Name: Steve Bloom
Hometown: New York, NY
Guitar: The Pinecaster P-90
Reader and NYC musician Steve Bloom wanted a pine-bodied Tele with P-90s and 4-way switching, so he built the Pinecaster.
With a yen for a pine-bodied 6-string with a diverse array of tones, Steve Bloom built a parts guitar that‘s more than the sum of its parts.
I'm a professional musician and have a guitar repair business called Harlem Fret Works here in Harlem, New York City. A client brought me two guitars to work on with pine bodies, and I was really impressed with the sound, so, of course, I wanted a guitar with that sound, too! I had never owned a guitar with P-90s. So, this guitar satisfies both of those things at the same time. It’s a Telecaster-style with a pine body and two Seymour Duncan Vintage Antiquity P-90 pickups.
Behold the Pinecaster: Note the upside-down left-handed guitar neck.
Wiring: 4-way switch, with series/parallel, push-pull tone control for out-of-phase tones. Reverse control plate with a Jazzmaster roller knob on the volume control, for a low-profile knob that you won’t hit when playing. I use a different wiring scheme for the 4-way switch, instead of the standard one. I feel this wiring is more intuitive when you’re playing live. Thanks to Breja Toneworks for figuring this out!
Position 1: bridge
Position 2: neck/bridge parallel
Position 3: neck/bridge series
Position 4: neck only
The volume dial on the Pinecaster’s reverse switch plate is a Jazzmaster roller knob.
I did a soldering trick to the neck P-90. I unsoldered the braided wire from the lug, shielded it, and added an extra ground wire to the lug. This was the only way to get the wiring capabilities listed above.
The neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard, and it's actually a Mighty Mite lefty that was given to me by one of my oldest friends. I had to put new side dots on the edge of the fretboard facing me. However, I do like the reverse headstock idea. I think it makes the high E string easier to bend. I needed to buy lefty Kluson-style tuners since I didn’t want to keep the Grovers that were on there. Just a bit too heavy. Luckily, the neck screw holes matched up perfectly. I sanded the neck heel just slightly to fit it to the neck pocket.
“That out-of-phase with the two P-90s is really cool—best funk tone out of a Tele I ever got!”
I bought the pine body on Etsy, and I did the finish: water-based stain from Wood Essence, with many coats of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil over it. This is a great nontoxic finish that can be done at home. There are no toxic fumes like with nitrocellulose lacquer or polyurethane.
Steve added shielding to the cavities for the guitar’s two P-90s.
The sound? It was even better than I had hoped. Just amazing. That out-of-phase with the two P-90s is really cool—best funk tone out of a Tele I ever got! Also, the in-phase tones with these P-90s are wonderful. I have .011s with a wound G because I play many styles on gigs, and I like the chords to be in tune, and for some reason, .010s felt too slinky on this guitar. I really got lucky with this build; it came out great!
Initially released in 1977, the Gibson RD model has been a cult classic for years. It is famous for its unique appearance, which takes inspiration from both the Gibson Explorer and Firebird designs, as well as its functionality and use by several popular guitarists across multiple genres.
Now, the iconic RD Custom joins the Gibson Custom core lineup for the first time. Not only is this the first Custom Shop-built RD model, but it is also the first 25.5” scale length solidbody core model offered by Gibson Custom. Complete with the classic and comfortable RD body shape, including a rear tummy cut for extra comfort, this model also features a mahogany body with multi-ply top binding, Gibson Custom aesthetics, including gold hardware and mother-of-pearl block inlays on the neck, and a mother-of-pearl Custom split diamond headstock inlay. The RD Custom also has a 25.5” scale mahogany neck with a Medium C profile and long neck tenon, a bound ebony fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets, and a bound headstock with Grover Rotomatic tuners. The updated electronics include 490R and 498T pickups, CTS potentiometers, and a hand-wired harness.
The Gibson RD Custom is designed to help players stand out from the crowd with its longer scale length, curvaceously elegant body, and classic design. Now is your opportunity to experience the unique and comfortable playing experience of the cult-favorite Gibson RD Custom for yourself. A Custom Shop hardshell case is also included.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Grammy Award-winning artist Warren Haynes is a cornerstone of the American music landscape, lauded as one of the most formidable and prolific guitarists, vocalists, songwriters, and producers of the modern era. Gibson is proud to announce its partnership with Warren Haynes for the release of his first signature guitar, the Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard. The Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard from Gibson is available worldwide now at the Gibson Garage Nashville and London, at authorized Gibson dealers, and on Gibson.com.
“I’ve always been a Gibson guy—I got hooked on that sound as a teenager and have been playing them ever since,” says Warren Haynes. “Needless to say, I’m honored to be partnering with Gibson to release my Signature Les Paul Standard. Being traditionally a humbucker guy, I’m really loving the hum-free P-90s. It’s a really cool tonal change, and the boost offers even more tonal options. I’m really enjoying playing this guitar on stage and looking forward to using it in the studio. I’m equally psyched that other guitar players will now have the opportunity to own and play one as well.”
Warren Haynes effortlessly cross-pollinates genres and unfurls solos that broil with passion in his distinctive, signature playing style. Renowned and highly regarded for his work in rock, blues, and Americana music through his work with the Allman Brothers Band, as a founding member of Gov’t Mule, the leader of The Warren Haynes Band, a solo artist, and as a session guitarist and sideman for numerous famous friends and groups. As one of music’s most treasured storytellers, Haynes and his artistry have led to thousands of memorable performances and millions of album and track sales. A master of multiple styles and genres, Warren has also shared his expertise with other players via multiple instructional videos. A self-described “Gibson man,” Warren has used several Gibson models throughout the years, including his cherished ’61 ES-335™, among others.
The new Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard is another standout, with features tailored specifically to Warren’s preferences, including a mahogany body with a plain maple cap, a 60s Cherry finish, a mahogany neck with a chunky 50s vintage profile like all of Warren’s favorite Les Pauls, a rosewood fretboard with acrylic trapezoid inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets, a pair of P-90 DC pickups that deliver hum-free performance with all the sonic nuances of traditional P-90 DC pickups, and a 15 dB boost that can be activated via a mini toggle switch. The quick-access battery compartment is mounted into the control cover on the rear, and the guitar will still function, even if the battery dies, by simply flipping the mini toggle switch to the off position.
Bearing the traditional looks and feel of a 50s-era Les Paul coupled with modern features like hum-free P-90 DC pickups and an onboard boost, the Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard bridges modern and traditional and is a great choice for players who, like Warren, want both a traditional appearance and modern functionality in one outstanding guitar.
Last fall, Warren Haynes released his fourth solo album, Million Voices Whisper, via Fantasy Records. Haynes sounds as energetic and focused as ever on the self-produced album, powering through an 11-song set of soulful blues-rock, his first solo collection in nearly a decade. Accompanying Warren on the collection are members of his current all-star band, including John Medeski on keyboards, longtime drummer Terence Higgins (of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band), and Gov’t Mule bassist Kevin Scott. Million Voices Whisper also features guest appearances from his Allman Brothers Band compatriot Derek Trucks, whose unmistakable guitar sound toughs up three tracks on the album that were co-produced with Haynes, and his Last Waltz tour co-stars Lukas Nelson and Jamey Johnson, who are featured on the forceful “Day Of Reckoning.” Joining Haynes in the studio for the first time since the final sunset of the ABB, one of the featured tracks with Trucks on guitar is “Real Real Love,” a song initially co-written with Gregg Allman that Warren finished in Allman’s style and methods as if Gregg were singing it to honor his friend.
Buzzing through the chart-topping album is the question of how to make things better—in love, in life, in the world—led by Haynes’s soaring vocals and the poignancy of his six-string mastery. Million Voices Whisper opens with “These Changes,” a co-write with Trucks, leading into “Go Down Swinging,” co-written with Johnson, which features a horn section and a Van Morrison vibe. Then, there’s the soulful power ballad “Till The Sun Comes Shining Through,” driven by Warren’s impassioned vocals and slide guitar skills. The expressive pipes of touring backup singer Saundra Williams are also heard on multiple tracks, including the lead single “This Life As We Know It,” which reached Top 15 on the Americana singles chart and Top 40 at Triple A radio. Among the four bonus tracks on the deluxe CD version is a new version of the Trucks-Haynes composition “Back Where I Started” featuring Warren on lead vocals and slide guitar and the power trio of Haynes, Nelson, and Johnson covering the CSNY classic “Find The Cost Of Freedom” into an extended version of “Day Of Reckoning.” Million Voices Whisper combines the eloquent musicianship of a triple-threat blues-rocker with the glowing spirit of a vital creative artist at the peak of his powers.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar - '60s Cherry
