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Historic Reissue Club


Hthomas

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I've just recently acquired a 'new' 2009 57 historic goldtop which I'm loving.

 

I tried out a 58 as well but although it sounded every bit as good the top was just a bit too plain for my liking and the dye had leached into the binding of the neck in a very nasty looking way. So I passed on that one and got the goldtop instead - and saved myself a few hundred dollars at the same time!

 

Looking at all these nice 59's in this thread can someone explain to me how flames in the so-called 'bookmatched' tops hardly ever match up?

 

I'd have thought that, if these are made by splitting a piece of maple down the middle and then opening them up as you would a book, the grain would line up along the joint. But that doesn't seem to be the case. And I think that would bug me if I'd paid top dollar for a guitar like that. There are a couple of photos here where the flames almost match up on either side of the joint but most seem not to do that.

 

Is there some reason for this? I know that every piece of timber will be different but, if any given top is made from one piece of maple then I'd expect the grain patterns to line up.....

post-52288-095723700 1479937495_thumb.jpg

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Guest Farnsbarns

You may have noticed the tops aren't flat. After bookmatching the top is carved, removing some material, which results in the slight mismatch you see. It's always been the case and is 100% historically accurate. I don't tend to like the very symmetrical ones myself.

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I know the tops are carved but the bookmatching along the centreline should have the grain pattern matching up if it's one piece of timber split down the middle. The carving at this point (which should be minimal if anything and would probably only be sanding rather than carving) shouldn't have any impact on that.

 

I know it's historically correct but I just can't work out how the grain patterns never seem to match up. It doesn't make any sense unless the sanding process removes so much material that the initial pattern is lost as sawdust.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Farnsbarns

I just can't work out how the grain patterns never seem to match up.

 

Well, I explained it. You said I was wrong but, well, I'm not so I don't know what else to tell you.

 

The difference in thickness is about 8-10mm from the highest point (under the bridge) to the edge. More than enough to be well into different patterns, when you think the outer edges of each half were as much as 20mm apart when they were part of the same piece.

 

You'll also note that book matching on flat tops tends to match very well as do drop tops and veneered tops.

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  • 1 month later...

The title certainly implies "Les Paul", but there has been some really nice non-LP photos posted, so here's a couple more.

 

Both built in the Nashville Custom Shop.....

 

A James Hutchins signed "Historic" L-5CES from 1990:

11370345366_35365ae506_o.jpg

 

From the small batch of "Historic" ES-345's built in 2000:

11369863976_408b914b58_o.jpg

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