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White Light / White Heat - The SG/LP Custom Thread

zhivago

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Sep 29, 2004
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This past weekend, I managed to finally get my hands on another one of my dream guitars. A 1963 SG/LP Custom with three PAF pickups. It is an incredible sounding instrument, and It thought that much like my “other” favourite Les Paul Custom, the “Alnico/Staple” version, the SG/LP deserves its own thread.

To kick things off, here’s my ’63…

IMG_8347_zpsldclxpvj.jpg


And here’s Les and Mary posing with their guitars…happy pre-’63 days, I take it :)

Les%20Paul%20Mary%20ford%202_zpszwx6mihn.jpg


Let’s have a look at the shipping totals:

TOTALS_zpstnkdtlhs.png


Don’t just listen to me of course, here’s George Gruhn, telling us all about it…


And here’s Phil X rocking out on one…

 

AA00475Bassman

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A local guitar hero played one back in the 80's , his band was on tour & the guitar was stolen now he plays a 61 JR white like his Custom !! Such a stunning guitar !!!! Great find love those white ones !!!
 

zhivago

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Thank you all for chiming in, when I posted this thread, I had to wait for forum approval for some reason, which has thrown my train of thought a bit off...never the less, I will now post the rest of what I intended.

--------------------------------------

Next up, an old advert...

1961_Les_Paul_Custom_zpshpcjbg0t.jpg


and some catalog scans…

gib62p10_zpsyy6amva4.jpg


gib63p11_zpsuvhayfak.jpg
 
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zhivago

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The name plates…first, version 1, that lasts until sometime in early ’63…

1ca5f71a-545a-4495-b2ff-b20f636e348f_zpsumqnwyxa.jpg


Version 2, after Les takes his name off the guitar…

jlwnd3q0669g5e8li3xx_zpsu74lduhb.jpg
 

zhivago

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The tailpieces…these never came with a stop tailpiece…they always had some sort of “wiggle stick”

1. The “Sideways Vibrola” - Move it up and down vertically to get the warble…

original-4_zpsanxykr9g.jpg


2. The ‘Ebony Block”…more of a standard up and down wiggle…

11368i_zpsxuqp2o4k.jpg


3. The “Lyre Vibrola”…this essentially replaces the “sideways” one and is rather common after ’62 or so.

original-4%20copy_zps1yn57hhe.jpg


4. The “Horseshoe” Bigsby…pretty rare to see one on a Custom, but they do pop up here and there.

7976afdbdcac024197062307c20cbd3e_zps8dyre1uh.jpg
 

zhivago

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Anatomy of the mysterious “Sideways Vibrola”…some people occasionally call it a “Flash Gordon Tremolo”. Kinda cool.

Top view:

cyjat5ouhvan28nirnqk_zps8oq1w7ei.jpg


Underneath view:

r2x3hksm4meelf5eyfbm_zps3lxejhtf.jpg


Guts shot (from different unit):

xqnoqmga9lgywgh2mixq_zpsufxazu05.jpg


Yep, the strings go under…

a7pwz45bx7meazruu4cs_zpstwlkvsfd.jpg
 

zhivago

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The truss rod covers are usually blank…

fa6888ce-3f1e-4ea8-a676-01c4bf535dc0_zps1zfwf0by.jpg


…but then again, here is a guitar with the old school Les Paul Custom truss rod cover…

4059af0c923ae578258cf215e4b74fb5_zpspkgtgg0q.png


Occasionally, you will see a cover with “CUSTOM” on it…here’s a large guard version with it:

1968%20SG%20CUSTOM_zps2c6rtxwg.jpg


Sometime in ’65 the guard become large and the neck profile begins to change.

The guitars were almost always white, although a couple of Black ones have appeared here and there..and then, there’s this crazy Sunburst…

98a62b6d7f4ea09d6817c4e8801c08ec_zpsba7fzhtf.jpg
 
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zhivago

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More cool stuff to come over the coming weeks :salude
 

Arch D. Bunker

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Congrats - a real beauty!

Always had a big soft spot for those - which started when I got this Terry Reid album in the late seventies (great one BTW):


61REWEVLgML.jpg



Playing one made me realize they're likely not for me though - felt very awkward for my picking style, those 3 pickups.
 

VamboRool

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Congrats and looking forward to your future posts. So when will complete the "Hat Trick" and get a PAF Custom?
 

zhivago

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Congrats and looking forward to your future posts. So when will complete the "Hat Trick" and get a PAF Custom?

Heheheh! Thanks!

Hopefully in the future PAF Customs will come down a bit more in price so I can score one! :)
 

zhivago

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Congrats - a real beauty!

Playing one made me realize they're likely not for me though - felt very awkward for my picking style, those 3 pickups.

Many thanks! Yes the third pickup can be a hindrance...on mine, someone swapped the pickup rings, using the neck one in the middle. As it is thinner it allows for the middle pickup to be lowered more, so I have enough picking room there. :hank
 

marshall1987

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Great thread on vintage SGs! Excellent photography. :salude. Thanks for sharing.
 

El Gringo

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Major Kudos and congrats on such a fine vintage treasure . Bravo Zhivago !
 

zhivago

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Sometimes it felt that Mary was more into the Custom than Les...

886444230063_1080W_1080H_zpsgp7hsdxr.jpg


090431680728-1_zpssxyldhn2.jpg


But Les definitely played this one...

Les-Paul-SG_zps04kgvfu5.jpg


Here's a closer look from when it came up on sale a while back...

1961%20Gibson%20SGLes%20Paul%20ldquoLes%20Paul%20O  wnedrdquo_zpsbnet7cij.jpg



Here is the Mary Ford SG/LP Custom that was on Pawn Stars...

Mary-Ford-Gibson-SG-Les-Paul-Custom_zpsgksi9bcg.jpg


...and the assorted video segment...

 

garywright

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Aug 17, 2002
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:salude
..love the songs listed inside the heart
“Makin Whoopee”
with “It’s Been a Long Long Time” below :hee
 
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