1970 Les Paul Professional

DaveTV · Apr 2, 2005

I think he's trying to say that he owned one, but threw it away because he didn't know about the transformer cable. :2lol

This dang thing has got no volume...... :doh :mad

AtomEve · Apr 2, 2005

Guess who else likes 'em Mike!!!!!

Jan 2004......

dbuck · Jul 23, 2009

I got one of these guitars. its got a 2 stamped under the serial #. I did not know about the transformer cable thing. Were can I get a cable for this?

Tom Wittrock · Jul 23, 2009

dbuck said:
I got one of these guitars. its got a 2 stamped under the serial #. I did not know about the transformer cable thing. Were can I get a cable for this?

Same as a low/high mic transformer. Should be able to find it as a converter plug style , so you can use already standard cable.

Mars Hall · Jul 23, 2009

I like these oddball guitars as well. This guitar now goes on my "need to acquire" list along with a Les Paul Signature (Gold Top), and the RD Artist. To go along with my Victory MV X.:2cool

Triplet · Jul 23, 2009

Wow, nice color and grain. Most of those I see are much lighter and very plain.

expo · Jul 23, 2009

Stevedenver · Jul 23, 2009

you can get the in line transfer and an unbalanced mic to 1/4" cord at GC
whole rig-converter and cable cost me i think $25

there in the section for mics and cords-

the trick here is that the guitar uses an unbalanced mic cord-which means that instead of having a negative shaft and 2 insulated rings at teh end (like on a stereo input cord)-it has a 1/4" plug just like a guitar-ie 'unbalanced' in mic terms i believe

DO NOT assume that any sales person will know what you need-

they wont

Mark Kane · Jul 24, 2009

That's kida early for one of those harmonica bridges isn't it?

GlassSnuff · Jul 24, 2009

Mark Kane said:
That's kida early for one of those harmonica bridges isn't it?

You might be right. The catalogue picture shows an ABR-1. It's hard to tell from Mike's photos, but it seems to be at an angle, which would suggest it was added by a dealer, not done at the factory. (at least, all the factory installs I've seen have been straight across)

Lester plays a Recording, a later, smaller version of low impedance LP.

MikeSlub · Jul 25, 2009

Mark Kane said:
That's kinda early for one of those harmonica bridges isn't it?

Mark, good eye. The bridge certainly appears to be an original Schaller wide tune-o-matic (the patina matches the other hardware), and the studs appear to be untouched and original. Upon checking the serial number again, I realize that impressed early 70's numbers in the 8XXXXX range could be 1970, 1973, 1975 or 1975. This guitar is most likely a 1973. The shipping records only show that two were shipped that year. This was well into the production period in which the wide Schaller bridges were used for SGs, Recordings, etc. As far as the slight angled placement is concerned, it is plausible that this was one of the remaining bodies for Professionals that was already drilled for the angled tailpiece, and they simply put a wide Schaller on it because that was what was in stock on the production line at that time for the other models. Thanks for pointing this out and prompting me to do some homework and re-check the serial number! :salude

58Lover · Jul 25, 2009

Yup, wide travel TOM is an added item... I had a Recording model (AND bass!), but sold them in the late 80's for a song because nobody wanted them.

The low impedence was just too weird, at least for the guitar. The bass recorded pretty nicely.

moonweasel · Jun 14, 2014

Hey Mike,

Bringing an old thread back from the dead here. I was finally starting the process of adding these guitars to my LSLP site (I know very little about them, but I know a LOT more than I did when I posted in this thread in 2005

).

Anyway, your guitar is puzzling but I have something to add. As others pointed out with the harmonic bridge, it doesn't make sense with your serial number which meshes nicely with VERY VERY late 69 / VERY early 70 regular LP Deluxes and LP Customs.

Note though, you have the open b and o, 1969 and early 1970 logo. Maybe your guitar was half completed then, and didn't leave the factory until the harmonica bridge and schallers became standard?

Puzzling about a 1pc neck though, is it possible that it is actually 3pc and just hard to make out with the dark stain?

I dont see a true 70s sharp volute either, kind of looks like the "proto-volute" bump type volute from super late 69. Could be wrong, hard to tell with the dark stain....

As I have said, I have just started working on these and the sister series of Recordings/Personals/Professionals etc, but the ones I have studied so far dovetailed nicely into the system I have decoded for the regular GT and LPC instruments. I have not seen a 1pc neck past the middle of 69 with anything yet.

Thanks! (ancient thread.

)

FYI - One of the two claimed guitars to have shipped in 1969 is on ebay right now. I think the seller might be reading a bit much into that serial number as it meshes with the shipping date nicely, but you never know. It has an ABR and Waffleback tuners.... -----> http://www.ebay.com/itm/GIBSON-LES-...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Grog · Jun 16, 2014

The Schaller harmonica bridge is kind of odd for this timeframe. I wonder if someone added it later, trying to get more travel than the ABR bridge offered.... I made a similar change to two Les Pauls in the middle 70's for a few friends. The earliest Les Paul Recordings came with the ABR bridge, then changed to the harmonica bridge. All of the Personals & Professionals should have came with the ABR bridge from the factory, unless it was one of the very last to be shipped........ Unusual!!

wernerg · Jun 16, 2014

Les Paul Personal Ser# 966247

Les Paul Professional Ser# 809122

Stoj · Jun 16, 2014

Very cool Werner :salude

wernerg · Jun 17, 2014

Stoj said:
Very cool Werner :salude

thank you, Stoj.

As you can see, it's ABR's all the way for me...

Ian_1969 · Feb 15, 2015

Love this Les Paul Professional .. you can hear me record with it in 1970 ...a Peter Green (John Myall, Fleetwood Mac) tune "Supernatural" or Super Natural as we called it. Link it here
https://soundcloud.com/ian-13-2/supernatural-output-stereo-out

You can see me play it here; https://soundcloud.com/ian-13-2

Still have this beauty, there is not another guitar like it for tone. Trust me.. Mind is either a '69 or more likely a 1970 model. Very Rare but amazing. Have preferred over every other guitar I have ever owned including Les Paul Standard 335, Fender Jazzmaster, Thinline, Strats and standard Teles. Can't compare to rich tone and variety of sounds. But it is a very heavy guitar to hold up all night!

kharrison · Feb 15, 2015

Playing that thing through a Marshall Stack....:yah

moonweasel · Feb 15, 2015

I really want to try one! Thanks for posting!

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