First classic LP - hard to identify!

[rockstar_josh]

Hello,

I just scored my first vintage-ish LP, a 1978 Special. The serial number says 07xx8xxx, so that's why I think 1978. I haven't found much more info, though. The pickups are from a 79 Deluxe (mini-humbuckers), and it has a clear acrylic pickguard. It's wine red with a flat body.

The only info I've found was a Gibson catalog from 1978, and this guitar is not in the catalog. The have a 55/78, which is similar except it has speed knobs and black pickguard.

Does anyone have any more info re: the 1978 LP Special?

BTW, I really love this guitar! THe neck is flat and fast, it has a great radius and killer action, and the tone is amazing! I dig P-90s but I'm not missing them here, I really like the minis. It's also heavy for not having a maple cap.

[LPinmydreams]

Pics please or you're a troll.

[BCRGreg]

Those mid to late 70's Specials were cool. They have the big head and 14 Degree headstock, but other than that they are great guitars.

Show us pics!

[rockstar_josh]

Yeah, it's a cool guitar! Definitely a keeper. I'll put some pics up ASAP, but then again... I might be a troll. If so, then pics are out of the question. Hopefully I can get my camera out and settle it once and for all, maybe get some sleep at night.

[dwagar]

can you double check that serial number? it appears off a digit

The serial number says 07xx8xxx

YY should be 1st and 5th, and the 7xx should be day of the year, obviously shouldn't start with a 7.

(unless I'm missing something with Gibson serial #s)

[rockstar_josh]

Yup, it is 70xx8xxx! My mistake. I got some pictures, but my studio lighting is not well-suited for detailed photography. I'll have to take it somewhere else for good pics.

LP_1.jpg

LPSpesh_1.jpg

Yes, bad pics indeed. I'll work on that!

Thank you,
- J

[moff40]

Interesting guitar. If I'm not mistaken, if it's a Special, shouldn't the toggle be down near the vol\tone controls, or is that only on the doublecut models? It seems more like a "The Paul", except for the minis (that may have originally been P-90s).

At any rate, it's pretty damn cool!

[dwagar]

I don't think so, Single Cut Specials have normally had the toggle in the standard LP position.

[Jason]

Gibson's often forgotten "red headed stepchildren" are some of the coolest guitars ever built, if you ask me. That one you've got there is killer.

[moff40]

Originally Posted by dwagar

I don't think so, Single Cut Specials have normally had the toggle in the standard LP position.

OK, I wasn't sure\couldn't remember. I stand corrected.

[rockstar_josh]

Originally Posted by Jason

Gibson's often forgotten "red headed stepchildren" are some of the coolest guitars ever built, if you ask me. That one you've got there is killer.

Thank you, I agree! I really love this guitar. I can't put it down! I took it in trade for a Marshall 1987 reissue, and I planned on selling it until I actually plugged in and started playing. There's no way I'd sell it now. Plus I've always wanted a guitar that was built in 1978 (my birth year).

It did originally have P90s, but the original owner swapped them with the minis from a 1979 Deluxe.

Has anyone else seen one with the clear pickguard before?

[moff40]

I've never seen a Special with a clear pickguard before, but it's not too hard to get replacement pickguards from aftermarket parts places like WD Music and so on. He might even have taken the original in to a plastics place and had them duplicate it in clear...

Although it's not what one would expect with a pickup upgrade, it's nice to see that the original owner didn't carve up the guitar when converting from P-90s, and instead chose to go with mini-hums. Mini-hums are strange beasts. Sometimes they sound thin and gutless, and other times, they have a real magic. I have 3 LP Deluxes, and two of them now have P-90s instead of the minis, but the third one - holy cow! I wouldn't THINK of pulling the minis out of it. I guess it really depends on the individual pickups....

[rockstar_josh]

It's interesting, a friend of mine has a Goldtop Deluxe (not sure what year) and its minis sounding pretty bright and thin. He likes it for that reason, it's a more Stratlike tone to him, but thinking about that particular guitar made me feel iffy about getting this one. It's all good, though, because these minis sound much bigger than I expected.

Along the same line another friend has an early 90s SG that has the hottest stock pups I've ever heard. I borrowed it for some studio work once and he called me every night for 3 days... "hey, you done? I'll come pick up my guitar". He was so paranoid about anything happening to it!