chilled glass, the finish of a Les Paul will crack if a guitar that has been sitting in the trunk of a car in wintertime is suddenly exposed to the warm air of a heated room. In these conditions, let the guitar warm up gradually inside the case before opening the case.
21 Avoid sharp blows to any part of your instrument. Be particularly alert to possible blows to the back of the headstock, machine heads (tuners), and in the neck heel area. Many headstock breaks are the result of a guitar being knocked over or dropped while it’s still in the case, so do not stand the case on its end. Should major adjustments become necessary, contact your local authorized Gibson dealer or service center. Strings. Fresh strings are a vital part of that “new instrument” sound.
22 When changing strings, we recommend changing one string at a time in order to maintain tension on the neck and bridge. The pressure of the strings holds the bridge and saddles in place, and removing all the strings could necessitate a new setup. Use high quality strings. The most obvious action you can take to maximize the life and performance of your strings is to use high quality strings. Your Gibson comes from the factory with a set of strings made by Gibson and designed exclusively for Gibsons.
23 2. Be certain the string is wrapped around the tuner post an adequate number of times. For unwound strings, at least five turns around the machine head stem are necessary. For wound strings, two or three turns are adequate. What gauge strings should be used? Your Gibson guitar comes strung with “10s”—which means the high-E string is .010 inches in diameter. The low-E is .046 inches in diameter.
24 NEW TECHNOLOGY - THE GIBSON ROBOT GUITAR The Impossible is Now Possible. Introducing the Gibson Robot Guitar, the world’s first guitar with robot technology. Gibson’s Robot Guitar is the only guitar available with the auto-tuning system described herein as original equipment. Your Gibson Robot Guitar will be pre-calibrated for a standard .010-.046 set of strings.
25 THE MASTER CONTROL KNOB (MCK) The Master Control Knob not only serves as the master control for all aspects of this amazing, self-tuning system, but it will communicate with you as you learn its “language.” The MCK is quite powerful and has many uses, and we believe you will find that MCK functions will become second nature to you once you have tried them a few times.
26 changed to your liking, but you can always restore the factory defaults as later described in this Owner’s Manual. The MCK’s LED display will show various symbols and colors and these will be explained in the various modes of operation available to you.
27 PRECAUTIONS: • Never try to manually turn the tuning pegs on the Powerheads unless they are in the disengaged position (pulled out and away from the peghead). • Do not attempt to open the cover of the peghead electronics, the Powerheads, or the body CPU as this will void your warranty. • Do not ‘fret’ a string while attempting to tune the Robot Guitar. Strings must be ‘open’ for the system to function properly unless you are performing the intonation routine.
30 GUIDE TO FUNCTIONS AND DISPLAY MODES DURING TUNING OPERATIONS Function MCK Position Instantly Activated Tuning (440Hz, EADGBE is factory default) Pull MCK out Regular Tuning 440Hz, EADGBE MCK out and turned all the way down to “0” (counter-clockwise) E major Tuning 440Hz, EBEG#BE Pull MCK out and turn to E LED Display LEDs Action Remarks All string LEDs shining red Strum all strings gently While you strum, Powerheads start turning, individual strings will shine green when in tune, all LEDs
31 Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks DADGAD Tuning 440Hz, DADGAD Pull MCK out and turn to A LED A LED shining blue Enter by pressing the display once— b, #, and all string LEDs will shine red While you strum, Powerheads start turning, individual strings will shine green when in tune, all LEDs will flash blue 3 times when tuning is complete. After blue lights flash, push MCK back in.
32 Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks E Flat Tuning 440Hz, EbAbDbGbBbeb Pull MCK out and turn to B LED B LED shining blue Enter by pressing the display once— b, #, and all string LEDs will shine red While you strum, Powerheads start turning, individual strings will shine green when in tune, all LEDs will flash blue 3 times when tuning is complete. After blue lights flash, push MCK back in.
33 Function Display LEDs Reference Tuning (Tune to selected reference pitch) I LED shining red MCK Position Pull MCK out and turn to I LED Action Pull out (disengage) the peg of the Powerhead you choose to tune to a reference pitch. Now tune this string to match your chosen reference. Push peg back into engaged position. Begin tuning your guitar by pressing the display. The letter “I” will shine green and ALL string LEDs will shine re d .
34 Function Custom Altered Tuning MCK Position Pull MCK out and turn to Peg LED Peg LED shines red Display LEDs Action To create your own ”Custom Altered Tuning,” disengage each Powerhead of the string required and tune it manually to the pitch you want. Then press the display once, and the Peg LED will shine green and the string LEDs will shine re d .
35 STRING UP / STRING DOWN MODES Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks String Up Mode Pull MCK out and turn to Revolving Arrow LED Revolving Arrow and # LED shine green Activate String Up Mode by pressing the display for 3 seconds. Powerheads will begin winding strings up close to normal tuning. When they stop turning, activate Normal Tuning mode to finish tuning your instrument.
36 TO RESTRING YOUR ROBOT GUITAR First ensure that all Powerheads are disengaged by pulling the pegs away from the peghead. This is very important! Guide each string through your tailpiece, over the center of each saddle (where contact is essential), and through the nut slot. If you are using String Up Mode, allow 1/2 wrap or more around the post on wound (bass side) strings before sending it through the post hole and locking it down tightly.
37 Now you are ready to engage String Up Mode. MCK should be on the green revolving arrow as described on the previous page. After the display is pressed for 3 seconds, all strings will wind themselves close to their correct pitches, whereupon you must fine tune your guitar using Normal Tuning Mode.
38 INTONATION MODE (ONLY GIBSON MODELS) Before starting the Intonation Mode we recommend to perform Normal tuning 440Hz Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Intonation Mode Pull MCK out and turn to | LED I LED shining blue Activate Intonation Mode by pressing the display for 3 seconds. Strum one of the strings until the according LED shines green. For example, D. After 2 seconds b LED turns off and # LED shines green Pick the same string now in the 12th fret and strum it.
39 Function MCK Position Display LEDs Intonation Mode MCK is now in the position of the string you are intonating. I LED shining blue Action For each green LED turn the screw half turn clockwise Remarks Now a colored blink code displays the appropriate correction for the intonation screw. For example: = 5 half turns clockwise For each red LED turn the screw half turn counterclockwise For example: = 6 half turns counterclockwise Repeat Intonation Mode for each string.
40 Function Display LEDs Calibration Mode C LED shines re d MCK Position Pull MCK out and turn to C LED Action Access Calibration Mode by pressing the display for 3 seconds. The C LED will shine blue. Now turn the MCK to select your fundamental frequency from the following list. (Note: while selecting your fundamental, pressing the display will toggle the red # LED on and off, and the other displayed LEDs will remain blue.
41 PLEASE NOTE: Once you have selected your desired fundamental, press the display down for three seconds. Now choose a tuning and strum the strings. The Global Calibration Offset is applied to each selected tuning. To check the selected Global Calibration Offset, pull MCK out and press LED C for three seconds.
42 SETUP MODE The various important functions in Setup Mode can be accessed individually once Setup Mode is activated. We will now describe how to enter and exit Setup Mode, and we’ll list the various functions it contains afterward. Function Enter Setup Mode MCK Position Pull MCK out and turn all the way down to “0” (counter-clockwise) Display LEDs b and # shine red Action Remarks Press display for 3 seconds. When the display turns blue, release the display button.
43 Function MCK Position Exit Setup Mode without saving changes Push MCK back in Exit Setup Mode; saving changes Dependent on Setup Mode function last utilized Display LEDs All outer LEDs will flash blue-green 3 times Action Remarks Setup Mode switches off You can exit Setup Mode at any time Setup Mode function applied Your Setup Mode function is now stored
44 FUNCTIONS INCLUDED IN SETUP MODE Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Restore Factory Defaults Enter Setup Mode and turn to LED D LED D shining blue, Peg LED shines white Press display once and Factory Defaults are restored Restoring Factory Defaults will do the following: • Preset positions set to default tunings • Runtime Correction Data set to default • Dynamic Runtime Correction is switched on • eFunction Correction is switched on • Tuning accuracy is set to 4 out of 6 • Calibr
45 Function Global Calibration Offset On / Off MCK Position Enter Setup Mode turn to LED C and p ress display once Display LEDs LED C shining blue, Peg LED shines white Action Remarks Turn MCK left (Counterclockwise) to switch off Global Calibration When a Calibration Mode is in effect, your selected fundamental frequency will now apply to all your presets red B LED indicates OFF Turn MCK left (clockwise) to switch on Global Calibration green LED indicates ON Press Enter to store
46 FUNCTIONS INCLUDED IN SETUP MODE Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Instantly Activated Last Tuning Enter Setup Mode and turn to LED and press Enter Turn MCK to I and press Enter Last Tuning is activated on startup Instantly Activated Preset Tuning Enter Setup Mode and turn to LED and press Enter Turn MCK to one of the Presets and press Enter Select Preset Tuning is activated on startup
47 Function Display LEDs Speed / Accuracy Settings Pegs shines white, A shines blue MCK Position Enter Setup Mode and turn to A LED Action Press display once. Current Speed / Accuracy setting will be indicated by flashing green LEDs (as described below) Remarks The Powertune system is adjustable to a pitch accuracy of .2 Cent. However, this will cause tuning functions to take slightly longer, and in live applications a relaxed accuracy is advisable. There are 6 levels of setting.
48 FUNCTIONS INCLUDED IN SETUP MODE Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Dynamic Runtime Control On / Off Enter Setup Mode turn to G LED and p ress Enter # will be shining green or b will be shining red, G LED shines blue, Peg LED shines white Tu rn MCK left to switch off DRC, turn MCK right (clockwise) to switch on DRC Press Enter to store # shines green when DRC is on, b shines red when DRC is off eFunction Correction On / Off Enter Setup Mode and turn to B LED, p ress display #
49 CALIBRATING POWERHEADS The Robot Guitar will be pre-calibrated for a standard .010-.046 set of strings. If you change string gauges, restore factory defaults, or are installing the system yourself, you may first want to calibrate the Powerheads individually using the Motor Calibration Mode as described below. Remember though, each Powerhead is self-regulated with a Dynamic Runtime Algorithm that ensures the change of runtimes according to each string.
50 CHARGING AND BATTERY INFORMATION The Robot Guitar comes with a battery pack containing two rechargeable batteries. A special charger is also included with the system. The battery charge level is indicated each time you activate your system, as indicated below. You may expect more than 200 tunings between charges. There is no need to open your guitar to access any of the battery charging functions. When the system is enabled but inactive for more than one minute, the battery will switch off automatically.
51 Function Charge Mode MCK Position Display LEDs Pull MCK out, turn to C LED and press display Your current charge level will be displayed for about 3 seconds. The level of charge will be indicated by how many green LEDs you see (betweeen 1 and 10). Action Now you will see a flashing red battery symbol on the MCK, indicating your system is looking for its charger. Plug in the AC power plug of your charging unit and the charger will flash red, too.
52 EMERGENCY CHARGE MODE The system has an Emergency Charge Mode (ECM) if its re c h a rgeable battery pack goes completely ‘dead’ or too low in charge to run the normal Charge Function. Pull out MCK and turn it to roughly the middle position. It’s OK if the lights don’t come on, ECM will fix that. Put all the other controls in roughly the middle position, and use a short patch cord (1 foot or less) to lower resistance.
53 Note: It is recommended not to store the guitar with the MCK out, as this will fully drain the battery eventually and Emergency Charge Mode must be employed. SHORT CIRCUIT WARNING In the event of a short circuit from negative to ground (Strings E or A to D or G) the white peg symbol will flash. This can be caused if strings are not trimmed properly at the headstock.If the short circuit runs from B or hi E to D, A or low E, the peg will flash yellow. Check to make sure no strings touch one another.
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