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Gibson Les Paul 197? Signature hollowbody


glps

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Hi

 

my name is Uroš and I am from Slovenia (EU). I have a question about my dads vintage guitar Gibson Les Paul Signature hollowbody model produced in 70's. I wish to know more about it. I searched at Gibson Serialization link on their web page and according to their list the guitar was made somwhere between 1970 and 1975. Number printed on the back of the headstock is 623387 with MADE IN USA printed underneath it. This guitar has been with us our since 1982. It is well preserved, played, kept in safe and guitar friendly enviroment (original case). If you know something more about this item i would be glad to hear it.After very long consideration my dad decided that time has come and guitar is free to go if the price would be right. So we wonder if you could help us with its origin data and the about the price of our Gibson. We do not wish to sell it but circumstances push us to consider such radical move.

I'm adding some photos.

 

Thank you

 

Uroš

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post-57925-064665800 1372666057_thumb.jpg

post-57925-043533500 1372666082_thumb.jpg

post-57925-095631400 1372666096_thumb.jpg

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Hi

 

my name is Uroš and I am from Slovenia (EU). I have a question about my dads vintage guitar Gibson Les Paul Signature hollowbody model produced in 70's. I wish to know more about it. I searched at Gibson Serialization link on their web page and according to their list the guitar was made somwhere between 1970 and 1975. Number printed on the back of the headstock is 623387 with MADE IN USA printed underneath it. This guitar has been with us our since 1982. It is well preserved, played, kept in safe and guitar friendly enviroment (original case). If you know something more about this item i would be glad to hear it.After very long consideration my dad decided that time has come and guitar is free to go if the price would be right. So we wonder if you could help us with its origin data and the about the price of our Gibson. We do not wish to sell it but circumstances push us to consider such radical move.

I'm adding some photos.

 

Thank you

 

Uroš

 

Hi!

 

Based on the information I have, odds are you guitar was built in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Guitars with the serial number 6xxxxx were built in either 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 or 1975. Gibson didn't really have a well organized serialization process back then. The serialization didn't really have any rhyme or reason until AFTER 1975. Some of the more savvy Gibson collectors on here may be able to ballpark it better by your photos. I'm not very proficient at that or valuations either. It looks to be in excellent condition, though, and is beautiful!

 

Best of luck! I'm sorry I couldn't give you more accurate information. :(

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Hi!

 

Based on the information I have, odds are you guitar was built in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Guitars with the serial number 6xxxxx were built in either 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 or 1975. Gibson didn't really have a well organized serialization process back then. The serialization didn't really have any rhyme or reason until AFTER 1975. Some of the more savvy Gibson collectors on here may be able to ballpark it better by your photos. I'm not very proficient at that or valuations either. It looks to be in excellent condition, though, and is beautiful!

 

Best of luck! I'm sorry I couldn't give you more accurate information. :(

 

Thank you for your reply. Any information helps.

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Hello Uroš and welcome to the Forums!

 

Congratulations on Your beautiful and very rare guitar!

 

The Les Paul Signature Low-Z hollow-body was made between 1973 and 1978.

 

The serial number makes me think it was among the very first ones. I would say it's a 1973.

 

Maybe, members Grog and DaveG - who are very experienced with Low-Z models - can add some more information.

 

Cheers from the neighbourhood... Bence

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Hi Uros

The Les Paul Signature is a rare guitar, but yours is extremely rare being Tobacco Sunburst. Only 85 of them were shipped in Tobacco Sunburst. From things I've read through the years, most of these were produced in 1974. Starting in 1975, most Gibson had the serial number, model & Made in USA labeled with a small, oval decal instead of stamping it into the back of the headstock. Yours is before that. The jack on the bottom is actually a "Balanced Low Impedance line out", a cable with a stereo 1/4 jack on one end & a female XLR jack on the other will go directly into a PA or a recording board. The pickups are Super Humbucking low impedance pickups. The Vintage Guitar 2013 Price Guide show the value from $2,400 to $2,900. I think that might be a bit low for yours. If you have the time, watch guitars that come up on Gbase and Ebay to see what they ask for them & what they actually sell for, that gives you a more realistic idea what the market is like at this time. I only found one on ebay & two on Gbase. Good luck! Beautiful Guitar!!

 

http://www.gbase.com/gear/find?gs=y&keyword=gibson%20les%20paul%20signature

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/70-s-GIBSON-Les-Paul-Signature-Vintage-RARE-Goldtop-/200927766621?pt=Guitar&hash=item2ec83a685d

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  • 1 year later...

Hi Uros

The Les Paul Signature is a rare guitar, but yours is extremely rare being Tobacco Sunburst. Only 85 of them were shipped in Tobacco Sunburst. From things I've read through the years, most of these were produced in 1974. Starting in 1975, most Gibson had the serial number, model & Made in USA labeled with a small, oval decal instead of stamping it into the back of the headstock. Yours is before that. The jack on the bottom is actually a "Balanced Low Impedance line out", a cable with a stereo 1/4 jack on one end & a female XLR jack on the other will go directly into a PA or a recording board. The pickups are Super Humbucking low impedance pickups. The Vintage Guitar 2013 Price Guide show the value from $2,400 to $2,900. I think that might be a bit low for yours. If you have the time, watch guitars that come up on Gbase and Ebay to see what they ask for them & what they actually sell for, that gives you a more realistic idea what the market is like at this time. I only found one on ebay & two on Gbase. Good luck! Beautiful Guitar!!

 

http://www.gbase.com/gear/find?gs=y&keyword=gibson%20les%20paul%20signature

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/70-s-GIBSON-Les-Paul-Signature-Vintage-RARE-Goldtop-/200927766621?pt=Guitar&hash=item2ec83a685d

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just for the record the Les Paul Signature made its debut around 1973.

 

The earliest models utilised the full sized Low Impedance pickups as per Les Paul Recording but with cream covers.

 

These were "soon changed" to the Humbucking Low Impedance design seen above.

 

1400 gold, 380 sunburst and 2 walnut between 1973 and 1978 (according to Robb Lawrence).

 

DG

 

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Just for the record the Les Paul Signature made its debut around 1973.

 

The earliest models utilised the full sized Low Impedance pickups as per Les Paul Recording but with cream covers.

 

These were "soon changed" to the Humbucking Low Impedance design seen above.

 

1400 gold, 380 sunburst and 2 walnut between 1973 and 1978 (according to Robb Lawrence).

 

DG

 

 

I've never seen an early version in person. Interestingly, the headstock has "Les Paul Model" silkscreened on it vs "Les Paul Signature" on the guitars I have. Both of my shipping total books show 85 sunburst guitars shipped, but it sure seems like a ton of them keep showing up in sunburst, way more than should be for a guitar so rare. 380 makes more sense to me. The sunburst bass keeps showing up also, none of them were listed at all.

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I've never seen an early version in person. Interestingly, the headstock has "Les Paul Model" silkscreened on it vs "Les Paul Signature" on the guitars I have. Both of my shipping total books show 85 sunburst guitars shipped, but it sure seems like a ton of them keep showing up in sunburst, way more than should be for a guitar so rare. 380 makes more sense to me. The sunburst bass keeps showing up also, none of them were listed at all.

 

 

Never say never Grog, but my suspicion is that you never will. Or at least, if there is one around it will be a rarety.

 

The one pictured above came from Les' personal collection and was auctioned off.

 

I think that Gibson probably sent him a pre-production model (no pick-guard) but by the time production started the PU's had changed to the more regular rectangular ones.

 

If you search the internet for pictures of the LP Signature the only one which is likely to come up the the one pictured above - the one Gibson sent to Les.

 

Now that I have said that we will probably get some posted here just to prove me wrong :)

 

DG

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Never say never Grog, but my suspicion is that you never will. Or at least, if there is one around it will be a rarety.

 

The one pictured above came from Les' personal collection and was auctioned off.

 

I think that Gibson probably sent him a pre-production model (no pick-guard) but by the time production started the PU's had changed to the more regular rectangular ones.

 

If you search the internet for pictures of the LP Signature the only one which is likely to come up the the one pictured above - the one Gibson sent to Les.

 

Now that I have said that we will probably get some posted here just to prove me wrong :)

 

DG

 

Oddly, it is pictured in the June 1, 1973 Price List..........

 

1973PriceListLPSig_zpshbmhe2qo.jpg

 

And on the back of the "Look Ahead To Gibson" brochure..........

 

LPSigBroch_zpscnjpiypb.jpg

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