1953 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop guitar factory converted in 1959/1960 to "Burst." Photo intense!!!

[Patek]

I verified it.

I am more than qualified than anyone at Gibson to sign-off on what it is.



Someone who trusts my skill set.

I was referring to gibsons records of ever having received this guitar in 1959, not gibsons staff ability to verify an instrument by assessing it physically or by photo.

 

[brentrocks]

I was referring to gibsons records of ever having received this guitar in 1959, not gibsons staff ability to verify an instrument by assessing it physically or by photo.

The 1959 log book has been lost for many years.

I personally think that one of the founders of heritage have it hidden somewhere

 

[Patek]

The 1959 log book has been lost for many years.

I personally think that one of the founders of heritage have it hidden somewhere

Isn’t the log book that is lost the new build of all 1959 LPs ie what was shipped out of the factory

receipt of this guitar may be on a separate register. There will have been paperwork when it was sent to the factory. Obviously it doesn’t exist based on the response. But that is what I’d want to see if I was buying. Obviously I’m not buying in either circumstance as I haven’t got a spare $100k

 

[Stinky Kitty]

All controversy aside, it's a beautiful piece of history, thanks for sharing. Your posts are always a major highlight here.

Best of luck in selling it!

 

[brentrocks]

I’m buying lottery tickets. I want this guitar!!!

 

[eric ernest]

I recently had the good fortune to acquire some very interesting historical Gibson factory jigs that answered some questions I had....questions that are very pertinent to this specific guitar.

These former (and extremely old) Gibson factory jigs help explain the mechanics involved with a factory neck replacement.

It would appear that Gibson had jigs for the instruments they were constructing...but they also had "specific" jigs for instruments that got a neck replacement.

It makes sense, because Gibson repairmen would have to rout the old damaged neck out beyond where the original glue joint was, creating a new set of perimeters for the 2nd newly installed neck.

Man, I love this "inside baseball stuff!!!!"

These gauges were used to check the neck pitch of each model instrument to make sure it was within specifications.

This photo illustrates the idea that Gibson had a different neck pitch for repaired (replaced neck) instruments.

Gotta love that spellin.

Details matter....

Anybody that knows me knows this one is a BIG DEAL to me!!!! (nice spellin...)

 

[LtDave32]

The paint and the neck are spot on 1960. The inlays are pre-1961....but also not early 50's.

Additionally, the no wire ABR-1, and the stoptail is actually the short break 1959 bottom mold seam.

Here's a good side by side to illustrate the transparency of the early 50's inlays versus later ones. With the SG model in 1961, Gibson resumed the more trasparent inlays.

Eric, I sure learn a lot from you.

Questions I have on the inlays.. Were the early 50's inlays more transparent because they were thinner, or is it just the physical makeup of them from the company that made them?

 

[eric ernest]

Were the early 50's inlays more transparent because they were thinner, or is it just the physical makeup of them from the company that made them?

The inlays on vintage Les Paul's were much thinner than their modern counterparts. The "pattern" and "density" of the mosaic plastic sheets the inlays were cut from changed several times.

Here's what a sheet of the 70's material looked like.

 

[LtDave32]

I recently did some work on VictorB's wildwood R8. He didn't like the streaky fret board, so we refit the guitar with a Braz board, and he sent along some inlays, said they were from the same company that made them in the 50's.

While not purely amber as some "aged" inlays I see, they have some darker properties right alongside lighter properties.

Don't mean to derail, just trying to learn a bit more about inlay differences..

 

[eric ernest]

Darkness of the inlays is usually a transparency issue. Early 50's and early 60's inlays are more transparent and appear more brown than late 50's inlays.

Bursts that have had their fingerboard planned will often look similar.

This is an early 60's SG board.

 

[fernieite]

I'd like a custum mandlin please.

 

[eric ernest]

I'd like a custum mandlin please.

Almost equally bizarre. The word "regular" on those jigs is referring to Les Paul Standards.

Maybe we should start calling them Les Paul Regulars.

 

[Haprom]

Congrats Eric, That's Fucking Awesome... Thanks For Sharing all This Cool Stuff...

 

[motowntom]

I'm exhausted.....
Cheers

 

[brianbzed]

Amazing! I dream of owning a guitar like that! thanks Eric!

 

[jimi55lp]

The plugging of the trapeze looks GREAT!

 

[jimi55lp]

What about the bridge location, was they any form of anchor on trapeze models where the bridge sits?

No ancors/bushings as the trapeze floats on the top with wide feet and screws to the side at the strap button with a large ground wire channel where it solders to the trapeze mounting plate from the harness .

 

[Stonehard]

Eric, is the top seam exactly centred? There can't be many 53 gold tops that are spot on centred.
Here is a photo of my 54 conversion - not quite centred but very pretty!

 

[greens]

Was a neck break the reason it went back to the factory? Or did he send it in to get refinished and they just re-necked it while they were at it?

 

[abracadaben]

Darkness of the inlays is usually a transparency issue. Early 50's and early 60's inlays are more transparent and appear more brown than late 50's inlays.

Bursts that have had their fingerboard planned will often look similar. View attachment 542671

This is an early 60's SG board.

oh cool so that explains why the inlays on the night owl are darker. early 60s neck