Issue with Binding in the cutaway on my LP

[Shades of Blue]

I have a 2010 LP Traditional, and last night when I was taking out the pickups, I noticed something...well, funny.

In the cutaway area where the binding meets the paint, I noticed an uneven area where you could see the unpainted maple cap. So, you see binding, maple cap, and then the painted mahogany starts.

Is this normal? I've never noticed it on other LP's, and I can't find any relevant pictures on the internet.

 

[charveldan]

Yeah, it's supposed to be that way, no worries, mine is too.

 

[gtr-tek]

Do you have a picture of this? The binding doesn't cover all of the maple but the paint should cover up to the binding. The paint is translucent so you will see the transition between the mahogany and maple.

 

[RossingtonLP]

456 posts on a "Les Paul" forum and you hadn't spotted that one before????

 

[Shades of Blue]

Do you have a picture of this? The binding doesn't cover all of the maple but the paint should cover up to the binding. The paint is translucent so you will see the transition between the mahogany and maple.

Yeah the gloss coat covers the maple area, but it isn't the same honeyburst color as the top...just maple

456 posts on a "Les Paul" forum and you hadn't spotted that one before????

I'm more of a Fender and PRS guy myself. This is my first Les Paul and I just bought it back in September. I honestly haven't played it that much since I bought it because I never really felt comfortable with it, but I'm playing it much more lately.

 

[iridereallyslow]

Look at your guitar from the headstock down towards the body and everything will make sense. The contour of the body raises causing the issue you speak of. It all depends on the color of the top as well as the sides and back that make it more or less noticeable than others.

 

[EasyAce]

I have it on my R6. And to be honest, I think it looks nicer that way than if the binding covers the whole of the top in that cutaway, where you look at such bindings and think they got swollen or warped on first glance. The paint difference isn't that drastic on mine, but then I have the dark burst top and the bottom painted dark brown, so it wouldn't be quite that drastic-looking, anyway.

 

[charveldan]

Is this what your talking about? You wouldn't see this on a darkback or painted body.

 

[ehamady6]

That's normal.

 

[charveldan]

That's normal.

Yeah, i said that in my first post.

Unless the binding is coming off or something i don't see the problem, but the first time i saw that i did do a double take.

 

[Shades of Blue]

Is this what your talking about? You wouldn't see this on a darkback or painted body.

Yeah that's it!

Mine's a little more drastic, but that is pretty much what it looks like. Not a big deal to me at all, just wanted to make sure I didn't get a B-stock or anything when I got it off eBay.

 

[BigC]

It's normal now, but in the past Gibson have run wider binding to cover the join. My friend's 2000 (iirc) LP has the wider binding there.

 

[Louie]

Normal but ugly (IMO) when you can see the maple there.
I prefer the look of the thick binding on "transparent" finishes, like my '81:

 

[gtr-tek]

That's what I thought. Perfectly normal. I believe the binding channel is cut after the top is carved so it follows the top contour. My '70s Deluxes have the binding channel cut at the joint between the maple and the mahogany so it is thicker in the cutaway and covers like the '81 shown above. The '50s look more like yours does. The difference is that the finish on your body is clear, not tinted so it is more obvious.

 

[your idol]

mine is dead perfect. all of mine have been. guess i just luck out. never really noticed that its a common thing

 

[Mildperv]

mine is dead perfect. all of mine have been. guess i just luck out. never really noticed that its a common thing

There's no "luck out."

Your LP has a wide binding in the cut out or a standard binding in the cut out. If you can't see the maple cap under the standard binding, it simply means your back color is too dark to see through.

 

[glynneCicada]

Gorgeous guitar bro. Congrats.

With regard to the maple cutaway slip, thats a sure fire way of telling if its a legit Gibson or not. If it aint there, in most cases, its probably a fake.

 

[adamajah]

Is this what your talking about? You wouldn't see this on a darkback or painted body.

Mine has that too, but yours looks kinda uneven and jagged. Weird. That would bother me, but at least it's not a part of your guitar you have to look at often.

I hate it when the binding thickens there and covers the maple cap like some I've seen. Fugly.

 

[adamajah]

Normal but ugly (IMO) when you can see the maple there.
I prefer the look of the thick binding on "transparent" finishes, like my '81:

That looks very fugly to me. I don't like it when the binding gets bloated in areas.

 

[27sauce]

mine is dead perfect. all of mine have been. guess i just luck out. never really noticed that its a common thing

No luck involved, you just have only one of the two types of cutaway binding.
Theres wide cutaway binding and thin cutaway binding.

In the '50's it was thin, not covering all of the maple cap. In the Norlin era though the early 2000's the binding was wide. Unless its a reissue or Classic.