W. Jeffrey Jones in Premier Guitar

Premier Guitar Magazine is running a full 4 page spread on the work of W. Jeffrey Jones this month. There is some mention of Searcy String Works in there as well. Click here to read the article on line or go out and buy one. Jeffrey has a very interesting and unique outlook on music and instrument building.
He was also featured in an interview with Six String Bliss in Episode 119. You can hear that show by clicking here.

I don't need no Dr. MXR Blue Box

Well.... I ended up in the hospital for a few days last week. Seems I developed an ulcer that was bleeding so bad they thought they were going to have to give me transfusions. The great team at Sky Line got it all under control though it wasn't very fun. I'm really glad for the outstanding medical system we have here in the U.S. I hope we don't ruin it...

Anyway, I'm all better and thought you might like to see this little demo I did of the MXR Blue Box and a mod I like to do to it.

1963 Gibson Patent No. pickups

I got an old "Gibson Patent Number" humbucker in this week to rebuild.


Early Gibson humbucking pickups had a sticker on the bottom that read “Patent Appiled For”. Gibson got the patent for its humbucking pickup in July 1959 but the PAF sticker stuck around until late 1961 or early 1962. At this time a new sticker started showing up on the base plates of the Gibson humbucker. It was “Patent No 2,737,842”. Humbuckers with this sticker from 1962 till 1965 are called “Patent Number” pickups and are starting to become very sought after.

The earliest Patent No. units are identical to the more famous PAF pickups in every way.




In late 1962 Gibson started using black jumper wires at the end of the coils and white jumper wires at the start instead of the all black ones of the PAF.



In Late 1963 they started using Polyurethane coated magnet wire to wind the bobbins instead of the dark colored plain enamel of the PAF. The bobbins are made form butyrate and prone to warping.




The magnets are sand-cast Alnico 5 magnets and the maple spacers are just like the earlier PAFs.


This one is all done and heading back out to CA. today. We didn't wax pot it because they were not potted to begin with and this is a restoration.

Jack Frost

Once in a while I actually sit down and record music. Here's a song I did a little while ago called Jack Frost.

Bobbin, Bobbin whose got the bobbin?

Mother nature tried to stop me but the new bobbins are finally in from China. Look how shinny they are!

Sand Cast Magnets

Lots and lots of sand cast magnets have made their way into the shop this week. These are going to be used in the new generation O-2 and B-2 pickups.

Jim Warkway's 1967 Fender Jazz Bass

Here's a rebuild I did a few years ago.