1997 Ace Frehley Custom Shop

1997 Ace Frehley Custom Shop Signature difference?

I have a question for anyone that can shed some light on it for me!


I am lucky enough to own one of the “300” Ace Frehley Custom Shop Les Paul’s. I have run across another one for sale. The price is step, but I’m more concerned that it is a legit item. The one I found recently has a much lower serial number and appears from the photos I’ve seen to be in slightly better condition than the one I currently own. It seems legit as for its serial number, I found multiple independent photos of the guitar and the flame / burst patterns matches exactly. This is also verified from photos on the website acefrehleylespaul.


But I noticed something very significantly different from the one I found currently for sale vs the one I own. On mine, the neck binding actually raises up higher where each fret is placed and covers over the end of the metal fret. So in other words, the end of the fret is not exposed but blocked or covered over by the rise of the binding. The one I found for sales is not like this. It’s neck binding doesn’t raise where the frets are installed and the metal fret comes all the way out to the edge of the binding and have a 45 degree or so cut edge to make it angle down to the neck/binding.

The one that is current for sale


Mine I currently own


Is this something to be concerned about that could make this not a legit 1 of 300 Ace Frehley Custom Shop Les Paul's and/or is it true or not that the same made guitar series from the custom shop would be this scientifically different on how it was made?

Edit: AFS 002 from an interview with Ace Frehley shows this image of the neck, and the binding doesn't raise at the fret locations. So I'm about as confused as a person can be related to what it should or shouldn't look like.

Additional photos that show the neck binding/fret difference I'm concerned about. This seems to be a huge difference in how the guitar was made and I'm not sure how this is normal, good, bad etc. But I hope someone can shed a bit of light on this matter for me!

Thanks

My current ACE xxx



The one that I'm looking to purchase:

Issue solved: The owner emailed me just now and said as far as the nids go. The guitar was refretted by Joe Glaser with Dunlop jumbo fretwire and the ends were left bar like Ace does on his personal guitars.

So this matter is closed as I know now why they are different. My ACE is total as it was when it came from the custom shop. This one for sale is not.

acerocks said:

Issue solved: The owner emailed me just now and said as far as the nids go. The guitar was refretted by Joe Glaser with Dunlop jumbo fretwire and the ends were left bar like Ace does on his personal guitars.

So this matter is closed as I know now why they are different. My ACE is total as it was when it came from the custom shop. This one for sale is not.

Click to expand...

The AFS guitars were made for Ace, and they have super jumbo frets. The frets go over the binding on those. But your guitar has nibs = the white part of the binding that meets the metal frets. The AFS guitars will cost a lot more than one of the 300. They are different in that they have sterling silver in the Ace face and they have sterling silver inlays. And only the bridge pickup was wired up when they were made.

I have owned 5 of the 300 over the years, but not all at the same time. What number is yours? Do you have photos?


........

jimmyace2006 said:

The AFS guitars were made for Ace, and they have super jumbo frets. The frets go over the binding on those. But your guitar has nibs = the white part of the binding that meets the metal frets. The AFS guitars will cost a lot more than one of the 300. They are different in that they have sterling silver in the Ace face and they have sterling silver inlays. And only the bridge pickup was wired up when they were made.

I have owned 5 of the 300 over the years, but not all at the same time. What number is yours? Do you have photos?


........

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply: Also, I’m totally familiar with the AFS models and that they were personally made for Ace. One is currently for sale by a guy in Australia! I only showed that pic and mentioned the AFS because the binding and frets looked like the ACE ### I am looking to purchase. By refering to the AFS, I felt that was the quickest way to visually show what I was trying to describe since at the time I didn't have a photo from the seller when I posted the above. So to be clear, I am comparing an ACE ### to my ACE ###. Mine is #268. Mine is 100% correct as it was advertised to by made. I am lucky to have the 3 correct pickups on my model! I’ve seen better flaming on other 300 models and the one I’m looking to purchase has better flaming from the photos I’ve seen. But honestly, I’m not too crazy with the fact it’s been referreted. So now I’m a bit on the fence about purchasing and really have to think this through.

This is #268 the one I own:

This is my Custom Shop ACE 276:

SWEET !!!! Very Nice!!!

Are all (3) of your pickup DP's? Mine are actually all (3) DP100's. So the specs from Gibson for this model custom shop (1 of 300) were (3) DP100's Super Distortion. I am probably wrong but I'm not sure!

I never checked, but I bought this guitar new from the dealer back in the day, and no one has had their grubby mitts on it besides me - so whatever DiMarzio’s are the factory spec are in the guitar. :hank

MikeSlub said:

I never checked, but I bought this guitar new from the dealer back in the day, and no one has had their grubby mitts on it besides me - so whatever DiMarzio’s are the factory spec are in the guitar. :hank

Click to expand...

Mike, you may be aware - there was a mix up between Gibson and DiMarzio back in the day. Some of the 300 got DiMarzio PAFs instead of the spec'd Super Distortions. I think yours looks to have the correct one. I have had 5 of these guitars; some with the Super Ds and some with PAFs. All are nice.

acerocks said:

Thanks for the reply: Also, I’m totally familiar with the AFS models and that they were personally made for Ace. One is currently for sale by a guy in Australia! I only showed that pic and mentioned the AFS because the binding and frets looked like the ACE ### I am looking to purchase. By refering to the AFS, I felt that was the quickest way to visually show what I was trying to describe since at the time I didn't have a photo from the seller when I posted the above. So to be clear, I am comparing an ACE ### to my ACE ###. Mine is #268. Mine is 100% correct as it was advertised to by made. I am lucky to have the 3 correct pickups on my model! I’ve seen better flaming on other 300 models and the one I’m looking to purchase has better flaming from the photos I’ve seen. But honestly, I’m not too crazy with the fact it’s been referreted. So now I’m a bit on the fence about purchasing and really have to think this through.

This is #268 the one I own:

View attachment 10828
View attachment 10829

Click to expand...

You have to go with your gut feeling. The refret would not bother me too much as long as the frets are similar to the ones Ace uses. But I would definitely knock a little off the price.

Jimmyace2006: Thanks for the reply.... yes... I think if I'm dumping this kind of cash, why not look at a reissue model of his 59' instead since a I have an ACE ### already, that I'm happy with!

acerocks said:

Jimmyace2006: Thanks for the reply.... yes... I think if I'm dumping this kind of cash, why not look at a reissue model of his 59' instead since a I have an ACE ### already, that I'm happy with!

Click to expand...

LOL I have one on Reverb.


.......

MikeSlub said:

This is my Custom Shop ACE 276:

Click to expand...

My compliments Mike as she sure is a beauty !!!!!!!!!!!

Whats the price on an AFS in good condition today?