• 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!

rarity of the stinger

wsaraceni

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2004
Messages
453
how rare is a factory stinger on vintage LPs? both standards and jrs/specials/tvs

i know glen kuykendall has one on his burst. just noticed the jr at mark's guitar loft has one as well. for some reason i love the look of the stinger, and actually wish they all had them. i know some put it on after headstock repairs and all that.

post pics if you have them as well.
 

mbowen

New member
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
5,022
Have had several ES's with a stinger but only remember seeing one or two Les Pauls with one.I agree with Tom it is very rare to find an LP with one.MIke B.:bat:punk:bat
 

58burst

Active member
Joined
May 11, 2002
Messages
2,176
I saw one on a burst in the early 80's- The guy I got my '58 from, who worked at Leo's music in oakland and was responsible for the Leo's reissues (his name escapes me at present due to premature(?) senility...:rofl ), showed me a very beautiful darkburst he acquired at the time, with very nice figure, AND a factory-original stinger. A truly gorgeous guitar, doubly rare for the darkburst as well as the stinger...

I wonder what became of it, I'm not aware of ever seeing it again in pictures...
 
Y

yeti

Guest
I saw one on a burst in the early 80's- The guy I got my '58 from, who worked at Leo's music in oakland and was responsible for the Leo's reissues (his name escapes me at present due to premature(?) senility...:rofl ), showed me a very beautiful darkburst he acquired at the time, with very nice figure, AND a factory-original stinger. A truly gorgeous guitar, doubly rare for the darkburst as well as the stinger...

I wonder what became of it, I'm not aware of ever seeing it again in pictures...

I saw and played one at the 96 Arlington show. I was there to pick out a Burst for a friend. Uncle Lou had half a dozen or so and the one I picked for my friend had a stinger. can't remember the serial number but it was a 59.
 

esmin

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2008
Messages
718
I believe fellow forum member, Glen Kuykendall owns a '59 LP stinger.

Glen%20Kuykendall.jpg


ok,I just read your second paragraph OP.
 

humbucking

Active member
Joined
Jun 5, 2002
Messages
1,542
What's the story on this one?
Those Grovers aren't from 1959, but it does look like it came with Grovers. :hmm


Tom, the 355 is an early stop tail mono from early April 1959.

Here is another Stinger 355 from 1958! I guess this is the one of the first 10 that were made in late 1958. I have a ton of pictures of it & it never had grovers (you would see the scar from the washer on the front of the headstock). it appears to have always had these Klusons on it. I know this is the vintage LP section, but I just want to show some 1958-1960 Stingers.
459.jpg


Macdaddy 355's 1958 355 (first one ever shipped) also has a stinger.
 
Last edited:

Breakfastime

New member
Joined
Apr 24, 2009
Messages
535
albkingv.jpg

Albert King's 58 V is stinger'ed...factory original I dunno.
Did the original Lucy ever have a headstock repair?
 

Hetfieldinn

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2004
Messages
1,234
I saw Ted Nugent at The House of Blues not too long ago. In between songs, he switched to a black Byrdland. I was front row, and could easily see that the finish was heavily checked. He claimed it was his #1, and was 'born' in 1959. He turned around a few times while using it, and it had the black stinger headstock.
 

j45

Active member
Joined
Jun 14, 2002
Messages
9,081
I don't think I've seen a Byrdland without a stinger. Isn't it factory stock on Byrdlands, L-5, Super 400 etc. ?
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
We all know they put stingers on a number of guitars.
The point of this thread is how rare it is on vintage Les Pauls. Not Gibsons in general. :ganz
 
Top