The Les Paul Thread

[Newc]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Maybe he thought a buncha Rhoads fans wouldn't wanna see a white Les Paul Custom [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

Newc

[Firebird V]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Hey Matt. Is the neck mahogany or maple? If it is maple then it would be a mid 70's to early 80's LP I think. That is when they were doing the sandwich body construction right?. I am no expert on dating these either. Let's see some pics Matt.

[Newc]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

I'm workingon pics (and falling asleep, and surfing Ebay trying to spend a $2100+ gainsharing check that should really go to pay the $2500+ I owe on my credit card) [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

But right now, I'm going to get some more tea and have a smoke

When I return, I'll take some pics [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Newc

[OnlineStageGear]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Ewwfff... It ALWAYS pays to ask questions. I was bouncing back and forth with the guy who had the Les Paul Custom in white I was trying to get and in about the 5th email of describing it, he "happened" to mention how the REFINISH is barely noticeable. Refinish ?? Don't you know that is the one thing that kills a guitars value more than anything, with the exception of a neck break? Oh, I didn't think it was that big a deal.

Grrrrrrrrrr [img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

Oh well, the search continues. Maybe LPC will sell me his white one ?? [img]graemlins/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Matt

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Originally posted by OnlineStageGear:
Oh well, the search continues. Maybe LPC will sell me his white one ?? [img]graemlins/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Matt

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">[img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] That's funny [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I have been offered a lot of money for mine...and I won't do it [img]graemlins/refuse.gif[/img]

No other guitar I've ever owned plays as well as it does. And, I'll probably have my ass kicked here, but nothing really sounds like a Les Paul being pushed through a good tube amp....to this day it still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

If Mrs LPC honors my wishes and my will, it will be buried with me.....she can do what she wants with the others....sell em, burn em, give them away....I won't care cause I'll be dead.

[Firebird V]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

What are you looking for? Maybe I can help you spend it. [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] . Seriously, I got some stuff I may move...

[Newc]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Agreed, LPC [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img] I'm the same way about my Standard; it'll never leave me unless I get half of Bill Gates' net worth [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
My Jacksons are great and all, but none of them can or will ever replace my LP Standard, though a couple can stand side by side with it [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Anyhoo, I don't care if this thing has zero resale value - I didn't buy it for that. I may buy another one later just to wh0re out for money someday, but I bought this one to have and hold because of Gibson's decision to make the Custom a Custom-Shop-Only model [img]graemlins/images/icons/mad.gif[/img] Bastards.

And here's the pics - 27 of them [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

http://autumn-frost.nstemp.com/LPCustom

I didn't take pics of the "common" identifiers like the pots because those are easily swapped out. Not to mention there are three different pots - one has a number, one says Gibson USA on it (embossed), and the other two are blank. The control cavity has been lined in aluminum shielding tape as well. The middle pickup, as I said before, is definitely an add-on.
I did notice when I looked in the middle pickup cavity that the body appears to be one-half mahogany (bottom) and one half not mahogany (maple? alder? lighter in color than mahogany, but I don't know if it's flamey or whut).
The neck and bridge pickup are T-tops (very small thin "T" on the bottom) and the middle has the Gibson USA logo stamped into it and is a 4-conductor. The neck pickup has a grey rubber shielding over the leads and the bridge has the older wire mesh shielding like on the 83-85 Dirty Fingers from my Explorer.
The control cavity cover doesn't appear to fit perfectly over the hole (slight gap near the corners), but those are broken and lost easily.

The binding is not over the fret ends like my Standard (refret?), though the board itself is exceptionally clean - makes me wonder if it was replaced or if the body was relic'd.

If it's not a Gibson, it has to be a Burny, Orville, Tokai, or other "lawsuit" type model - it plays and sounds as good as my Standard (I have to shave down the neck pickup's ring because the strings are hitting it, and it's as low as it can go without falling off the screws, which are long like my other Gibson screws), and I still have a little room to lower the action after I do that [img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img]

The only thing that doesn't look like it may have been replaced are the tuners and the strap pins, which are tiny tiny tiny (see the "lpc-strap" pic)

If it's not a real Gibson, but an aforementioned (or previously unknown) copy, I'm still keeping it, just because it does kick total ass. I just wanna know for my own self, and so that if I show it to someone who spots it as a fake, I don't feel like I been took [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Newc

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Originally posted by Newc:
Agreed, LPC [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img] I'm the same way about my Standard; it'll never leave me unless I get half of Bill Gates' net worth [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
My Jacksons are great and all, but none of them can or will ever replace my LP Standard, though a couple can stand side by side with it [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Amen, ominous dominous, and a big Hell Yeah to that one [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

The action on the Les Paul is roughly .5mm on the high E and about maybe .80mm on the low E with no buzzes or fret outs. I don't understand how that is possible, but apparently it is [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

My other coveted guitar is my Soloist made in 99. The action on that is sub 1mm slightly, but it is nowhere near the same. I don't know if it is the difference in scale length/number of frets or a combination of factors...possibly entirely psychological for all I know.

I've had my Custom since Christmas of 80...and I literally grew up with it....had my HS senior pics taken with it (no, I won't post those [img]graemlins/evilimages/icons/tongue.gif[/img] ) and played a lot of gigs with it as it was my only guitar for a lot of years.

There is just something magical about it....or at least to me....I can't describe how I would feel if something happened to it or it got stolen....I would be in a deep depression I think [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[hippietim]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Originally posted by Newc:
I have to shave down the neck pickup's ring because the strings are hitting it, and it's as low as it can go without falling off the screws, which are long like my other Gibson screws

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm not saying you've got a fake but it's funny that you mention having to shave the ring down because I've had a few Chinese/Korean made Les Paul copies over the years and they ALL had that problem. The problem isn't the rings (although that is the solution). The problem has been one of two things: 1) slightly incorrect angle at the neck/body joint or 2) the neck is seated to low - this is the case of my Agile fretless Les Paul, there's barely enough room over the body for the side dots where as my Gibson has the full binding height.

I'm looking at my Les Paul Custom here and have a few observations for you. Sorry I can't take pics - my wife has my camera.

The pickguard doesn't sit right on yours. Is that just improper adjustment? There shouldn't be a gap - it should be right up to all three pickups.

The serial number and made in USA stamps are lower on the back of the headstock on mine.

The volute is wierd - I don't recall ever seeing a Gibson Les Paul with one.

The inlays on the front of your headstock are about 1/8" - 1/4" heigher than on mine.

The Sharpie neck dots clearly aren't right as you mentioned but that could just be due to a refret job.

The butt of the neck seems to be a tad thinner on yours - or - your body could be thicker. Mine has less of a gap between the bottom of the neck and the top of the binding at the heal.

[Newc]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

As for the pickguard, it's got some kinda long slider thing underneath that's held with a screw on top - I just set it there to keep it from moving as it was loose when I got it.
I snugged it up just now.

Newc

[Firebird V]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

I had a friend who had a Hohner LP copy that had a headstock that had a valute like that I think... It did have a sandwich type body though. It did not have an ebony board on it but that could have been replaced along with the binding too... Hmmm. Or the whole neck could have been done too. You probably will never know. As long as it plays great and your happy then who cares.

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Gibson never really had a good handle on dating guitars....

I think from 77 on they started the 8 digit system that is most common.

Mine is weird....the S/N is 63804...but it doesn't seem right....cause the LPC as we know it now didn't exist then [img]graemlins/refuse.gif[/img] I am thinking mine is a mid to late 60's model [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

I dunno....coulda been a weird factory thing or a employee project....it confuzzles me as to when it was actually made [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[charvelguy]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Hohner's I've seen seem to have have a headstock volute similar to current Epi's rather than older Gibsons. I own two L-59's and depending on the variation, they're pretty much a cross between a Standard & a Custom.
This is a Hohner headstock I've typically seen.



I own a Greco custom and this could be a Greco. I would rule out a Burny as the diamond inlay is a noticeable variant on Gibsons, whereas, most Greco's are more believeable, altho, they have variations as well, depending on the year and model. Could be an Orville as well. Tokai,..I have not seen memorable Tokai custom copies, mostly Love Rock standards.

You guys make me look like the poor man that I am with these nice Gibsons, I wish I still had a couple of mine, but they were all sold years ago...all I keep is some nice collectable imports. They're going up too....quite fast.

[OnlineStageGear]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

Shouldn't that have binding over frets ? I also noticed the bridge pickup is a little off, but I wouldn't put that past Gibson.

Matt

[Firebird V]

Re: The Les Paul Thread

I have never seen a copy with an ebony board... Has anyone or does anyone own one?