The Official Vintage Les Paul Parts Thread

[OldGuy]

A while back, I was told something interesting about the control cavity coverplates on vintage 1950s Les Pauls: the plastic was rolled, not injection-molded. The rolling process left striations on the plastic that are easy to see; evidently, injection-molded coverplates from later model LPs have no such striations. I'm not sure when the transition from rolling to injection-molding took place; maybe somebody here knows. Here's a pic of the coverplate of my '57 LP Custom:



Maybe somebody who has a later model LP with an injection-molded coverplate can post a pic for the sake of comparison?

[58burst]

Not just control cavity plates have the striations, also burst pickguards, jackplates, and trussrod covers. Dunno about those parts on customs...

[OldGuy]

Originally Posted by 58burst

Not just control cavity plates have the striations, also burst pickguards, jackplates, and trussrod covers. Dunno about those parts on customs...

I expect the same is true on Customs--I've just never taken off those other parts on mine to check...

[Laservampire]

Just scored a set of 56-60 three-on-a-plate klusons with crumbled buttons for $30 10 bux more for new tips and that's cheaper than a set of gotohs!



They still operate perfectly and there's barely a hint of rust on them, now I've just gotta get a nice Historic Junior to put them on

None of the modern repros have the proper unplated brass string posts, so they'll be safely in my parts drawer until they're needed.

[Bigsby'd]

1957 Bigsby w/dogbone. NOS and never mounted.

[Lowdown]

Originally Posted by nicolasrivera

WOW, but you did not went and spend 3K for it did you?

Probably...

[LPPILOT]

Question for the experts.

Is there a difference in the 50's LP CREAM JACK PLATE and a 1968 CREAM Jack plate?

What is a 60's or 68 Cream jack plate worth or go for today?

[Cookie-boy]

I'm after the larger switch ring from a 55 era Les Paul Special. You know, the one that says Rhythm/Treble, the "Pokerchip". I don't know it's official name!The ones from 55 were larger and will cover up an eyesore on my 56.

Cash paid....no questions asked!

[JJ Blair]

Pots are dated late '58, and the whole harness is still intact. Steel studs, aluminum stop piece, ABR-1. All sitting in my pool table right now.

[Laservampire]

I'd hate to think how much that set you back!

[JJ Blair]

A little out of focus. Here's a detail on a '59 switch.



And a '59 jack assembly with the plate..



And here's the back side of a '58 back plate. I tried like hell to capture the roll marks, but just couldn't. Sorry.

[JJ Blair]

Here. I managed to get the roll marks.

[Lowdown]

[charliejg]

Good Day. I have a 1970 LP Deluxe Goldtop. The current bridge is incorrect. It is a rectangular shaped bridge. I would like to replace it with the proper bridge and could use some advice. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Jecs Duminy]

There is no 'set' look, really- that's the beauty of it. Most people just sort of experiment with fashions of yesteryear, but while some people are purists and will only wear original clothing from a specific era, others might mix items which vary in era from Victorian to 70s..

[Mike60]

Originally Posted by OldGuy

I expect the same is true on Customs--I've just never taken off those other parts on mine to check...

If they are original parts they are all rolled plastic....

Both of my '69's also have the rolled plastic...Black Beauty and Goldtop...

[OldGuy]

Originally Posted by Mike60

...

Both of my '69's also have the rolled plastic...Black Beauty and Goldtop...

Good to know. So maybe the injection-molding began in the '70's. I'd still like to see a non-striated plate for comparison...

[OldGuy]

Pushing a putz down the list...

[Lowdown]

+1 on that brother...

[decoy205]

1962 Single Line Kluson Tuners

[JJ Blair]

Originally Posted by OldGuy

Good to know. So maybe the injection-molding began in the '70's. I'd still like to see a non-striated plate for comparison...

I have plates that were off a '69, and are molded. The plastic feels different. Perhaps I will scan them and post them. There appear to me striations, but they are different than the roll marks on my '58. The mold markings are also present on my '69 SG backplates, so I believe that my '69 they were using injection molding.

[JJ Blair]

Here's a scan I took of the '69 plates. You can't see the striations, but you can see the round mold markings.

[OldGuy]

Thanks for following up on the rolled vs. injection-molded issue, JJ. I can't make out much detail in the pic of the '69 backplate that you posted, but I'll take your word for it that the interior does not show the sort of striations that the older, rolled backplates have. It would seem that Gibson made the shift from rolled to injection-molded sometime in the late '60s/early '70s time frame.

[JJ Blair]

If I remember, I'll try to take a picture and post it. The scanner didn't quite capture it.

[LPPILOT]

What year did Gibson stop using the Kluson Deluxe tuners and install the Gibson Deluxe named ones ?

[JJ Blair]

Originally Posted by lppilot

what year did gibson stop using the kluson deluxe tuners and install the gibson deluxe named ones ?

1969.

[JJ Blair]

Update, my friend's 1968 GT has injection molded backplates.

[OldGuy]

Originally Posted by JJ Blair

Update, my friend's 1968 GT has injection molded backplates.

So as early as '68 Gibson was starting to use injection-molded backplates, but as late as '69 (per Mike60) rolled backplates were still being used. Maybe we've got the transition period narrowed down a bit now...

[JJ Blair]

This '68 has a rolled pick guard, though.

[OldGuy]

Dang! Mix-and-match...