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

[Midnight Blues]

That is also my understanding. And that would logically mean, for a LPC to be chambered, Gibson would have to slice the body in two first, and then re-glue them after routing out the chamber(s) I guess?

It would seem so? However, as @58 special poses, I guess they could have done some routing through other means, i.e. pup cavities, toggle cavity and jack channel? I would think that if in fact it was/is the case that they were weight relieved, it likely wasn't as an exact a "science as it is today?

Interesting question though, one we should pose on the https://www.lespaulforum.com/index.php?posts/2921811/ Thread. If you guys/gals don't mind, I'll ask the question?

 

[zhivago]

Go for it!

 

[Midnight Blues]

 

[zhivago]

Very nice!

After all these years an Alnico Custom still gets my blood pumping!

It's been a while since I posted in this thread and a couple of days ago I came across a photo I had never seen before of a very young Roy Orbison with a BB...it featured in a country music documentary I was watching so here is a screenshot:

 

[zhivago]

This Beauty popped up on my YouTube feed this evening and I thought I'd share.

 

[Jimbo1907]

I have an Alnico/P90 custom which I think is from the late sixties. It appears that these are rather rare- I have not seen another one. I'm getting a file of photos put together in the hope that I can find out what year it is, and whatever other information is out there. The Alnico/P90 Customs sound quite a bit different from the Customs with humbuckers, to my ear. Nice kind of velvety snarl to it, esp through a tweed amp.

 

[Midnight Blues]

I have an Alnico/P90 custom which I think is from the late sixties. It appears that these are rather rare- I have not seen another one. I'm getting a file of photos put together in the hope that I can find out what year it is, and whatever other information is out there. The Alnico/P90 Customs sound quite a bit different from the Customs with humbuckers, to my ear. Nice kind of velvety snarl to it, esp through a tweed amp.

Can't wait to see the pictures Jimbo!

 

[Midnight Blues]

 

[zhivago]

..this just popped up on my FB timeline...JD Simo on a '55BB!

 

[YoSkip]

Ooooh baby. Speaking my language. I have been gassing hard for a Les Paul Custom black with gold hardware. Almost pulled the trigger on an'69 recently, but my quest continues!

Man - a '55! And here I am jazzed about the '57 reissues!

Beauty!

 

[YoSkip]

 

[Johnnysomersett]

Might as well add mine in here...

 

[Johnnysomersett]

I'm intrigued as to if there's any kind of registry or list of records of how many of these still survive or are known of? Which such low production numbers for each year it seems they'd be a little rarer than this thread implies

 

[zhivago]

I am not sure anyone really knows...I do have an archive that I periodically update that has many '53-'57 Alnico BBs. I do a Gbase/Reverb sweep every now and then and see what has been on sale/sold/etc.

The problem is that whenever I see one for sale often the serial number is not visible, so I can't file it properly....also a few of the ones that have been on sale have changed dealer hands several times, so there are a few guitars that I have multiple sets of photos for.

The one thing that I can pinpoint with my archive was the knobs change...that was cool to figure out...I think I listed the particular serial number earlier in this thread.

 

[zhivago]

Ok, I am blown away by this one...it popped up on Fried Okra's FB page today...a '55 LPC that has been heavily modified...to be more like...a Gretsch? Painted F-holes, stripped natural finish with interesting inlays, including one on the side (!!). I only have these three images, but it seems the fretboard has been swapped too...I gotta say, I kinda like it.

 

[Jimbo1907]

Its possible that some of these guitars were equipped with Bigsby vibrato from new, although I've never seen one that way. As to the other changes, well, it's his guitar, he has the right to do as he pleases, but I don't think he's improved anything. Far from it.

 

[zhivago]

Oh yes, there were quite a few originally equipped with Bigsby units and some had the "dogbone" bridge too.

 

[Frutiger]

Okra's is RAD. I'd love to know how it came to have a standard fretboard on it (or standard inlays in the OG ebony board) and the tiny F hole is a great touch.

The Bigsby tickles me most - someone does all that to a guitar but drill it for a B7? No way dude, let's get a Vibramate for it.

 

[brandtkronholm]

Ok, I am blown away by this one...it popped up on Fried Okra's FB page today...a '55 LPC that has been heavily modified...to be more like...a Gretsch? Painted F-holes, stripped natural finish with interesting inlays, including one on the side (!!). I only have these three images, but it seems the fretboard has been swapped too...I gotta say, I kinda like it.

The link doesn’t work - I don’t see any photos.

 

[brandtkronholm]

I'm intrigued as to if there's any kind of registry or list of records of how many of these still survive or are known of? Which such low production numbers for each year it seems they'd be a little rarer than this thread implies

My guess is that nearly all of the P90 Les Paul Customs / Black Beauties made in the ‘50s still exist today.

Gibson made roughly 1000 of them. I bet there are probably 970 or so as of 2024. (Or maybe 95%-97%?)

Why: A Gibson is a high quality musical instrument. It’s unlikely to ever be thrown out, poorly treated or forgotten about. It’s like an Italian sports car or high-end stereo amplifier. It might be forgotten now and then and unused and stored be in the garage or attic, but it would never be completely disregarded or abused. These kinds of instruments were and still are deeply cared for.