Black is beautiful!!!

[Classic71]

So... Why aren't the last 2 markers the same size? I thought that was a quick tell for '50's Customs.

??? - Me too.

 

[JJ Blair]

Maybe because consistency was king at Gibson under McCarty? LOL.

It is unusual. The placement of the last marker is different though than it was on the '68-'69s.

I have a '63 Rev. FB VII that has some unique stuff going on, too. They really seemed to be winging it, at times. Random stingers are a great example of this, or that Junior with the jack hole on the wrong side.

 

[Tom Wittrock]

I've seen a 1961 Black Beauty with different size inlays at the end of the fingerboard.

 

[Classic71]

Good enough for me. I didn't mean to insinuate that the guitar is anything other than what it is, but you're obviously aware that the last inlay sizes on these are usually interpreted as Triplet suggested.

The matter just piqued my curiousity. Who knows what went on at Gibson on a day to day basis in the '50s.

 

[JJ Blair]

Oh, no insinuation taken. I think the cool thing about everybody showing their guitars is that we get to see all the various anomalies!

 

[poor man's burst]

I have seen several (reliable) pictures of 1960 Les Paul Custom with different size last inlays.
By the way ES-355 with the same inlays appear in 1959.

 

[sidekick]

Great looking 3 pickup BB Custom. They look so classy... :2cool

Danny Kirwan of Fleetwood Mac, used one to great effect in his rather beautiful "Dragonfly" which was released after Peter Green left and with Christine McVie now performing with the band. Unfortunately, it didn't chart well and pressure of band life/alcohol problems subsequently took it's toll on Danny, making him their third guitarist "casualty"... ☹ Sadly, he ended up trashing it in a fit of frustration/rage just before a FM gig. The story goes, that he was sacked straight after the gig, (the remainder of the band being forced to perform without him while he watched from the sound desk). I did hear some years ago, though, that the guitar was later repaired and was, (then) in the hands of someone in the UK.

Here is a video of the live version with him playing it. Unfortunately, the psychedelic effect filters impair us seeing the guitar more properly until the end of the video. Still, (IMO) worth a watch/listen.

☛.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITqvpZuq_kU

 

[JJ Blair]

After doing some research, I concluded that this guitar must have originally came with '50s waffleback tuners, with the pearloid tip, and the tips must have broken or gone bad, and they put metal tulips on. Nothing about this guitar indicates that Grovers were ever on it.

I did manage to find a nice set of '50s wafflebacks, with original pearloid tips.

Thanks for drawing my attention to that. It never occurred to me that the tuners weren't original.

 

[DHBucker]

My fave Cusrom is Peter Frampton's with the white rings,black bobbins,etc. That to me is the ultimate look for a Custom.

Pete sure can play a Lester too!

 

[DHBucker]

DOH! I think I have violated the vintage rules by posting above. My bad.

 

[MattD1960]

i my self think these guitars LOOK SO COOL. the 3pup custom is one of the coolest guitars ever, but i just have never been able to get on with playing one, that middle pick up really messes with me haha, but i do LOVE the way they look, and if i could afford it id for sure own one great guitars guys

 

[apossibleworld]

Interesting! Obviously they are E tuners altered to a G. :hmm

This is something that I've never seen anybody talk about but... I have seen several Epiphones AND Gibsons from 1959 with these tuners on them. They are in the style of pre-Gibson Epi tuners, but were clearly an experiment that didn't last. There was a '59 ES-350t on ebay last year that had these, and I've seen them on an Emperor thinline too. They are absolutely real, produced by or for Gibson in the late 50s.

 

[Tom Wittrock]

This is something that I've never seen anybody talk about but... I have seen several Epiphones AND Gibsons from 1959 with these tuners on them. They are in the style of pre-Gibson Epi tuners, but were clearly an experiment that didn't last. There was a '59 ES-350t on ebay last year that had these, and I've seen them on an Emperor thinline too. They are absolutely real, produced by or for Gibson in the late 50s.

I think they were using up left over Epi parts.

 

[Tom Wittrock]

Every time I see this thread title I want to post my favorite black Les Paul:

:salude

 

[mainerd72]

Every time I see this thread title I want to post my favorite black Les Paul:

:salude

Is that "The Blue Suede Shoes Les Paul"?

 

[mainerd72]

Different guitar I think. I think Carl Perkins was a '55 with a bigsby??

 

[LowE]

 

[j45]

Yes.

Got two of these at the shop here. With "Magic Eye". One of the best rhythm sounds ever.

 

[JJ Blair]

DOH! I think I have violated the vintage rules by posting above. My bad.

No. IIRC, that's a '55 that was routed for the triple humbuckers. It has the low logo on the headstock.

 

[585960]

Black Beauties sure are cool looking, but ANY maple topped paf'd Goldtop or Burst eats them for breakfast....if you want nasal, get a mahogony topped paf'd Goldtop or LPC........