• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

New to the forum

shporsche

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2024
Messages
2
Hi Everybody,
I'm new to this forum, wanting to say hello.
I reside in Sydney Australia, been playing for over 25 years and building/tinkering for the last 15.
Gibson Les Paul's are and always will be my favorite guitars!

I have an odd Les Paul, that's been through some things...

When I was 16 (36 now) I was given a Les Paul by my stepfather, with a partly snapped off headstock... He was "gifted" from a studio in Sydney due to unpaid debts.
A few years before that my stepfather, accidently stood on the neck while drunk snapping the headstock.
He was a builder and tried fixing the guitar. In his infinite wisdom he removed the previous finish (body and neck), then painted on a clear coat with a brush... On a bloody Les paul!

Over the years his mend failed... After that he passed it onto me.
Being not playable and no money or skill to fix, it sat for years.
Here it is as I received it.
RIMG0456.JPG


After quite a few years and guitars built, I decided I would attempt the guitar.
Starting with the headstock, I re glued it to the neck with additional timber dowels for strength.
With all the hardware and the brush paint job removed I found under the pickups the original color... Gold!!

From the difficult to read serial number (cause refinished), sandwich body and 3 piece neck I "think" it's from the 70's.
I couldn't get bronze 256 powder for the gold finish being in Australia, so I used auto paint, not right I know...
Replaced the pickups, as there is 1 Gibson original and a zebra Seymour Duncan both with issues. ( I will have fixed at a later stage)

I had it up and running for a year or so, overall it turned out great, and played well, but unfortunately I ran into hard times and sold it to a friend....

Now some 8 years later my mate calls me saying he had an accident while on the sauce and snapped the neck, again. (alcohol and this guitar doesn't mix)
I offered to buy it back and he jumped at the opportunity. So now its back!

Ive just started the rebuild again, re glued the neck, with additional carbon rods for reinforcement.
But this time I will respray with Nitro, and hopefully get my hands on some of that elusive Bronze 256 powder.

Here it is now with my old finish Ill update soon when its got the nitro finish.
PXL_20240409_012459426.PORTRAIT.jpgPXL_20240409_012533636.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpgPXL_20240409_012728462.PORTRAIT.jpgPXL_20240409_022418421.PORTRAIT.jpg
 

metropolis

Active member
Joined
Sep 14, 2018
Messages
430
That's a great story mate (apart from the multiple broken headstocks) and welcome aboard. As soon as I glanced at the first picture I figured 70s deluxe with the finish stripped because it is suprisingly common. It most likely started as a mini-humbucker guitar that was routed out for humbuckers - any evidence of that in the pickup cavities? Are the electronics original? If so you could read a date code from the pots to help get closer to a date of manufacture.
 

jb_abides

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,435
Welcome.

Good luck on the rebuild, and do hold out for the proper finish, that thing will look great with it... very nice dark fingerboard!
 

GlassSnuff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2002
Messages
3,680
Welcome!

Looks like an early '70s, perhaps. Do check the pots for date codes.
 

shporsche

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2024
Messages
2
Thanks, yes I've checked the pots: 3 x 1377230 - CTS 1972 pots, and 1 x 70-027 - CTS 1975 pot.
Regarding humbuckers, it doesn't look stock. See pic below, looks routed with screw post.
Problem is, now I'm trying to decide if I put it back to mini humbuckers?

PXL_20240410_021035135.jpgPXL_20240410_021222214.jpg
 
Joined
Feb 22, 2024
Messages
4
Hi Everybody,
I'm new to this forum, wanting to say hello.
I reside in Sydney Australia, been playing for over 25 years and building/tinkering for the last 15.
Gibson Les Paul's are and always will be my favorite guitars!

I have an odd Les Paul, that's been through some things...

When I was 16 (36 now) I was given a Les Paul by my stepfather, with a partly snapped off headstock... He was "gifted" from a studio in Sydney due to unpaid debts.
A few years before that my stepfather, accidently stood on the neck while drunk snapping the headstock.
He was a builder and tried fixing the guitar. In his infinite wisdom he removed the previous finish (body and neck), then painted on a clear coat with a brush... On a bloody Les paul!

Over the years his mend failed... After that he passed it onto me.
Being not playable and no money or skill to fix, it sat for years.
Here it is as I received it.
View attachment 25515


After quite a few years and guitars built, I decided I would attempt the guitar.
Starting with the headstock, I re glued it to the neck with additional timber dowels for strength.
With all the hardware and the brush paint job removed I found under the pickups the original color... Gold!!

From the difficult to read serial number (cause refinished), sandwich body and 3 piece neck I "think" it's from the 70's.
I couldn't get bronze 256 powder for the gold finish being in Australia, so I used auto paint, not right I know...
Replaced the pickups, as there is 1 Gibson original and a zebra Seymour Duncan both with issues. ( I will have fixed at a later stage)

I had it up and running for a year or so, overall it turned out great, and played well, but unfortunately I ran into hard times and sold it to a friend....

Now some 8 years later my mate calls me saying he had an accident while on the sauce and snapped the neck, again. (alcohol and this guitar doesn't mix)
I offered to buy it back and he jumped at the opportunity. So now its back!

Ive just started the rebuild again, re glued the neck, with additional carbon rods for reinforcement.
But this time I will respray with Nitro, and hopefully get my hands on some of that elusive Bronze 256 powder.

Here it is now with my old finish Ill update soon when its got the nitro finish.
View attachment 25518View attachment 25519View attachment 25520View attachment 25521
Can't wait to see it (from another sydneysider). Even the "bad mistake" original finish looks great, I reckon :) but a good gold top finish will also be something worth waiting for.
 

metropolis

Active member
Joined
Sep 14, 2018
Messages
430
Problem is, now I'm trying to decide if I put it back to mini humbuckers?

View attachment 25525View attachment 25526
If you do, unless you cover them with the 'goof rings' (which I think look awful) you'll have some gaps either side of the pickups. I similarly have a p90 LP that was routed out for humbuckers and I'd love to put it back but not sure I want to either see the gaps or try to repair it.
 
Top