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Is My Les Paul Really A 1960 Reissue?


The Great Wooley

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OK...Here it is. In 1997 I got my Les Paul Deluxe ripped off in Seattle WA. I got a settlement and two of my best friends, Reese and Andy owners of American Music in Seattle helped my re-buy my gear. One of those things was a Les Paul Standard that I was told was a 1960 reissue. I am the original owner and when it came off the rack the pick guard said 1960. I know Reese and Andy would never play hocus pocus

on me so I have been believing that I have a 1960 reissue Les Paul. Well...I put it up on Ebay and got a scathing reply from some know everything type and he was offended that I would market a Les Paul Standard as a 1960 reissue. Now I'm not one of those who goes around trying to set people straight on all the fact and figures. I'm a guitar player so I just play them.

 

Here's my question. Is this twit right? Can someone tell what I have? I'm confused. I'll keep an eye out for anyone's reply. Also I'm looking to sell it. Anyone interested...let's talk.

 

Thanks,

 

Dave R

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Sounds like you have a Les Paul Classic 1960 re-issue (like my avatar photo)..

 

If you post pics on here we will tell you... (use photobucket.com and post the IMG links)...

 

Does it say Classic on the headstock? Also the pickups should be uncovered.

 

like this

DSC01212.jpg

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"Is my Les Paul really a 1960 Re-Issue?".

 

No. Not at all.

 

It's a 'Gibson Les Paul 1960 Classic'.

 

Sounds like you have a Les Paul Classic 1960 re-issue (like my avatar photo)..

With all due respect to himself Rabs, here, is making the classic (pun) error. There is no such thing as a 'Les Paul Classic 1960 re-issue'.

The '1960 Classic' was not a 1960 Re-Issue and should never be described as such. Nor, of course, was it a Les Paul Standard.

 

...he was offended that I would market a Les Paul Standard as a 1960 reissue...

We're going to go into what seems like Pedantry here but it's the crux of the matter;

The 'Twit' - as you call him, Dave - is absolutely right. You have described the guitar as being something it isn't; and it's a very important distinction as far as the instrument's value goes.

By the late '90s the 1960 Classic was priced below the Standard in the LP heirarchy and it was well below that of a 1960 Re-Issue; half the price, in fact.

If the guitar in question was a 1960 R-I then it could properly be described as a "Les Paul 'Standard' 1960 Re-Issue" (which is different from the "LP 'Custom' 1960 Re-Issue").

To use either of the words 'Standard' or 'Re-Issue' in the context of a 1960 Classic, however, is completely misleading and, quite probably, fraudulent from a legal position.

If you had sold the guitar as a '1960 Standard Re-Issue' you could possibly have been in serious trouble.

 

With further due respect to Rabs the earlier 1960 Classics had Les Paul MODEL on the headstock and not Les Paul CLASSIC although a '97 will probably say the latter.

 

P.

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Yes of course Pippy is right ... I had actually thought about this after I posted and was going to come back and say that the word that was important in my post was Classic as that would tell us everything we need to know.. But then I got side tracked by Noddy and the gang ;)

 

However I think that the OP gave very little info other than it says 1960 on the pickguard which makes it quite likely that it is a Classic 1960 BUT is not a certainty.. That's why I ask for pictures and more info.. Maybe someone just stuck that on there for what ever reason and the guitar itself is something different..

 

I would always listen to Pippys advice over mine when it comes to Gibson.. I know a fair bit but only really started paying attention to the different models from about 2008... Before that all I knew about was a Standard and a Studio..

 

And yes the naming can be a bit confusing with the Gibson models :)

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...the OP gave very little info other than it says 1960 on the pickguard which makes it quite likely that it is a Classic 1960 BUT is not a certainty.. That's why I ask for pictures and more info.. Maybe someone just stuck that on there for what ever reason and the guitar itself is something different...

I agree completely, Rabs, that pictures would confirm matters.

Shots of the serial number and front of headstock should suffice.

 

In point of fact (and covering my own bottom) I had originally typed my 'Get Out of Jail Free' card in that at first I wrote "..almost certainly.." a 1960 Classic.

However as the OP bought the guitar new from shop-owners who were good friends I doubted whether the p'g would already have been swapped-out and so deleted those words from my OP.

I've heard of players changing the '1960 Classic' TRCs and p'gs for plain fare - mine score 3/4 in this respect - but not the other way around; i.e. who puts 1960 'plastic' on a Standard or R-I?

 

As it happens my quartet have just re-appeared in the Lounge as Saturn has resurrected his 'Sunny Day Snap' thread.

Anyone who is curious to see a couple of non-1960 Classic looking 1960 Classics............mine are in post #3................[smile]

 

P.

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I agree completely, Rabs, that pictures would confirm matters.

Shots of the serial number and front of headstock should suffice.

 

In point of fact (and covering my own bottom) I had originally typed my 'Get Out of Jail Free' card in that at first I wrote "..almost certainly.." a 1960 Classic.

However as the OP bought the guitar new from shop-owners who were good friends I doubted whether the p'g would already have been swapped-out and so deleted those words from my OP.

I've heard of players changing the '1960 Classic' TRCs and p'gs for plain fare - mine score 3/4 in this respect - but not the other way around; i.e. who puts 1960 'plastic' on a Standard or R-I?

 

As it happens my quartet have just re-appeared in the Lounge as Saturn has resurrected his 'Sunny Day Snap' thread.

Anyone who is curious to see a couple of non-1960 Classic looking 1960 Classics............mine are in post #3................[smile]

 

P.

Yeah I have no idea why someone would do that either :) I removed my pickguard from day one so..... ;)

 

But then people do weird things.. I sometimes have no idea why some people do what they do to their guitars :unsure:

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