New Guitar Day - Les Paul

[wstimson]

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. 

[matmosphere]

Score! That's an exceptional looking Paul

[Timko]

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 .

[jimilee]

That is just incredible! The ol tuxedo guitar. How much did he let it go for?


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[pickdropper]

Fantastic.  I love Black Beauties.  I will own one some day.  Oh yes, I will.

[wstimson]

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.

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.

[jjjimi84]

Nice score, man. That thing is a real beauty.

[gordo]

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).

[Timko]

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).

[tone seeker]

Nice!

[Timko]

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 .

[matmosphere]

I have a graph tech nut on a bigsby guitar and it helps a lot with the tuning stability.

[Timko]

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.

[davesvn007]

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!

[timbo_93631]

Love that volute on those necks where it meets the headstock.  Something so pretty about it...