My whole life I've wanted a "real" Les Paul. I've been casually looking for the last year or so for one that I could afford and that was not weight-relieved. I like the heavy solid mahogany ones. :)
I sort of stumbled backward into this one. The drummer in my band plays in a few cover bands here and there (ie: old white guys playing Mustang Sally and I Shot the Sheriff to their old white friends). We decided to do a fun rob/white zombie side project with him singing and playing a little rhythm. He asked one of the guys he plays with if he could borrow a guitar for the project and he said "sure, I have one I don't really play any more" and loaned him this 1971 Gibson Les Paul Custom.
I, of course, was dumb founded that this was a thing he'd just let a drummer borrow for an undefined number of months. So I told him to ask this guy how many dollars we'd have to give him to never ever give this guitar back and if he said a number at or below $2k, tell him it's sold. And here we are.
It's a 71 custom with the pickups from a 65 SG/Les Paul. And it's my new favorite thing. It's got some holes drilled where a bigsby was installed and then removed. And it was refretted about 6 years ago to medium jumbos. It had a nickle ABR-1 on it when I got it, but I replaced that with a gold graphtech bridge.
(https://oi1276.photobucket.com/albums/y480/wstimson/20190409_065911_zpsdk0k8kzb.jpg)
(https://oi1276.photobucket.com/albums/y480/wstimson/20190404_110837_zpsbdnkyoqi.jpg)
(https://oi1276.photobucket.com/albums/y480/wstimson/20190404_110803_zpskqzpapqn.jpg)
(https://oi1276.photobucket.com/albums/y480/wstimson/20190404_110707_zpsvsd6mbja.jpg)
(https://oi1276.photobucket.com/albums/y480/wstimson/20190404_110656_zpsaf5zphsm.jpg)
Score! That's an exceptional looking Paul
I love it. It's in black.
I bought a guitar for my aunt to give to my uncle as a retirement present late last year. He sold a 1971 burst LP Custom when he was in his 20's, and I found her a '73. While it played pretty well, I told him that if it were for me, I'd go with the black one.
Also, put that Bigsby back on! Because Neil Young. And a black Les Paul :).
That is just incredible! The ol tuxedo guitar. How much did he let it go for?
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Fantastic. I love Black Beauties. I will own one some day. Oh yes, I will.
Thanks, guys... I'm super pumped about it. It's in excellent condition for it's age, but no so nice that I feel bad gigging with it. :)
I'm considering putting a bigsby back on it... we'll see. Also considering gold pickup covers. But again, we'll see.
Quote from: jimilee on April 19, 2019, 07:04:32 PM
That is just incredible! The ol tuxedo guitar. How much did he let it go for?
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I never really fancied myself a "vintage" guitar guy... but this thing smokes, man. I was looking for more like an early 2000s classic or traditional, really... but here we are. :-)
And I gave him $2k for it. Top end of my budget, but way under what a 71 custom normally goes for. And the 65' "patent sticker" humbuckers are probably worth almost half of what I paid for it.
Nice score, man. That thing is a real beauty.
Nothin like a custom and when it's pre-scratched and nicked you can feel comfortable hammering on it with all the abandon that an LP should get. Very nice. Still out of my budget but it's a great price.
My vote is leave it alone. No pickup covers (gives it a bit more of a scrappy look to offset the royalty appointments of gold and binding), and no bigsby (they never stay in tune anyway...although I love them).
Quote from: wstimson on April 19, 2019, 11:12:29 PM
And I gave him $2k for it. Top end of my budget, but way under what a 71 custom normally goes for. And the 65' "patent sticker" humbuckers are probably worth almost half of what I paid for it.
That is a GREAT deal. I think my aunt and I got my uncle's '73 burst custom for $2400 in December (and it needed another $450 for a fret job).
Nice!
Quote from: gordo on April 20, 2019, 12:03:02 AM
My vote is leave it alone. No pickup covers (gives it a bit more of a scrappy look to offset the royalty appointments of gold and binding), and no bigsby (they never stay in tune anyway...although I love them).
Bigsby's stay in tune fine if you file the nut and bridge correctly (I have 3 guitars with them). Just use them delicately; they aren't for dive bombing :).
I have a graph tech nut on a bigsby guitar and it helps a lot with the tuning stability.
Quote from: Matmosphere on April 22, 2019, 02:09:16 AM
I have a graph tech nut on a bigsby guitar and it helps a lot with the tuning stability.
+1.
Nut sauce helps a lot too. Some people opt for a roller bridge, but that never was my thing. On a thinner guitar like a Les Paul that would use a B7 instead of a B6, I have fallen in love with a BricksBiggsFix. It changes the break angle from the Bigsby to the bridge. I have one on my Johnny A Custom and the break angle is on par with my Gretsch Country Gentlemen.
https://bricksbiggsfix.com/
Anyway, don't rule the Bigsby out. They aren't for everyone, but they are fun and stay in tune much better than people say.
Very nice! I was able to pick up a lefty Les Paul studio in all black about a year ago... absolutely love it. I like the white trim around the body and the gold-tone headstock is sweet. Great acquisition!
Love that volute on those necks where it meets the headstock. Something so pretty about it...
Quote from: timbo_93631 on April 24, 2019, 01:18:03 AM
Love that volute on those necks where it meets the headstock. Something so pretty about it...
Agreed, Has a cool finished look to it.
Aww man, that's a nice guitar. Congrats!
Quote from: timbo_93631 on April 24, 2019, 01:18:03 AM
Love that volute on those necks where it meets the headstock. Something so pretty about it...
Yeah, I know not everyone likes them, but I think it's cool too.