Gibson Les Paul Custom 57

[6string33]

I need some help on this guitar. I purchased this recently in hometown auction. Did not come with certificate of any kind. The instrument is in excellent condition and appears to have spent most its life in the case. It appears t have some age tarnish to gold hardware, light surface scratches front and back. Paint has some light dulling on edges. Every way I research it tells me this guitar was made at Kalamazoo plant in 1957. Serial number 731531 yellow ink stamped onto back of headstock. Under the 2 PAF pickups I have a sticker on each one which says "applied for patent". I have read that these stickers were placed on the bottomside of the pickups during 1955-1959 while gibson was awaiting approval of the patent from the US government. In 1959 the patent was approved. Can anyone help me in identifying this instrument and finding out the value? Is this the real McCoy? Thanks

[stein]

Calm down brother. You haven't located the holy grail.

 

It does look in every way to be a Gibson, but this guitar was NOT built in '57 or anywhere near. It is a modern reproduction that is "like" a '57, but not exact.

 

There are some who could likely tell you exactly what model it is from the limited info and pics. I don't quite know myself. But for sure, it is a Gibson, and it is a modern or rescent manufacture. It may not be a "57", but it is an LP custom model.

[6string33]

Calm down brother. You haven't located the holy grail.

 

It does look in every way to be a Gibson, but this guitar was NOT built in '57 or anywhere near. It is a modern reproduction that is "like" a '57, but not exact.

 

There are some who could likely tell you exactly what model it is from the limited info and pics. I don't quite know myself. But for sure, it is a Gibson, and it is a modern or rescent manufacture. It may not be a "57", but it is an LP custom model.

 

Im most certain there is a strong possibility that the instrument may have been restored at some point. New paint job, tone and volume knobs, tuners, etc. But what about the serial number? It reads as 1957 kalamazoo and the stickers that are on the bottom of the pickups? A recent manufacture or reissue would'nt have these stickers with "applied for patent" written on it. These stickers were only placed there between 1955-1959. Thanks for the feedback and opinion, Im still very unsure. Any other feedback and opinion is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[stein]

Im most certain there is a strong possibility that the instrument may have been restored at some point. New paint job, tone and volume knobs, tuners, etc. But what about the serial number? It reads as 1957 kalamazoo and the stickers that are on the bottom of the pickups? A recent manufacture or reissue would'nt have these stickers with "applied for patent" written on it. These stickers were only placed there between 1955-1959. Thanks for the feedback and opinion, Im still very unsure. Any other feedback and opinion is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Gibson has been using these "patend applied for" stickers on their reproduction pickups for some years now. Also, that white sticker you see on the back is a sticker that puts it as a modern pickup, NOT a vintage PAF pickup.

 

As for the seriel number, I don't know the specifics, but MOST sites where you put in a seriel number and it gives you info is notoriously wrong, so you can't use them to confirm or simply use them to identify a guitar as when it was built, or even if the guitar is geniune. And Gibson also has many seriel number "schemes" that these sites do not account for.