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another left over '50's body tale

neuroy

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2008
Messages
253
They describe her to have a 17 degree headstock . Can this be correct ( as an anomaly ? ) for 1968 ?

Further they mention a 1972 version with 17 degree, do they talk about the 6th version ? Those had a 14 degree headstock !
 

MIKE LEAF

New member
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
630
Funny add, he is telling the world all he does is vintage guitars and still cant tell the difference from a 53 and a modded 68 unless
someone points it out.

If i were in his position i would just remove all of those tales and just relist it as a modified 68.

Otherwise a very cool guitar.
 

Reno_1ted

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2014
Messages
665
$17,500, no serial, previous repair, refinished neck, fake PAFs and dubious storyline..... Crazy.

Also is the headstock face original? If so, couldn't he determine whether it was originally P90 or Mini-Hum? Dotted i so P90.
 

j45

Active member
Joined
Jun 14, 2002
Messages
9,081
"the bridge is old... I think..."

..........Seriously??


When you've been doing hi-dollar vintage business as long as this guy has and say something like that... he is either desperate for money and on the verge of bankruptcy.... or just plain sleazy...
 

Progear

Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2014
Messages
652
[QUOTE
When you've been doing hi-dollar vintage business as long as this guy has and say something like that... he is either desperate for money and on the verge of bankruptcy.... or just plain sleazy...[/QUOTE]

I agree 100%
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Now when I see a guitar of interest on their site, I back up and think hard about how bad I might want it. :wah
 

Xpensive Wino

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Messages
6,079
:wah


Converted to look like a '57-spec Goldtop. Originally we offered this to you guys as a converted early-'53 Les Paul. It's not so let me clarify, this is kind of a long story. The body has many 1950s features like a long tenon neck joint, square channel routs for the wiring harness, small headstock with 17-degree pitch, a very dishy top, and it weighs 8.5 pounds, but it's NOT an early 1953 as we were told.

A phone call from a previous owner claims it might be his old '68 that took a fall and had a heel crack, so he commissioned the work. To clarify, a few early '68 Les Pauls had old parts. At Willie's you might remember our '68 Les Paul Custom with PAFs or the '72 with a small 17-degree headstock. Factory anomalies and mixed-age parts on an all-original guitar. A few visits to a big Texas guitar show will confirm it if you doubt this.

So...this was an early '68 Les Paul with P-90s that suffered a heel crack and was made into this very cool and very real-looking and real-feeling old-wood 1957 Goldtop conversion. The wide 1968-style binding in the cutaway has been redone to be narrow, à la the '50s. The humbucker routs were professionally done (you can still see the '50s square channel routs) and the whole guitar was refinished with a dark back - the preferred variant 20 years ago - to help mask the heel. The black "dart" on the back of the headstock would never have naturally occurred on a dark-back, but it's there to mask a stamped serial number and make a backdrop for the new inked-on 1957 serial number. The heel repair is nearly impossible to see and complete impossible to photograph properly - don't ask, we've tried. The deep-dish top is striking and the level of finish on the top looks original - it's old, and it fooled everybody at Dallas, myself included. So...got all that?

Normally I hate storied guitars, but this one is really cool. Like an old art forgery, it's quite compelling. Old parts: Tuners are 1950s Klusons, the inlays are old, the jack and plate are, too. The pots date to 1957 (we are told 2 Les Paul Juniors were donors) and the knobs are correct. It has the correct tone caps for a '57. The bridge is old (I think) but the tailpiece and plastic are good reproductions. The wood is old and likely a leftover body that was 10 or 12 years old in 1968. Originally a P-90 guitar (or mini-hums - same hole size).

It has a superb brown Lifton hardshell case that used to be a sure bet for getting backstage at rock shows. It's fairly light (8.5 pounds). It plays great. Fake PAFs (fake stickers, too - yikes, I hate those) that sound really believable. Real PAFs might be available. We have a near-perfect matching set but they ain't cheap.

Sorry for any previous confusion but our hat's off to the guy that did this work. It's a scary forgery that could fool many...maybe even your bandmates. $17,500, real PAFs optional. Case, wood, tuners, pots, knobs, and vibe come standard. $17,500


http://www.williesguitars.com/index.cfm/gibson_electrics/3/inventory/19
 
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