New Old Guitar Day

[Elias Graves]

I know old Les Pauls are collectable and all, so I figured $250 for one was a good price. I bought it without playing it. The bridge is awful on this thing? Is it faulty or strung wrong or something?

Man, I hope I didn't get taken for $250.

 

 

EG

[Elias Graves]

 

EG

[Gary Moore Tribute]

At 250 bucks its sounds VERY CHEAP

Do we have more pictures?

[Elias Graves]

 

EG

[Gary Moore Tribute]

Ok check this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3whj7FnJukk

 

1953 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top

You lucky bugger....

[BigKahune]

.

Ouch.

 

Looks like a the early model (52) with the horrible trapeze setup.

 

The tuner posts shouldn't have nuts.

 

Post more pics.

 

.

[Nic LP]

Which model year is that ?????

[charlie brown]

UNLESS it's a blatant Fake, you didn't get ripped off. $250.00 for a '52-53 Les Paul,

even the re-issue, is an unbelievable price. So, if you can verify it's authenticity,

either Vintage, or relic'd re-issue, with Gibson, I'd say you had a great bit of good fortune,

with that one. If indeed, it's legit, you can turn it around, for a very tidy profit,

if nothing else.

 

CB

[pfox14]

I smell something fishy

[charlie brown]

First thing, take off the Truss Rod Cover. Chinese fakes, have a different truss rod,

than USA versions. It does seem to be in too good of condition, to be a vintage version.

However, there are always exceptions. And, it may well be a relic'd re-issue, as well????

$250 bucks, though, does make one curious/wonder, for sure! That's truly unheard of, these

days. Good Luck!!

 

CB

[JM2112]

You got a nice piece of history there if it's authentic.

[stein]

Those first Les Pauls were designed for playing slide. They work great for the purpose they were designed for.

 

Leo Fenders first 'solid body electric spanish' guitar was meant to be a SLIDE instrument that you held and wore like a GUITAR. His early instruments were primarily made for the Country/Western "swing" bands, and that is what they were playing.

 

Fender, at that time was already an established builder of Lap Slides and Steel guitars. The folks at GIBSON assumed the idea of making a 'solid body electric' was supposed to be for playing slide in the standing position, i.e. like a 'guitarist'. Those who collaborated with LES and those who actually designed the guitars at the factory level were not the same poeple, and there was often miscommunication. Those in charge of building the first versions assumed sinse the bridge was so poorly designed for intonation, and quite tall compared to other bridge designs, that LES had designed it to be added to a guitar to transform it to playing slide.

 

The bridge was NOT made to be strung with the strings under, but over. When the are used properly, and the guitar is played as a SLIDE guitar, it suits it's intended purpose. It is STILL the best slide guitar ever made or designed.

[Searcy]

Those first Les Pauls were designed for playing slide. They work great for the purpose they were designed for.

 

Leo Fenders first 'solid body electric spanish' guitar was meant to be a SLIDE instrument that you held and wore like a GUITAR. His early instruments were primarily made for the Country/Western "swing" bands, and that is what they were playing.

 

Fender, at that time was already an established builder of Lap Slides and Steel guitars. The folks at GIBSON assumed the idea of making a 'solid body electric' was supposed to be for playing slide in the standing position, i.e. like a 'guitarist'. Those who collaborated with LES and those who actually designed the guitars at the factory level were not the same poeple, and there was often miscommunication. Those in charge of building the first versions assumed sinse the bridge was so poorly designed for intonation, and quite tall compared to other bridge designs, that LES had designed it to be added to a guitar to transform it to playing slide.

 

The bridge was NOT made to be strung with the strings under, but over. When the are used properly, and the guitar is played as a SLIDE guitar, it suits it's intended purpose. It is STILL the best slide guitar ever made or designed.

 

Actually the earliest Les Pauls were made by Leo Fender for Gibson as they were not set up with work with such thick slabs of wood. It wasn't until Gibson made some money and tooled up that they were able to make there own bodies. That's when they switched to the Stop Bar style bridge.

[strat-o-steve]

Guys, you realize this has to be an APRIL FOOLS joke.....right? LOL

[Elias Graves]

My brother says we can reset the neck to a better angle and put a tune o matic bridge on it.

And maybe some EMG pickups. These old ones are noisy.

 

EG

[Searcy]

My brother says we can reset the neck to a better angle and put a tune o matic bridge on it.

And maybe some EMG pickups. These old ones are noisy.

 

EG

 

If you saw the neck off flush with the body your brother can take a file and file in some new neck angle nd then glue the neckback on. It's really easy to do.

[Elias Graves]

If you saw the neck off flush with the body your brother can take a file and file in some new neck angle nd then glue the neckback on. It's really easy to do.

 

Yeah, doesn't look too hard. I mean, it's just glue, right? A heat gun ought to loosen it right up.

We'll have to repaint it, of course. That's ok, this old paint is turning green. Maybe skull graphics?

 

EG

[stein]

Actually the earliest Les Pauls were made by Leo Fender for Gibson as they were not set up with work with such thick slabs of wood. It wasn't until Gibson made some money and tooled up that they were able to make there own bodies. That's when they switched to the Stop Bar style bridge.

I remember reading about that. That is one of the reasons the first ones had such a shallow pitch to the neck, as the first bodies were initially made to take a bolt on style. Also, the idea of the gold top came about because the first ones were made of PINE (thus the term, 'Pinetop'). The necks were GIBSON necks from a ES-125, and mated at the GIBSON factory.

 

Some say the earliest necks were made by Fender (identified because the have no binding-Fender had not learned to use binding yet).

 

If you have one of these early 'PINETOP' Les Pauls, you could be sitting on a large fortune.

[stein]

Yeah, doesn't look too hard. I mean, it's just glue, right? A heat gun ought to loosen it right up.

We'll have to repaint it, of course. That's ok, this old paint is turning green. Maybe skull graphics?

 

EG

PICS!

[stein]

My brother says we can reset the neck to a better angle and put a tune o matic bridge on it.

And maybe some EMG pickups. These old ones are noisy.

 

EG

The reason some P-90's are noisy is because they actually have SPIT in them.

 

If you rebuild them using fresh spit (called 'tongue oil') it restores them to the original glory and tone.

[Nic LP]

If this is an april fool prank, you totally got me too !

[Elias Graves]

The reason some P-90's are noisy is because they actually have SPIT in them.

 

If you rebuild them using fresh spit (called 'tongue oil') it restores them to the original glory and tone.

 

I'll try that. They're real noisy playing through my Krank amp.

 

EG

[Searcy]

The reason some P-90's are noisy is because they actually have SPIT in them.

 

If you rebuild them using fresh spit (called 'tongue oil') it restores them to the original glory and tone.

 

That's true. The dork in this video shows how you reoil an old p-90 pickup.

 

http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/84725-p-90-style-gibson-mandolin-pickup-rebuild/

[Elias Graves]

Well, that was all good fun. The real story behind the guitar is like this:

 

Last week, I took an old amp to have it looked at. This is a shop I haunt regularly, as they get quite a few old guitars in there. I spotted a 90s model seafoam green casino with bigsby and bought it.

As we were talking about how light it was, the owner wanted me to see something light.

He pulls the old 52 out and let's me handle it. Barely over seven pounds. I was shocked to see a Les Paul that light. Despite the funky bridge, it is a nice player and those P90s are sweet! Kinda low output without all the huge HONK you get from the real hot ones. Very musical.

Finish is gorgeous, too. Hardly a mark on it. Should make someone's collection complete.

 

EG

[martinh]

I’m afraid you did get ripped off. This is a Chinese fake that came from the “Peoples Glorious Production of Modern Guitar” plant in Hung Seng, probably made around 1954. Quoting from Charles Stafford’s “history of the early Chinese communist party:”

 

Following the long march, the communist central committee noted with disapproval that the lack of volume of traditional Chinese instruments was rendering the patriotic music played at party rallies almost inaudible. Discovering that almost all good microphones were made by German fascists or the running dogs of imperialism, the Shure Brothers, the party opted for the production of entirely electric instruments instead, copying a number of western designs, including the early Les Paul. Production was stopped in early 1956, after Mao himself visited the factory, picked up an instrument, announced that “ the F**** neck angle is wrong” and had the entire design and manufacturing team shot for counter-revolutionary activity. Institutional memory of this incident survives in the Chinese slang term to “Res Paul”, which means to commit a fatal error.