rd_artist Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 I was watching some videos of Les Paul and Mary Ford on youtube and I noticed that the Les Pauls that both of them were playing were peculiar, it looked like the was a master tone and volume knob, the output jack was on the front of the guitar and the bridge pickup on Mary's guitar seemed to have a large space cut out. I was wondering if any of the historians had any info and possibly pictures of these guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmitron Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 I was watching some videos of Les Paul and Mary Ford on youtube and I noticed that the Les Pauls that both of them were playing were peculiar, it looked like the was a master tone and volume knob, the output jack was on the front of the guitar and the bridge pickup on Mary's guitar seemed to have a large space cut out. I was wondering if any of the historians had any info and possibly pictures of these guitars. The Les Paul Legacy Book 1 reveals a lot of details about the Les Paul guitar genesis with tons of pictures and geek details. According to this book, the neck pickup on Mary Ford's Goldtop was a DeArmond Gretsch Dynasonic. D'you have links of the vids you're talking about? Here are some pics for reference, that shows Les Paul had several prototypes he mod. BTW, In the same book, there are some pictures of one of the earliest LP prototype with a different neck joint and a florentine cutaway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 Great pics! B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd_artist Posted December 2, 2010 Author Share Posted December 2, 2010 Here is a link to the video I was referring to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd_artist Posted December 2, 2010 Author Share Posted December 2, 2010 do I see varitone switches on some of those guitars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 The very first prototype - the one Ted McCarty took to show Les Paul at the Delaware Watergap house - was in Gibson's regular Sunburst finish of the period. I've never seen a snap of it, however. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmitron Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 The very first prototype - the one Ted McCarty took to show Les Paul at the Delaware Watergap house - was in Gibson's regular Sunburst finish of the period. I've never seen a snap of it, however. P. I'm gonna scan it, so you can see. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 I'm gonna scan it, so you can see. :) I'd really appreciate that, cosmitron. Thanks in advance. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmitron Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 I'd really appreciate that, cosmitron. Thanks in advance. P. Here you go: Lp Proto 01 Lp Proto 02 Lp Proto 03 Lp Proto 04 Lp Proto 05 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 Here you go: Lp Proto 01 Lp Proto 02 Lp Proto 03 Lp Proto 04 Lp Proto 05 Wow, thats where it started isnt it? Crazy... Now i have to get this book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 Thanks again, cosmitron. Wonderful stuff. I'll download the images and have a good read through the text when I have some down-time. I'm slightly puzzled by that particular 'burst-finished guitar but I'm sure all will be revealed in the fullness of time! Cheers! P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimi55lp Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 Dot fret markers, pointed horn, no rear switch mount hole or cover, catilevered body over neck heel, to name a few differences! I can't believe anyone would have altered this guitar from its original specs and "cremona" sunburst! This guitar was to most unlikely conversion candidate to Burst' !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 I'll wager I'm the only one here who likes the rectangular 4 screw poker chip replacement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 (edited) 14 hours ago, merciful-evans said: I'll wager I'm the only one here who likes the rectangular 4 screw poker chip replacement I'll wager you'll win that bet... I still love the rest of the guitar, though. I know it went through various mods in the pre-production assessment period but I'd love to see Gibson issue a 70th anniversary version of this particular prototype incarnation in 2021. For anyone new to this story it's well worth downloading the links in post #9 and reading the text. Fascinating stuff. Pip. Edited June 1, 2019 by pippy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 On 12/1/2010 at 7:27 PM, cosmitron said: Do you guys realize how many sophomoric jokes I am resisting to post right now!!! I can't count them!!! I need to lay down,, 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eracer_Team Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 7 hours ago, Big Bill said: Do you guys realize how many sophomoric jokes I am resisting to post right now!!! I can't count them!!! I need to lay down,, You just want to ask "How high the moon" is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 5 hours ago, Eracer_Team said: You just want to ask "How high the moon" is Its about 230,000 miles. Patrick Moore clocked up that many miles in his car. Though he kept it on the ground. Not like Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 No wonder they got divorced. How'd you like to play a Les Paul with those wimpy little straps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wmachine Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 (edited) 15 hours ago, SteveFord said: No wonder they got divorced. How'd you like to play a Les Paul with those wimpy little straps? You're kidding. If they were on a forum today: Les: I'd play it more, but this thing is just too heavy. Mary: How do you like this burst? Does it make me look fat? Edited June 3, 2019 by Wmachine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauloqs Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Just thought it was an interesting video despite an arguably monotone delivery. Also, looks like some of the earlier ones didn't have a poker chip. @cosmitron, what book are those shared images from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyjim Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 I've never seen some of these early prototypes before. Really interesting looking with the sharp/pointy cutaway. It's crazy because I'm so used to the finalized design that this kind of looks like a rip-off or some kind of copy. haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 (edited) The very earliest run of Gold-Top Les Pauls had neither poker chip nor neck binding - as well as, notoriously, the wrong (far too shallow) neck-set angle which meant that the instruments were, in practical terms, unplayable unless the strings were wound UNDER the trapeze stop-tail/bridge unit... Cosmitron hasn't been around for 8 1/2 years but I am pretty certain that, as he mentioned in his earlier post, the photos he posted come from the book entitled "The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy; 1915 - 1963" Pip. Edited June 10, 2019 by pippy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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