Les paul Custom Project Part 1

[siggy14]

Well here is my 1980 LPC that i just purchased. Got her for a decent price but she needs work. I was surprized, she does not seem to heavy even with the maple neck. I am going to get a scale tomorrow so i can weigh her.

I have never seen a LPC with with the control cavity having the metal plate and cover, kinda of interesting, everything looks stock accept the tail peices.

I love the screw for the strap butten on the bottem side, makes it so classy!

The guitar has great tone, I was shocked how thin the neck is actually and it does play great. So without further to do, here is part one before the restoration.

http://community.webshots.com/album/552138310IVyxUY

I will post pictures after restoration, i am not going to do big time, just clean her up, get some new strings and fix where the bottem strap botten goes and put some strap locks on. I might also remove the finish off the neck, but she does play smooth already.

[Widowmaker]

Don't take off the neck finish! Please! It looks great as it is...bet that axe could tell some tales. You got a winner! Congrats!

[Bengal65]

Sweet! Nice find. I'd strip her down, do a Nitro black or white lacquer job, put a Floyd with recessed cavity on her and let her rip!
Just kidding, clean her up and go with it. It was a nice thought wasn't it?

[zeegler]

Dare I ask what you paid for that beauty?

[mm2002]

I wouldn't refin anything on that one. Let it stay in its happy place!

[siggy14]

Dare I ask what you paid for that beauty?

I paid $1350 shipped to me.

[zeegler]

Yeah, I wouldn't touch it either. Just play the mofo.

[DonP]

My 1977 Custom has metal shielding in the control cavity and the switch cavity, and if you notice, the output jack is shielded as well.

How are your frets, and are they original? I have the original frets (what's left of them LOL!) and the binding nibs are still intact (what's left of those as well).

Mine has the clear/amber laquer removed from all of the binding (it might have just chipped away). Is your laquer still there?

Mine is fairly light as well (for customs of this era), about 9.5 - 10lbs. Typical in the Norlin years is up to 15lbs (I've heard of 16lbs).

I like your aged speed knobs. Cool. And the wiring is original; A+

Looks like someone replaced your Nashville TOM with an ABR-1. If it's a Gotoh, I'd keep it unless you are changing hardware color (gold would look cool). I have a Gotoh ABR-1 that I'll be putting on mine. My Nashville is next to dead. You can't put a Gibson ABR-1 on unless you drill the holes in the bridge wider - the Nashville post spacing is wider than a Gibson ABR-1. Also, Gotoh is who TonePro's uses to make there bridge - it's a good model. Go to pigtail.com if you really want the top-notch stuff.

I'm a bit puzzled about your stock chrome hardware. I wonder if it was a special order from Gibson?

Check the tailpiece to see if it's a lightweight Aluminum model or the heavier Zinc stuff (Zinc would be correct, but Aluminum would be a nice upgrade).

If you take the pickups out for cleaning (please don't replace LOL!), look to see if it's a mahogany cap or solid mahogany body. Mine won't sound like yours because I have the maple cap.

Your pickups might be Tim Shaw's. Look at the bottom, if they have a black stamp number, it should read: first 3 digits=137 neck or 138 bridge. Next 1 or 2 digits=month the pickups were made. Last two digits=year. ex. 137980 = neck, made in September 1980. 1381281 = bridge, made in December 1981. If they don't have a stamp, take pictures of the backs and post them.

I'm not sure what you have to fix/restore, but it looks fairly minor. To put mine back to original condition, I needed:

correct gold metal output jack plate
correct knobs (black with gold reflectors)
correct pickguard and hardware (BWBWB, not a MIJ BWB that it came with).
correct pickup rings (mine were cream (should be black) and broken).
correct switch ring (black not cream)
correct switch tip (cream, not black)

Small stuff, but I'm a stickler for details.

[StukaJU87]

I wouldn't refinish it. Just clean it up and continue playing the crap out of it.

[Bengal65]

Is that top just maple stained to look like the rest of the guitar? I've never seen an older Les Paul that didn't have a maple cap?

[siggy14]

I still need to get a pickguard, the ABR says Japan under it, so probaly a cheap knock off, not sure about the tail peice.

I will probaly keep her the way she is, i believe it has a maple cap, as i thought only the 57 reissues did not have them and well i know my les paul custom lite does not have it either.

Don, I will find out about the pickups for you.

[DonP]

It looks to me like a mahogany top. That's why I asked to take a look in the pickup cavity when he pulls the pickups to see if the body is 1 piece or not.

Non-maple capped LP's are not too uncommon. I've seen LP Classics with a mahogany top. But I "thought" if you order wine red in any LP (unless it's a firemist or other burst top), you automatically get a mahogany top - I THINK (not entirely sure).

Compare this top to a wine red mahogany special. Those are mahogany.

FWIW on my black custom, in the pickup cavities, the maple is very light compared to the reddish mahogany body. It's easy to tell the difference.

[Firebird V]

The sheilding plates were done on LP's Through the 70's and early 80's I beleive. All the ones I have owned from that era had the plates. The late 80's one I own now has the bottom plate but not the top. Nice score!

[lhrocker]

Very nice guitar - kinda looks like mine ... hehehehe



I had a 70's wine red standard that also had the metal can. It's cool. Keep it stock!!! Excellent score!!!!

[DonP]

Didn't you part with that one Pete? I guess you miss it?