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Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

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  • Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

    I just received the Les Paul Custom from Fritz. The serial # stamped on the back is absolutely 11111
    It also says Made in U.S.A. underneath it.
    None of the pots are original so I can't get a date code from them.
    All of the pickups had covers installed on them. 1 was glued with Gorilla Snot, one was pressed on and not soldered and one was half a$$ed soldered incorrectly.

    The bridge pickup has a black Patent Applied For sticker on it and is a 2 conductor with a braided wire. It measures 8.79K.
    The middle pickup is a Seymour Duncan logo'd 7.4K ohm and is marked JNL on the back. I believe that it is a Duncan Jazz neck position.
    The neck pickups has the later Gibson USA stamped logo on the back and is a 4 conductor pickup and measures 15.45K

    The 3 immediate questions I have are:
    1. Whats up with this weird 5 digit serial #??
    2. Can anybody identify the bridge pickup (if it even is a bridge pickup)??
    3. Was the control cavity on a Les Paul Custom shielded?
    I am going to do the Ace Freheley Les Paul Custom wiring job on it. I will probably get all the correct parts from Stewmac. The entire electronics package on this guitar is junk and has been through many years of changes and alterations. I am also going to buy a piece of binding to replace the missing piece near the headstock.
    BTW... it sounds like total a$$ because of the faulty and incorrect wiring but Fritz and Newc were both correct when they stated that it plays REALLY good.
    Once the electronics and the binding are fixed I am going to paint the back of the neck to match the rest of the body as well as I can. I am pretty good at color matching.
    Any help on my questions is greatly appreciated.

  • #2
    Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

    Congrats!
    I hope you make her even better after some repairs.
    [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

      Are you going with Nitro lacquer? While you're over at StewMac, check out the tinted Nitro lacquers, or tint you're own clear. The Nitro will blend in with the original finish much better than anything else. You probably already have experience in this area, so go for it. I feel for you. I've repaired so many and brought them back to life. It's amazing what people do to these instruments. After you're done you will be amazed!
      As far as I know the, control cavities on Les Pauls were never shielded. For a while in the late 70's and early 80's, they used a sheilding "plate" that retained the pots. But that's it. No paint or foil was ever used by the factory. By the way what color is the guitar?
      Tone is like Art: Your opinion is valid. Listen, learn, have fun, draw your own conclusions.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

        Alpine White with gold hardware.
        The serial # is really baffling me.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

          John - the first thing I'd start with on the wiring is to yank the pots. A buddy of mine had screwed pots in his LP -it sounded horrible - my $140 Oscar Schmidt 335 copy had more tone. I'd start by hardwiring each pickup to the output jack.
          I want REAL change. I want dead bodies littering the capitol.

          - Newc

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

            [ QUOTE ]
            I am going to do the Ace Freheley Les Paul Custom wiring job on it.

            [/ QUOTE ]

            So you're only going to wire the bridge pickup and install smoke bombs in the neck [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]
            I want REAL change. I want dead bodies littering the capitol.

            - Newc

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

              Flash pots too! Actually, I was considering either doing the Frampton wiring or the Freheley. I am gonna go with the Freheley only because its easier and more conventional.
              Ace's guitars are wired normal except the pickup selector is wired:
              Treble- bridge pickup
              middle- bridge and middle pickup
              Rhythm- neck pickup

              I found the problem with the wiring when I ripped ou the electronics. There were several cold solder joints, a few ground loops and a 250K pot mixed in with the 500K pots. I am going to pot all 3 pickups
              What is your suggestion regarding the 8.79K bridge pickup? Should I throw it back in? The neck pickup is 15.45K which is a pretty severe mismatch I would think. The middle pickup is fine though at 7.4K. I emailed the Gibson historian and hopefully he can help me with this mysterious serial #.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

                Those serial numbers do not jive with the Gibson system. Does the back of the headstock look original? Could have someone filled the original indents in and/or sanded the originals off, then stamped the 1's on there???? I'd call Gibson to get a confirmation. Also, maybe Dan Erlewine Repair might have an idea? He's is quite the Les Paul repair expert.
                Tone is like Art: Your opinion is valid. Listen, learn, have fun, draw your own conclusions.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

                  the serile number with the made in usa stamped under it would be consistnt with an early 70's LP or even a late 60's.
                  Gibson recycled the seriel numbers quite often. Is there a velute (triangular shaped lump where the neck meets the headstock) on the back of the headstock? Does it have the larger late 60's headstock? My guess would be about a 70/71 range. Or its a black bueaty reissue. Is the middle pup factory? Did you try lookin at Gruhn.com for info?
                  Any more info yo got on it will help to figure out what it is.
                  Gil

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

                    There was a thread here a looooooooong time ago when Newc scored it of EBay. Maybe search for it. I remember a bunch of things were answered and some speculation to year and whatnot. I think he said the middle pickup was an aftermarket. Maybe contact Newc for most of the questions you have....

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

                      It has the large headstock. It is a 3pc neck. The volute is large. The middle pickup isn't a factory route although it is done very well. The finish on the back of the headstock is IMHO original and it is stamped 11111 with Made in U.S.A. underneath it. Both of my bandmates have early 70's white Les Paul Customs and this one is faded and discolored exactly like theirs are.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

                        The "Ace" wiring is the standard 3pu LPC wiring. That's how mine came and I found that I didn't care for it after a while. I really like the bridge/neck tone of LP and the middle/neck isn't the same. I know a lot of folks like the standard 3pu wiring though.

                        As for the pickup ohm readings, I always ignore that stuff unless a pickup doesn't read to it's spec. What do your ears tell you?
                        I want REAL change. I want dead bodies littering the capitol.

                        - Newc

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

                          My ears told me that the neck pickup was super hot and very smooth. It certainly sounds like a 15.46K ohm hot neck pickup.
                          The middle pickup was wired incorrectly so I couldn't tell.
                          The bridge pickup seemed thin when played clean but pretty crunchy when overdriven. I will probably throw it back in after I pot them all.
                          I was considering installing some Super Distortions in it. The Seymour Duncan logo'd Jazz just won't look right in it.I am a firm believer that Gibsons should have Dimarzio's in them.
                          Does anybody know what size binding it needs around the headstock? There is a 2.5" piece missing where the headstock tapers down towards the neck.
                          I got all the new electronics this morning and I will begin wiring her up tonight. I believe the middle position on the ACE wiring is middle/bridge.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

                            Who needs the damn middle pickup anyway!!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Gibson Les Paul Custom!!

                              You could do some interesting coil-splitting stuff with that middle pickup if you installed push-pull pots. My old 3-p/u LPC was wired out-of-phase bridge/middle in the middle switch position, and I found that option mostly useless unless I wanted a sudden burst of country twang (which I never did).

                              The serial # is odd, but Gibson didn't start using the modern "1st and 5th digit year" numbering system until the mid-70s, did they?

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