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1959 Les Paul Costom Shop VOS Neck Profile


stooner amps

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I have a 2008 Custom Shop VOS 1958 Les Paul Plain Top. This is the version with the thicker neck and pronounced shoulders. I want to change the profile to the slimmer 1959 version. Are there template drawings available showing the cross section of the neck at the first fret, fifth, fret tenth fret, twelfth fret, etc.?

If drawings are not available, what about thickness of the neck at various locations?

 

Thanks

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Leave it alone. Buy one with the neck that suits you?

I'd just like to add the words "Sell it, and" between the full stop and the capitalised B.

 

Are there template drawings available showing the cross section of the neck at the first fret, fifth, fret tenth fret, twelfth fret, etc.?

If drawings are not available, what about thickness of the neck at various locations?

 

Have you ever actualy played any Gibsons built between '57 and '60? These instruments were finished by hand. They varied from day to day never mind year to year.

 

Whilst it's true there was a general thinning-down going-on between the years '58 to '60 the necks were still all given a rough machine-shaping; but it was the final hand-shaping that dictated each neck-profile.

 

Technical drawings of neck shape/shoulder profile? For all intents and purposes - these days - they never existed. All re-issues and recreations try to replicate the most typical features of the specific year. To get someting more specific speak to the folks at Mark's Guitar Loft.

 

Seriously, if you cannot get on with the neck on your R8 then sell it and get something you like.

 

P.

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I understand the history of the originals, but this is simply a question about the profile of the 1959 VOS which is thinner and more rounded than the 1958 VOS. I like my VOS plain top very much, but a hand injury has made it less enjoyable to play than the thinner 1959 VOS, which costs a lot more because of the flamed maple top. I am not afraid to modify my VOS 1958 guitar - I will be long dead before a VOS is a valuable collectors item. In short I am looking for information so that I can provide a guideline to the luthier who will be doing the work, as well as for my own curiosity. For the record there are others who have done this modification very successfully.

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...In short I am looking for information so that I can provide a guideline to the luthier who will be doing the work, as well as for my own curiosity. For the record there are others who have done this modification very successfully.

I know others have done it. Some members here have done it, too. I just thought changing guitars would have been a simpler solution.

 

However, if you are sure you want to do it here's something to get you started. Pictures of Gibson profiles aren't exactly flooding the web but here's some data which should prove useful;

 

The first table is self explanatory;

user10866_pic31832_1287571853.jpg

 

The second table is measurements of some original instruments;

botbdata6dh.jpg

 

This is just a rough visual idea of the differences;

Neckprofiles01.jpg

 

And lastly, although these are actually Fender profiles, obviously the same principles will apply to Gibson models;

guitar-neck-contours.jpg

 

IMX it's the shape of the shouulder rather than actual neck thickness which dictates comfort and for yourself I would suspect the 'U'-shape and 'Modern Flat Oval' would be the least comfortable.

Favourites - again; I suspect - would be the 'Oval C' and 'Medium V'.

 

Good luck with your guitar.

 

P.

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