J
Jesse Segovia
Guest
I'm Les Paul'ed up again! I had a 1976 3 Pickup Black Beauty but sold it in the late '80s, since I was only playing my Cherry PRS Standard at that time. I regretted it constantly and knew someday I'd get that same model guitar back again when I had a chance. I finally found a good replacement, a 1989 3 Pickup Black Beauty which is UPS'ing its way to me right now.
Some questions about this particular guitar:
1. What's the general opinion on '89 Customs? Good? Better than the '70s Norlins? 'Same as current Customs?
2. Gibson support says this guitar (and my '76) has a carved Maple top and three PAFs. They say only '50s Customs and recent reissues are all Mahagony. This is news to me - is this common knowledge?
3. The '89 (and the '76) probably has a three-piece carved top and not a two piece, right?
4. My '76 had a very slim (but wide) neck on it - I loved it. But every recent Custom I've played has a thick neck on it, and a friend who owns an '89 Custom says his also has a very thick neck. What's the history behind Black Beauties and their neck widths?
5. Opinions on how to set up the guitar? Leave it the way it is, all black plastic (except for the white selector switch tip) and black barrel speed knobs? Replace the knobs with the tapered black knobs the original Customs came with? I think I'm leaving the pickup covers on this time (removed 'em all on the '76).
Oh, and here's the guitar. From the pictures it appears to be in pretty good shape:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2519305114&category=38086
Some questions about this particular guitar:
1. What's the general opinion on '89 Customs? Good? Better than the '70s Norlins? 'Same as current Customs?
2. Gibson support says this guitar (and my '76) has a carved Maple top and three PAFs. They say only '50s Customs and recent reissues are all Mahagony. This is news to me - is this common knowledge?
3. The '89 (and the '76) probably has a three-piece carved top and not a two piece, right?
4. My '76 had a very slim (but wide) neck on it - I loved it. But every recent Custom I've played has a thick neck on it, and a friend who owns an '89 Custom says his also has a very thick neck. What's the history behind Black Beauties and their neck widths?
5. Opinions on how to set up the guitar? Leave it the way it is, all black plastic (except for the white selector switch tip) and black barrel speed knobs? Replace the knobs with the tapered black knobs the original Customs came with? I think I'm leaving the pickup covers on this time (removed 'em all on the '76).
Oh, and here's the guitar. From the pictures it appears to be in pretty good shape:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2519305114&category=38086