• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Paul McCartney's Touring '60

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
I was browsing through burstserial.com today and found some interesting guitars that corroborate my theory of the "batch of four".

Just take the first four guitars on Julios site in the gallery of 1957:

7-1337
7-1382
7-1385
7-1890

They are all lefthanded. What a beginning!

The next four guitars (righthanded of course) spot a black pickguard pp.

7-2371
7-2540
7-2543
7-2901

Only a strange coincidence?


Fred

However, those 4 lefty 57 GTs have cream hardware, yet they have serial numbers below the black hardware "first" PAF GTs, and they are in the number range of 57 P-90 GTs.
No explanations available, except our own guesses. :salude
 

mainerd72

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
210
Can anyone think of another show that gives you this much vintage Gibson at arena decibles?
 

oceantoad

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2003
Messages
1,165
Can anyone think of another show that gives you this much vintage Gibson at arena decibles?
& Epiphone..:rofl :rolleyes :salude :lol
feo4803116505_be94c502ca_b.jpg

feo4802663012_888a333488_b.jpg

put yourself in john hammel (paul's tech ) place here.....the '60 Les Paul in one hand, and :wow the bass ...going ...going...
feo4802574918_9448c6500c_b.jpg


...the keyboard player Paul "Wix" Wikens needs a drink watching this scene,me too.
feo4869026154_7d6151e439_b.jpg
 
Last edited:

oceantoad

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2003
Messages
1,165
Les himself might disagree as well.

les-paul2.jpg


The neck on the original "log" was an Epiphone neck.
 

BurstWurst

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2008
Messages
568
I'm sure I'm not the first to wonder. Why does Paul"s burst have this nearly black area on the bass side just above the neck? Not a tag tan line, IMO. GREAT pics! Thanks for posting them.
 

marika

New member
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
186
Great pics, thanks for sharing them.

I'm sure after 50+ years Sir Paul has figured out how to keep his strap on his instrument LOL.

AND a strap (Braces with clips!!) on his pants too...lol

Did he talk about his vintage guitars at the show? A non-guitar friend went and came back all excited about Maccas old guitars out on tour too...
 
F

Frickengruvin

Guest
mainerd72 said: "Can anyone think of another show that gives you this much vintage Gibson at arena decibles?"

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers....Between Petty, Campbell and Scott Thurston, I'd venture a guess of 40 to 60 guitars a night. Of course not all are Gibson, but all use vintage gear, and all three play a different instrument on virtually every song of their set list (which is between 15-25 songs, depending on the show). I hear tell they bring along over a 100 guitars on their tours. I can't verify that (wish I could personally though!), but have heard it on a couple of different occassions.
 

mingus

Active member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
4,243
While it is true that Tom Petty and Mike Campbell tour with a wide assortment of vintage guitars and amps, it's also true that Mike recently acquired a burst, however, he does not appear to be taking his burst out for gigs.

Even so, it's wonderful that these artists care about their live sound and that we have a chance to hear great gear in action played by great players.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
I'm sure after 50+ years Sir Paul has figured out how to keep his strap on his instrument LOL.

Looks like he uses the same disc loks on his Burst, that I have been using on mine for 25 years. :ganz
 

mainerd72

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
210
mainerd72 said: "Can anyone think of another show that gives you this much vintage Gibson at arena decibles?"

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers....Between Petty, Campbell and Scott Thurston, I'd venture a guess of 40 to 60 guitars a night. Of course not all are Gibson, but all use vintage gear, and all three play a different instrument on virtually every song of their set list (which is between 15-25 songs, depending on the show). I hear tell they bring along over a 100 guitars on their tours. I can't verify that (wish I could personally though!), but have heard it on a couple of different occassions.
Its hard 2 beat The Heartbreakers live 4 sure! I was trying to avoid the "pun" "Vintage Paul":) The Stones are also good for vintage gear. I didn't realize McCartney's band toured with their 50's Lesters, great thread!...... Maybe this will give The Rev. an itch to take Mrs.Pearly out for a gig.
 

Otto 57

Active member
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
1,345
I'm sure I'm not the first to wonder. Why does Paul"s burst have this nearly black area on the bass side just above the neck? Not a tag tan line, IMO. GREAT pics! Thanks for posting them.

IIRC, the guy from TOTO had a burst (right handed) with a very similar fade pattern. Sorry for not remembering the name. I'm thinking it was Steve Lukather.
Also this guitar heavily supports what Tom is always saying about bursts being all cherry sunburst but fading darker or lighter. Next time we have that debate we will use Paul's burst as exibit A.
 

garywright

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
15,583
Also this guitar heavily supports what Tom is always saying about bursts being all cherry sunburst but fading darker or lighter. Next time we have that debate we will use Paul's burst as exibit A.

images
 

Rev.WillieVK

Active member
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
9,268
Why does Paul"s burst have this nearly black area on the bass side just above the neck? Not a tag tan line, IMO.

The theory/assumption is that when they were spraying the cherry part of the burst, there was an area where the paint wasn't sticking for some reason, so they shot that area again and again until the cherry color was uniform. BUT there are now 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 coats of red paint in this area. Some Bursts also get extra coats of red at the bass side of the neck (hard to get the red to stick up close to the binding), and you can see this effect on the bottom of Spot. If you think of a Burst fading like layers of paint being peeled off, this area had many more layers of paint that hadn't faded away yet. On top of that, the formulations of the cherry red dyes Gibson sprayed varied and some of them get darker with age.

When this guitar was brand new it probably looked pretty much like any other brand new cherry sunburst Les Paul. However, I believe Macca's guitar is stamped as a factory 2nd and it was probably this area of finish problems that made it a 2nd. Might have been even been sent back through the line to get that area fixed with even more coats of red.
 

pablomago

New member
Joined
Jul 5, 2002
Messages
1,225
Paul's band is the best since The Beatles. They're a great band.

Any shots of the backline gear. What amps does Brian Ray use? What's in the racks? I've gotten obsesed with the McCartney band lately. Rusty Anderson has become my latest guitar hero.
 

J.D.

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
10,030
Looks like he uses the same disc loks on his Burst, that I have been using on mine for 25 years. :ganz

Wow, I can only imagine what else you two have in common :ha
 

oceantoad

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2003
Messages
1,165
....Brian Ray...What's in the racks? I've gotten obsesed with the McCartney band lately. Rusty Anderson has become my latest guitar hero.
pablomago,
it would take me hours..start here..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIx20yg_DwA

Both, Mr.B.Ray and Mr.Anderson have new, very tasty, releases...'ere you go...
www.brianray.com
www.rustyanderson.com
while we wait 4 Maccas new one...
stay tuned...:ganz
36976_1503960036495_1159059395_31447298_501791_n.jpg

45880_1557059803956_1159059395_31589906_6644683_n.jpg

...those were the days !
fa30082_1445073964380_1159059395_31296560_1730746_n.jpg


Thanks Tom ,I needed that! We all have something in common ...:2cool

fa30082_1445075684423_1159059395_31296596_6382967_n.jpg
 
Last edited:

keef

Active member
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,006
Ummm - does Rusty's white humbuckered SG have a standard SG headstock, or a less wider one like a vintage Les Paul? Man, do I have GAS for one of those...
 

Dire Wolf

Active member
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
2,745
mainerd72 said: "Can anyone think of another show that gives you this much vintage Gibson at arena decibles?"

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers....Between Petty, Campbell and Scott Thurston, I'd venture a guess of 40 to 60 guitars a night. Of course not all are Gibson, but all use vintage gear, and all three play a different instrument on virtually every song of their set list (which is between 15-25 songs, depending on the show). I hear tell they bring along over a 100 guitars on their tours. I can't verify that (wish I could personally though!), but have heard it on a couple of different occassions.

Quote by Steve Ferrone from page 201 of Running Down a Dream:

I found the Heartbreakers a little bit strange because they don't really hang out like normal bands. Most bands go out to clubs and hang out. The Heartbreakers go shopping for old instruments. That's their excitement.

Now that's our kind of band! :peace2
 
Top