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mystery guitar ID delima


DaveKW

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The guitar has a unique face and logo that has puzzeled me for the last 40 years or so that Ive owned it. The serial number, 534137, stamped and inked, no Made In USA on the back of the neck head below the number. Solid mahagoney neck but the face of the head is blond or lighter vanier with the MOP Gibson logo open b and O, N ceriff hangs down with a hook to the left. It is inlayed with a small black matrix. The dot on the eye has no black outline like the letters. Just an inlayed pearl dot. I realise pictures would help, but at this time there on my pad and I cant transfer the imiages. Since I have had this guitar the "Experts" (most being born after I aquired it) tell me late 60s. I have a hunch this is definately an earlier hybred. How many gibsons didnt have the crown on the blond face? I think thats a big clue. Body is SG style batwing double cut mahagoney. but in the early 50s the Less Paul Special Guitar had a double cut solid mahagoney both in longneck and Junior. However they had black face heads with the pearl crown. The serial number continuity was disruped after 53 until 59 or so. I suspect it was made in this time frame. Also the angle of the neck face from the fretboard is 12 deg. Which is another significant clue from what Im told. The body could have been for a single PU at one time, altho it has 2 now with an SG style 60s batwing pick guard, which I have seen on melody makers in the past, as well. Picture are an issue because Im an old guy and dont know about photo hosting process. Main issue is I have forgotten my password for here and can only log on by recognition on this PC and pictures are on my Ipad my daughter gave me for Christmas, and I can barley navagate that thing at this time, No kids around here to help grandpa at this time.

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OK kids, had a bunch of info handed to me, but appears it is, or was at one time, a 55 Less Paul TV model double cutaway but due to all the modification its not that valuble in present condition. Altho a rare bird indeed with the blond head face. Apparently . late 55 the numbers went from 5 to 6 digits with no seperation after the year number prefix.( 5 6xxx)to 5 9999) Bodies went to mahagoney after #51xxxx. TV models were painted off white over the mahagoney due to on set visibility. Too much comtrast with pure white, do dark with shiney chrome/cherry red, also had no crown in the face with the logo, on some 55s. A remeasurement of the headstock angle came to exactly 10 degrees which is what the early necks were. So, not quite the Holy Grail but worth the effort to try to get her back to semi original. Still have the tremolo bridge and the old cardboard aligator case somewhere.

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