What's the scoop on back plate color?

[Tim]

On the 50's Les Pauls, some back plates are brown and some are black. I assume all bursts used black, but I've seen gold tops with black and brown. When was brown used?

 

[kjs357]

While your at it maybe one of the forum experts could tell us about cream colored back plates also.

 

[kjs357]

While your at it maybe one of the forum experts could tell us about cream colored back plates also.

 

[John Catto]

While your at it maybe one of the forum experts could tell us about cream colored back plates also.

That ones easy..never.

As far as the rest, basically brown plates on guitars with P90s so up to 1956. Switch over to black back plates appears to be concurrent with the switch to Humbuckers both on Black and Cream plastic guitars. All 57s I've seen have had black back plates.

Anyone out there have a P90 57 with original plates, what does it have?

Other 50's Les pauls

Customs - always black

Juniors and Specials - always black

 

[BIG Dave]

Does anyone make a clear backplate for the lower control cavity? I like looking at those BumbleBees... :nut

 

[Big Al]

The 1957 P90 Goldtop I had had Brown backplates.

 

[Tim]

Thanks John! That is curious that a 57 with humbuckers would have black since the back finish was still natural. I just wonder what they were thinking. Maybe they just ran out of brown.

 

[Bluejazz]

Were the black plates on the late '50's standards, the same kind used on the early Black Beauties?

 

[92118]

Brown plate on '68 Goldtop

 

[Rich R]

Were the black plates on the late '50's standards, the same kind used on the early Black Beauties?

I think so. They look the same on the ones I have, but I've never tried to switch'em out. That would be a new one: "Uh, that burst is not original--the back plates are from a '59 Custom!" Crazy game, huh? Joe, care to opine?

 

[johnnyjellybean]

Brown plates on all light backs. Black plates on dark backs and bursts.

 

[Big Al]

My 56 was a dark back and had the same brown plates as my 57 P90 Standard. My friends light back 58 Goldtop with Bigsby had Black backplates.

 

[Flamed93+]

I've always thought the covers on my 02 darkback looked funny, so this was never done in the old days? I think black would look better, but I don't notice 'em very often.

Click here....

 

[johnnyjellybean]

My 56 was a dark back and had the same brown plates as my 57 P90 Standard. My friends light back 58 Goldtop with Bigsby had Black backplates.

Possibly those guitars were not original. Although with Gibson, nothing is written in stone but brown for lightbacks and black for darkbacks was the norm.

 

[Sean]

Switch over to black back plates appears to be concurrent with the switch to Humbuckers both on Black and Cream plastic guitars. All 57s I've seen have had black back plates.

Damn! Why are the R7s all wrong then?

Pretty cool though, I'd prefer the look of black anyway, now where do I get a lefty set?

 

[Sean]

56 with black plates, on eBay, discussed in a separate thread.

http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39461&highlight=56

 

[John Catto]

56 with black plates, on eBay, discussed in a separate thread.

At a guess I'd say those plates have been changed out. But who knows, I don't think this stuff is set in stone, maybe they were out of brown plates for a coyple of days and threw the black ones on. I doubt whether Gibson ever got all anal about this stuff.

 

[johnnyjellybean]

At a guess I'd say those plates have been changed out. But who knows, I don't think this stuff is set in stone, maybe they were out of brown plates for a coyple of days and threw the black ones on. I doubt whether Gibson ever got all anal about this stuff.

That's a faded dark back. Those black plates are correct.

 

[John Catto]

Shouldn't it have a light serial number then? Or do some of the dark backs have dark numbers in your experience.

 

[johnnyjellybean]

There are dark backs with black serial#s although most have the yellow ink.