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Beauty of The Black Beauty - The "Alnico" Custom thread

zhivago

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Here is a gorgeous '55, out in the sun... :jim

1955%20Gibson%20Les%20Paul%20Custom%20-%20Unknown%20serial_zpsozmyi5wg.jpg
 

zhivago

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Some great talk from the guys at Throbak regarding the Staple pickup:


fast forward to 8' 30" or so...

Midnight Blues, was that ou asking the question? Well played, if so. :salude
 

Rex Carlson

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Dec 18, 2018
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Love that guitar. Thanks for stoking my desire to buy more guitars and, as a result, your help in keeping my bank account completely cleaned out. :spabout
 

Midnight Blues

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Feb 20, 2011
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Yup, that would be me Z. I was disappointed when Jon (I believe he posts here from time-to-time doesn't he?) responded by saying that he had no plans of manufacturing one. It's too bad because by all indications, they make quality pups and accessories.

I love watching the "Ask Throbak Thursday" videos! They both seem like great guys and the "Musical Interludes" kill me! I find these, along with the other videos they do, very informative.

OK, let me know if you want me to delete this, because I'd be more than happy too, but it's
ohno.gif
time. Kim from Historic Makeovers just sent these to me tonight; she's on the bench!:

WUWfhZT.jpg


eVDRCKH.jpg


It's a nice shot of my "Staple". My baby is in for a refret. I didn't really want to do it, but it was time. I had some dead spots in the upper register and if I wanted to play her, which I do, it needed to be done.


:salute
 

zhivago

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Sep 29, 2004
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Love that guitar. Thanks for stoking my desire to buy more guitars and, as a result, your help in keeping my bank account completely cleaned out. :spabout

Hehehe!! Think about it this way: we are helping move the economy forward! :laugh2:
 

zhivago

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Sep 29, 2004
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1,417
Yup, that would be me Z. I was disappointed when Jon (I believe he posts here from time-to-time doesn't he?) responded by saying that he had no plans of manufacturing one. It's too bad because by all indications, they make quality pups and accessories.

I love watching the "Ask Throbak Thursday" videos! They both seem like great guys and the "Musical Interludes" kill me! I find these, along with the other videos they do, very informative.

OK, let me know if you want me to delete this, because I'd be more than happy too, but it's
ohno.gif
time. Kim from Historic Makeovers just sent these to me tonight; she's on the bench!:

WUWfhZT.jpg


eVDRCKH.jpg


It's a nice shot of my "Staple". My baby is in for a refret. I didn't really want to do it, but it was time. I had some dead spots in the upper register and if I wanted to play her, which I do, it needed to be done.


:salute


Hey no worries, don't delete the post. :salude

I think once you get her back with fresh frets you will fall in love with the guitar again. I've had all four of my vintage guitars refretted and have no regrets whatsoever.


I love watching the Throbak videos too...I am going to probably buy a set of their PAFs for my ES-345 Reissue at some point.

I can kind of see what Jon is saying in the video...doing it properly means any prospective buyer would have to route the guitar, which I guess makes the pool of potential buyers smaller.

I guess there is always Seymour Duncan, but I do feel that Throbak stuff is a lot better. :jim
 

Midnight Blues

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Thanks Z. Just didn't want my lowly '72 to tarnish this wonderful Thread in anyway.

Yeah, I can definitely see why. To be honest, I didn't realize you'd have to route it? Having typed that though, if you are looking to replace and existing one, then it would be fine. No doubt there wouldn't be a big enough market in that case either. Of course you could go to SD to get one, but...

I'm contemplating changing the wiring in my '76 Deluxe to TB's '50s wiring harness. Maybe at some point I'll do that.


Thanks Z and :salute
 

dleake

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Mar 15, 2016
Messages
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Took these pics of this '55 Custom a few years ago at a show. I think I stared at this guitar for an hour! :salude

Screen-Shot-2019-01-18-at-1-26-03-PM.png


Screen-Shot-2019-01-18-at-1-26-25-PM.png
 

zhivago

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1,417
Took these pics of this '55 Custom a few years ago at a show. I think I stared at this guitar for an hour! :salude

Screen-Shot-2019-01-18-at-1-26-03-PM.png


Screen-Shot-2019-01-18-at-1-26-25-PM.png


Very cool guitar!! the knobs point to in being '55 or earlier...

I guess maybe they were changed, if it was definitely a '56 according to the serial #. :jim
 

zhivago

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Here's a cool photo of the '55 BB that used to belong to Paul Kossoff...

This%201955%20Les%20Paul%20Custom%20was%20owned%20by%20Paul%20Kossoff_zpsiqnpy6h0.jpg


:dude:
 

Midnight Blues

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My Kossoff/Clapton history isn't up to snuff, but is that the same one that Clapton ended-up with, or visa-versa, although I think it's the former?
 

zhivago

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Sep 29, 2004
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Here is some more info on the guitar:

The 1955 Les Paul Custom was owned by Paul Kossoff during his time with Black Cat Bones before the formation of Free. Although a teenage Kossoff soon traded the guitar, he made his mark on it, scribbling his name on stickers inside its covers. The guitar’s subsequent owner is thought to have been Eric Clapton and played onstage with Cream in 1967.

Kossoff apparently scraped the yellowed lacquer off the binding of the then-10-year-old guitar to restore it to its original white appearance, and blacked out the ‘Les Paul Custom’ legend on the truss-rod cover. He also wrote his name on stickers that he stuck to the underside of the control and switch cavity plates.

“There are pictures of Kossoff with short hair, 15-16 years old, playing that guitar,” Matt continues. “He was playing it with Black Cat Bones before Free. He was trading a lot with Eric Clapton and you can see a picture of Clapton with that very same guitar in 1967 in Cream. The guitar initially came from Eric Clapton’s tour manager.”
 

Bruce R

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1955_gibson_les_paul_custom_guitar_paul_kossoff_.jpg

Clap 55 Custom.jpg

Here' a photo of Kos and his Custom, as well as Clapton with a similar guitar. There is also another photo showing Clapton with (presumably) the same Custom, but with an ill fitting (homemade?) white pickguard.

I am assuming we're not talking about the 3-picup Custom Eric received in trade from Kos for his "Darkburst" Standard in '69.
 
Last edited:

Midnight Blues

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Feb 20, 2011
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1,703
Here is some more info on the guitar:

Maybe my memory isn't as bad as I thought? :laugh2:

I remember trying to scrape the binding (just one little spot) on mine to try and get it to look white again like Frampton's. In reality, the binding hadn't "aged", it was supposed to be that color.

What an idiot I was/am!
 
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