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Beauty of The Black Beauty - The "Alnico" Custom thread

zhivago

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Sep 29, 2004
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This week, I celebrate 10 years on the Vintage section of the LPF. :)

Mostly, I lurked, as I was playing vintage Fenders, but eventually I managed to get my very own 50s LP. :jim

So here is a tribute to my favourite Les Paul model.

Often forgotten, misunderstood but mysterious, the Alnico Customs from the 50s haunted me for years. Only last year did I finally manage to get a 1956 and the honey moon is still going strong.

So let's have a thread that celebrates these unique guitars. :slash:

Please post info and pics only of Alnico Customs...I will be updating the thread with photos from my archives as we go along.

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The shipping totals...

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There are some '53s too, not sure where they come under...Gruhn had one for sale for a while, and I remember it being on the heavy side.

A data sheet of some sort, singing the praises of being a Fretless Wonder...

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Here is my '56

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zhivago

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A closer look at the "Staple" pickup...

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zhivago

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Anatomy of a custom...I came across these pictures so many years ago...and it some ways they have almost killed me by intensifying my desire for one of these...so here we go...

Anatomy of a 1954 model...

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To be continued...
 
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zhivago

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part 2...

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Final part of the anatomy coming up...
 
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zhivago

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...and finally, part 3...

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:dude:
 
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zhivago

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Here's Phil X rocking out on one...

A pretty good representation of what they sound like...

 
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zhivago

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This thread would be nothing without Keef's Custom...

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For many years I wondered what year it was...

the actual guitar is featured in the Rolling Stones gear book...here are a couple of scans I made...the guitar is a 1957, so one of the very last Alnico Customs...

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Closeup of the caption...

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and the closest shot I could get of the serial number...

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:dude:
 
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zhivago

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this thread also needs some Les...

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zhivago

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Catalog shot...with closeups... :)

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zhivago

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a 1955...I think it belongs to one of the members here...

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zhivago

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Here's another '56...one owner guitar, apparently...it was a package with the amp :)

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Michael Minnis

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Feb 12, 2004
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Great thread. I had a 56 about 10 years ago. Excellent guitar. Extremely lightweight. I foolishly sold it off to Scott Silver at Chicago Music Exchange in pursuit of another guitar. Every time I see a vintage custom I check it out, hoping it's my old guitar. If so, I'm buying it back!
 
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