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L-5 CES Neck


Damon_nomaD

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This guitar reminds me of a 'Gibson' that my father bought for me when I was 13 years old off of an ad in the local newspaper in the San Fernando Valley just north of Los Angeles in 1963. I can remember very clearly accompanying my father to small claims court as he wanted his fifty dollars back for a 'Gibson' guitar with the strings a good inch above the fretboard that very clearly had a sticker stating 'Made in China' on the back of the headstock. I can clearly see the judge to this day telling my father who is now long deceased that anybody that thinks that they bought a real Gibson electric guitar for $50 dollars deserves to keep the guitar. NO I am not awarding you sir your $50 dollars back. jim in Maine

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I'm having the guitar checked by various Luthiers, and they are doing some investigation. Their initial view is that the top and sides are from an 1960 to 1969 L-5 CES that was wrecked and rebuilt using new (not original) back, neck, and bridge. Some of the internal bracing was changed apparently because of the damage, but the tell-tale traces of the original frame appear to be correct. They also indicated that the wiring appears to fit the era. We'll see.

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I'm having the guitar checked by various Luthiers, and they are doing some investigation. Their initial view is that the top and sides are from an 1960 to 1969 L-5 CES that was wrecked and rebuilt using new (not original) back, neck, and bridge. Some of the internal bracing was changed apparently because of the damage, but the tell-tale traces of the original frame appear to be correct. They also indicated that the wiring appears to fit the era. We'll see.

 

Although it would help to see better photos, I think whoever you are speaking with has no idea of what they are talking about.

 

Danny W.

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Their initial view is that the top and sides are from an 1960 to 1969 L-5 CES that was wrecked and rebuilt using new (not original) back, neck, and bridge. Some of the internal bracing was changed apparently because of the damage, but the tell-tale traces of the original frame appear to be correct. They also indicated that the wiring appears to fit the era

 

And I've got a brand new Bentley that I will sell you for only $29.95.............seriously this paragraph above makes absolutely no sense..................jim in Maine

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Although it would help to see better photos, I think whoever you are speaking with has no idea of what they are talking about.

 

Danny W.

I agree. Even if the top and sides were from an original L5, it's a lost cause. You'd be wasting your time (and money) to try to "restore" it to an L5.

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Anyone know where I might locate a proper neck for an L-5 CES with Florentine cutaway? I acquired the guitar with someone's custom neck and bridge, and am considering returning the guitar to its original configuration.

 

Send it to the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville TN. They will look at it and give it a brand-new neck. And while they are at it, Gibson Custom Shop may want to give it a brand-new back as well. As long as they are going to replace the back, Gibson Custom Shop may just go the whole hog and replace the top and the rim too. And give it the finish of your choice. Then it will be restored with a proper L-5CES tailpiece and ebony bridge with the Classic 57 pickups. They MAY just keep the wiring harness, pots and amber knobs to retain some of its old, you know, 60s mojo. Naw, maybe not. Those knobs don't look period correct. Maybe the wiring harness and pots may be kept.

 

Your price for restoring that old vintage is probably about $9199.00, give or take a few dollars. Oh yeah, don't forget an original Gibson hard-shell case. You will get that too. Shipping it back to you is free, I am quite sure. Gibson won't charge you for that.

 

At the end of it, you will get a Gibson L-5CES that actually looks like one, works like one and sounds like one and is one. Of course, you may want to know that you could simply go to one of the Gibson dealers and buy one for lower than $9199.00.

 

I hear that the winter is going to be brutal this year. Might I suggest that you toss that into the fireplace?

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Your price for restoring that old vintage is probably about $9199.00, give or take a few dollars. Oh yeah, don't forget an original Gibson hard-shell case. You will get that too. Shipping it back to you is free, I am quite sure. Gibson won't charge you for that.

 

 

 

Actually, Gibson will charge you for shipping.

 

Danny W.

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This guitar reminds me of a 'Gibson' that my father bought for me when I was 13 years old off of an ad in the local newspaper in the San Fernando Valley just north of Los Angeles in 1963. I can remember very clearly accompanying my father to small claims court as he wanted his fifty dollars back for a 'Gibson' guitar with the strings a good inch above the fretboard that very clearly had a sticker stating 'Made in China' on the back of the headstock. I can clearly see the judge to this day telling my father who is now long deceased that anybody that thinks that they bought a real Gibson electric guitar for $50 dollars deserves to keep the guitar. NO I am not awarding you sir your $50 dollars back. jim in Maine

 

$350 in 1959 bought you a 1959 Les Paul Standard that nobody wanted. Imagine your father had invested that $50 in 1963 on a 1/7th share of 1959 Les Paul Standard. That 1/7th share would be worth about $36 000 today.

 

The judge should have ordered your father to just buy a proper Les Paul in 1963.

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$350 in 1959 bought you a 1959 Les Paul Standard that nobody wanted. Imagine your father had invested that $50 in 1963 on a 1/7th share of 1959 Les Paul Standard. That 1/7th share would be worth about $36 000 today.

 

The judge should have ordered your father to just buy a proper Les Paul in 1963.

My first electric guitar was a 1956 Les Paul goldtop I bought from a pawnshop for $75 in 1957.

 

It might be worth a bit more now. <_<

 

Danny W.

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