1982 Les Paul Silver Streak

[Slappy2x]

Hello everyone,

I purchased this axe back in 1990. Quick question: Is there anyone out there that is familiar with this particular model and can share some info/history? There's not much available online. The serial # tells me that it was made in Dec. of 1982 in Nashville, but that's all I know. There is a Custom Shop stamp on the back of the headstock, as well as the # 0024 (I read that only 60 of these guitars were ever manufactured). That intrigues me...makes me wonder about her potential value. Any info would be much appreciated. I have included a few pics below.

Thanks, everyone..........

[fairlanericky]

Good, clear pics will help the guys that are knowledgeable in your quest for information. It's best to use an image host such as Photobucket or Image Shack.

Ric

[Slappy2x]

Here's a few more thumbs to check out......

[geddyleefan]

Kinda reminds me of the finalized version of the XR series but with a silverburst. look for a guitar blue book

[Rock City]

Pre-Bonamassa?
Looks great, must play even better!

[Oranjeaap]

Looks like a special edition les paul studio. One of the very early ones. The custom shop wasn't around back then. The 'custom shop' logo just means it has a different paint job than regular models

[Tim Fezziwig]

I had one #005. It was MEAN! Very heavy. Great tone.

[Lurko]

Great looking guitar. Just a silver Studio, though. Still, I like it a lot!

[Benny Lamb]

Sweet! I never have seen one before.

[Inside Guy]

I would guess that it was a special run for a particular music store. I recall seeing ES-330's with "Music Conservatory" on them. Built special for the Music Conservatory near Detriot in the 60's and 70's

Tim Fezziwig, were you the original owner? If so, where did you purchase yours?

[Slappy2x]

She is a heavy one......in tone and weight (10.5 lbs!)....

[Kalamazuu]

Whatever it's worth, that's sweet, I love those silver LPs, like the newer (early-mid 2000s) platinums.

[brokenarrow5]

new to me and very cool

[Slappy2x]

Thanks for the replies and compliments, everyone! I do love this axe.....we shall never part!

[Slappy2x]

Originally Posted by Tim Fezziwig

I had one #005. It was MEAN! Very heavy. Great tone.

Hi Tim,

By chance, do you recall what type of humbuckers were in your Silver Streak?

[Slappy2x]

Added Bonus! Just took a peek at the PU's in the SS and discovered that she came with Tim Shaw 137/138 humbuckers stock. Very nice! That explains why I've always loved the tone so much! I was also able to confirm that she has a maple top...was never sure about that until now. You'd think after owning this axe for 22 years I would've gotten around to this a long time ago...I procrastinate too much!

[HOT-BRIT]

Nice one!
They are valued around $700

[Slappy2x]

Yes! I was doing some research on them today and noticed the $ amounts being asked by sellers...crazy!

[hotrats]

i've never really been into silverbursts but i could see myself getting along with this one. nice pics

[Jespada]

Originally Posted by Slappy2x

Yes! I was doing some research on them today and noticed the $ amounts being asked by sellers...crazy!

I have the same exact guitar. I have #0010
We're you able to find anything out on the value of the guitar?

Thanks
George

[Jespada]

I have the same exact guitar#0010
We're u able to find any info on the guitar?

Thanks
George

[Slappy2x]

Hi George. Haven't found out much more. The Tim Shaw PU's are the most desirable feature to most.....very sought after! I love the tones I can pull out of her. The neck profile is very thin as compared to other LP's I've played over the years. Seems even thinner than the '60's necks. It's a little "Plain Jane" with the dot inlays and lack of binding, but man.......the tone! Post some pics of yours! Don't see too many around......

[Danilaff]

Hi guys! Im from Russia, I have the same one #0004 I Bought it in Ebay in 2008. It has unique and reach sound, seems louder than usual lespauls (maybe because of the maple neck) Heavy mahagony body you have enough lows, maple neck brings more highs and increases more attack I think. I never heard about Silver Streak and how it sounds but I always wanted to have a unique instrument so I bought it and Im not disappointed - great sound! I tried a lot of pickups in bridge position: some seumour duncan, di marzio tone zone, gibson dirty fingures and now Im using barecnuckle Rebel Yell

[tzd]

Originally Posted by geddyleefan

Kinda reminds me of the finalized version of the XR series but with a silverburst. look for a guitar blue book

Originally Posted by hotrats

i've never really been into silverbursts but i could see myself getting along with this one. nice pics

Please guys, this is not a Silverburst.

[Slappy2x]

Originally Posted by Danilaff

Hi guys! Im from Russia, I have the same one #0004 I Bought it in Ebay in 2008. It has unique and reach sound, seems louder than usual lespauls (maybe because of the maple neck) Heavy mahagony body you have enough lows, maple neck brings more highs and increases more attack I think. I never heard about Silver Streak and how it sounds but I always wanted to have a unique instrument so I bought it and Im not disappointed - great sound! I tried a lot of pickups in bridge position: some seumour duncan, di marzio tone zone, gibson dirty fingures and now Im using barecnuckle Rebel Yell

WELCOME TO THE CLUB, BRUTHA! She's a beauty! Is your neck PU the original stock PU? If so, that's a Tim Shaw design. They sound amazing!

[Danilaff]

Yes its stock 137 Think I made a mistake, I gave another one to use for free and now this guy is in 2000 km from me. And these pickups are rare one?

[HOT-BRIT]

It is an early version of the studio in a silver finish

[Slappy2x]

Here's a little info on the Tim Shaw's that I found online....a good read:

"The first three digits will tell you the type. 137 is a neck pickup with less windings and 138 is a bridge pickup with more windings. There is a date code after the fist three digits. 1381280 would be a bridge Shaw made in December 1980. Not all of them had the silver PAF sticker.

They had PAF coilforms with the square/round inspection holes and no T on top. The wire is a bright copper color. The magnet was a special Alnico V that was longer like the 50's style and rough cast. This is a special magnet and the closest to a vintage PAF in tone to my ears. They had white plastic spacers and braided connecting wire.

They typically read under 8Kohms and seem to average out in the middle 7's. They sound very big and powerful in spite of the low readings.

Tim Shaw who designed these pickups under Norlin restraints did a remarkable job IMO. They really are a neat sounding alternative to most humbuckers. the Magnet , as was explained to me was "Unoriented AlnicoV" I do not know what that means other than it isn't a regular AlnicoV. It seems that AlnicoV has higher gauss measurements or something to that effect than any other type of pickup magnet, and Tim said that by deleting a final step that puts a full charge or orientation on the magnet, the tone was closest to what he was after. It was a long time ago, but that is how I remember it. I really don't understand all the fine points of Magnetism so I could have some terms mixed up. Basically it is a real cool sounding, Big Al approved magnet. This is what I put in my Antiquities."

From Gibson on Shaw:

"Whether it was rivalry between plants or increased market awareness, the Nashville plant jumped into the reissue action in 1980. By this time, one of the most glaring deficiencies of new Les Paul's (compared to the originals) was the humbucking pickup. In preparation for its first attempt at a reissue, Gibson assigned engineer Tim Shaw the job of designing a reissue of the original Patent-Applied-For humbucking pickup-within certain restrictions. "This was 1980 and Norlin was already feeling the pinch," Shaw said, referring to Gibson's long decline through the 1970s and early '80s. "We weren't allowed to do much retooling. We redid the bobbin because it was worn out. We got some old bobbins and put the square hole back in. We did it without the T-hole, which stood for Treble."

To replicate the magnets, Shaw gathered up magnets from original PAFs and sent them to a lab to be analyzed. "Most were Alnico 2's," he said, "but some were 5's. In the process of making an Alnico 5, they stick a magnet in a huge coil for orientation, but an unoriented 5 sounds a lot like a 2. They started with Alnico 2 and then switched to Alnico 5."

Shaw discovered that the original magnets were a little thicker than 1980 production magnets. "Magnetic strength is largely a function of the area of the polarized face; increasing the face size gives you more power," he explained. So he specified the thicker magnet for the new PAF.

Wiring on the originals was #42 gauge, which Gibson still used. However, the original wire had an enamel coating and the current wire had a polyurethane coat, which also was of a different thickness or "buildup" than that of the original, which affected capacitance. Norlin refused to go the extra mile-or extra buck, as it were. Enamel-coated wire cost a dollar more per pound than poly-coated. Shaw could change the spec on the buildup without additional expense, so the thickness of the coating was the same as on the original wire, but he was forced to use the poly coat. The difference is easy to see: purple wire on the originals, orange on the reissues.

Shaw later found a spec for the number of turns on a spec sheet for a 1957 ES-175. "It specified 5,000 turns because a P-90 had 10,000 turns and they cut it in half," Shaw said. In reality, however, originals had anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 turns, depending on how tight the coil was wound. Shaw later met Seth Lover, who designed and patented Gibson's humbucker, at a NAMM show. Lover laughed when asked about a spec for windings, and he told Shaw, "We wound them until they were full."

The spec for resistance was even less exact, Shaw said. The old ohmeter was graduated in increments of .5 (500 ohms). Anywhere between 3.5 and 4 on the meter (3,500 to 4,000 ohms) met the spec. Consequently, Shaw pointed out, there is no such thing as an exact reissue or replica of the 1959 PAF pickup. There can only be a replica of one original PAF, or an average PAF. As Gibson would find out in the early 1990s, the same could be said about the entire guitar.

Shaw's PAF reissue debuted on Gibson's new Nashville-made Les Paul Heritage 80 in 1980. Compared to anything Gibson had previously made (which is to say, compared to nothing), it was an excellent reissue of a sunburst Les Paul Standard.....