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Factory Fitted Grover tuners?

harveyP

Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2003
Messages
199
Has anyone ever seen an original Burst or Gold Top with FACTORY FITTED Grovers? Did Gibson ever offer Grovers on a 50s Les Paul Standard as a custom order option?

Or will any Burst or original Gold Top always have evidence of Klusons? Would it be correct to assume that any 50s Les Paul Standard fitted with Grovers has been modified AFTER it originally left the factory?
 

j45

Active member
Joined
Jun 14, 2002
Messages
9,081
Even if no one here has seen a burst with factory Grovers I don't think a statement could be made that it never happened.
 

bigtomrodney

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Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Messages
1,448
I'm curious about this too, I've heard that Customs were occasionally ordered with factory Grovers but I haven't heard the same story about Standards/Models.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Even if no one here has seen a burst with factory Grovers I don't think a statement could be made that it never happened.

Exactly. As far as I know, no Goldtop or Burst has factory Grovers.
However, here's a pic I took of a 1958 ES-175 with factory Grovers.
So, it could have happened. :)

normal_DSCN5769.JPG
 

Classic71

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Jul 11, 2010
Messages
1,745
To expand the question a bit further, does anyone know how common (or uncommon) it was to order an electric direct from the factory? The thing that prompts me to ask is the fact that some 'bursts were obviously factory fitted with Bigsby's (i.e. no tailpiece stud holes).
 

Brown Recluse

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Joined
Aug 11, 2006
Messages
1,108
I've got a '59 Cherry 330 with factory Grovers, a crown inlay on the headstaock, a Bigsby and an ES-345 fingerboard. Gibson did some strange stuff. I wouldn't consider factory Grovers on a burst as being beyond the realm of possibility.
 

Electric Lloyd

Active member
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Feb 5, 2005
Messages
3,500
Exactly. As far as I know, no Goldtop or Burst has factory Grovers.
However, here's a pic I took of a 1958 ES-175 with factory Grovers.
So, it could have happened. :)

normal_DSCN5769.JPG

Very cool TW! I didn't know Grover was making tuners this early. Another ode to German engineering! These tuning keys were far superior to anything at the time.

And Brown Recluse, that cool ES-330 you have might be an employee guitar. Just a guess, really.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Very cool TW! I didn't know Grover was making tuners this early. Another ode to German engineering! These tuning keys were far superior to anything at the time.

Actually, Grover had been making tuning gears since the late 1800s.
But this might be the first of the Roto-matics we like so much. :)
 

cjp54

Member
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
496
I wish I would have saved a photo that came through email several years ago of a spectacular 59 burst with what appeared to be factory Grovers. I'll see if I can dig it up.
 

VibroMan

New member
Joined
Aug 2, 2012
Messages
7
Does anyone have any detailed photographs of late 1950’s Gibson guitars that have factory equipped Grover tuners? Specifically I’m looking for images of the tuner holes, impressions, tooling marks, etc...
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Does anyone have any detailed photographs of late 1950’s Gibson guitars that have factory equipped Grover tuners? Specifically I’m looking for images of the tuner holes, impressions, tooling marks, etc...

Look for threads with late 50s Customs and you might find some images.
I have a few photos at work, including one of the guitar I posted above, I think.
If I get a chance tomorrow, I will try to post them. :salude
 

poor man's burst

Active member
Joined
Oct 3, 2010
Messages
421
I'm curious about this too, I've heard that Customs were occasionally ordered with factory Grovers but I haven't heard the same story about Standards/Models.

Grover Rotomatic became factory standard on the Les Paul Custom by late '58 early '59 until the model's discontinuation in '61.
 

LTD400

New member
Joined
Dec 5, 2019
Messages
5
I know it is an old thread. But I came across these grovers that have a Gibson branding.
These are probably later grovers (maybe 70s). But I've not seen the Gibson branding on these old Grover tuners. Does anyone know on which guitar these were from the factory?

Note: those pictures are not mine. these are pictures from someone selling them.
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