NGD Holy Grail 58 Les Paul Custom

[jimmi]

I have played several great Customs but haven't been able to find a good light one. I have always loved the look and they have all played very well. Congratulations and enjoy.

 

[Arch D. Bunker]

One of the coolest guitars ever made - and yours is a terrific example!

 

[57gold]

Owned and played this 1958 for 20+ years. It had been Grovered, waffle-backed Klusons in the case, and refretted w/1959 wire, so it played like a dream.

Backyard close up:

Always found it heavy when playing out...so after enjoying it for a couple of decades, had the good folks at TME find a new home for it. Very beautiful and every now and then think about a 1955 BB that I tried out that weighed @8lbs and think I should find one. Dug the staple neck pick up tone.

Nice job the TME folks did with photos...GAS inducing guitar porn for sure.

With my former 1957 that they also moved for me.

 

[gary buff]

Remove it.
100%
It’s your guitar now and there’s no need to treat it like an artifact in a museum.

I’d also be inclined to refret it, but only if it really, truly, actually needed it.

What a great score! You are not helping my G.A.S. at all. I’ve had one PAF black beauty (‘59? Bigsby) and one P90 black beauty (‘57) pass through my hands very briefly a long time ago. Despite the weight, I really dug the PAF version. I can’t make heads nor tails of single coil pickups.

Perhaps in the future I’ll call up Gibson and request a M2M black beauty with the Switchmaster guts! (See picture.) I don’t know if this one is “jake” (translates from the original Southworth to “original” and/or “no worries”) but I like it. I digress…

I repeat myself, but great score!

Now we’ll need a family photo.

View attachment 29454
…freaky…

Lots of pots there....for something a bit oddball I'd rather go with the Mickey Baker, individual volumes for each pup and a master tone in place of the switch

 

[aladdinsane]

Remove it.
100%
It’s your guitar now and there’s no need to treat it like an artifact in a museum.

I’d also be inclined to refret it, but only if it really, truly, actually needed it.

What a great score! You are not helping my G.A.S. at all. I’ve had one PAF black beauty (‘59? Bigsby) and one P90 black beauty (‘57) pass through my hands very briefly a long time ago. Despite the weight, I really dug the PAF version. I can’t make heads nor tails of single coil pickups.

Perhaps in the future I’ll call up Gibson and request a M2M black beauty with the Switchmaster guts! (See picture.) I don’t know if this one is “jake” (translates from the original Southworth to “original” and/or “no worries”) but I like it. I digress…

I repeat myself, but great score!

Now we’ll need a family photo.

View attachment 29454
…freaky…

Thanks for the advice! My 58 is 9.3 lbs., so I think that's a pretty good weight for these. You need another one!

 

[aladdinsane]

Congratulations on your score, and the photos are amazing!

Thanks, @mikeslub ! That means a lot coming from you!

 

[aladdinsane]

Owned and played this 1958 for 20+ years. It had been Grovered, waffle-backed Klusons in the case, and refretted w/1959 wire, so it played like a dream.

Backyard close up:

Always found it heavy when playing out...so after enjoying it for a couple of decades, had the good folks at TME find a new home for it. Very beautiful and every now and then think about a 1955 BB that I tried out that weighed @8lbs and think I should find one. Dug the staple neck pick up tone.

Nice job the TME folks did with photos...GAS inducing guitar porn for sure.

With my former 1957 that they also moved for me.

Wow! Beautiful! How much did it weigh? TME is a great shop.

I love my 56, too. Mine is 9 lbs. 8 is crazy light. I usually stay on the back pickup on most guitars, but that staple pickup is amazing.

 

[GreenBurst]

Hahahaha. I actually have a 1956 Custom and a 1954 Standard (no 56 Standard). I had to sell the 350 to fund this 58 Custom. It was painful, but the PAF Custom is my burst! I am partial to 57-58 goldtops, though...

Initially, my gut was to remove the stap pin, but I may just leave it as part of the history of the guitar. What do you think?

View attachment 29442

Cool.

Remove the extra strap pin. Store it along with the screw in a small bag in the case. Also add into the bag a little note on it's history. New case candy! Just leave the hole on the back as is. Now it's your guitar.

 

[57gold]

Wow! Beautiful! How much did it weigh? TME is a great shop.

I love my 56, too. Mine is 9 lbs. 8 is crazy light. I usually stay on the back pickup on most guitars, but that staple pickup is amazing.

Never weighed it. Guess it was 10lbs+...

I'm a large 6' 2" strong person @ 240 lbs, but got spoiled with instruments in the 6.5-8 lbs area. Was also concerned that the BB would slip off my strap, even with Grolsch washers employed.

Enjoy yours! Very badass instruments.

Yes and Joe and the TME guys are great to work with. Try to keep away from their site as I do not need more guitars!

 

[fretwire]

Very cool guitar, congrats!

 

[aladdinsane]

Very cool guitar, congrats!

Thanks @fretwire ! What year is your custom?

 

[wizardmc]

Amazing, great pics. Love everything about this.

 

[Bruce R]

Congrats on the acquisition of a beautiful guitar!!

 

[HolyJimmy]

that's great awesome 1958 LPC

 

[Redhod]

I don't customarily remark upon the furniture, but that was the ideal prop for this baby.

 

[57gold]

I don't customarily remark upon the furniture, but that was the ideal prop for this baby.

Yup, a cool 150+ year old chair in the entry hall in front of an equally old cabinet from France. Light comes into the room from a really large window over the front door, so I have taken many photos of new and old instruments in that chair. Had to tell kids, now grown ups, not to actually sit on that old, fragile chair.

A 1934 L-5 taking up a little more room on the little chair:

 

[metropolis]

Beautiful!

 

[1allspub]

Stunning! Congrats and HNGD to the OP!

 

[charliechitlins]

I sold a guitar I loved because it was bone stock and I didn't want to be the guy to refret it.
I should have refretted.
I've still never found a Strat that comes close...not one I can afford, anyway.
Not that it's comparable, but my '58 ES175 was almost perfect, save the tiny frets.
I'm so glad I refretted it.
Your Lester makes my knees wobble.
If it were mine, I'd refret it and fill the button hole. That could be done virtually invisibly.
My advice is, of course, worth what you paid for it.
Maybe a tad less.

 

[gary buff]

I sold a guitar I loved because it was bone stock and I didn't want to be the guy to refret it.
I should have refretted.
I've still never found a Strat that comes close...not one I can afford, anyway.
Not that it's comparable, but my '58 ES175 was almost perfect, save the tiny frets.
I'm so glad I refretted it.
Your Lester makes my knees wobble.
If it were mine, I'd refret it and fill the button hole. That could be done virtually invisibly.
My advice is, of course, worth what you paid for it.
Maybe a tad less.

First thing I did when I got my long-dreamed-of 'burst was to take it to Dan Erlewine for a refret and new bone nut, and what a job he did. That thing got played in bars for the 6 years that I owned it, it was never going to be a couch queen. Grateful to have owned and PLAYED a great-playing/sounding LP.