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1968 Les Paul Custom with the earliest specifications...

imoemon

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Nov 7, 2009
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120
The serial number is 512XXX. 9.5lbs.
The very first lot of reissued Les Paul Customs has some specific character such as...

1. Factory issued Grover machine heads
2. Wrong placed strap buttons
3. VERY huge neck heal
4. Original CRL 1960 43week pots (1346043)

In year 1968, Gibson seemed to do different process every day...:salude
 
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Grog

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Apr 7, 2012
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Great Guitar! Thanks for posting! Moonweasel checks in from time to time, he must be busy. But I'm sure he will be quite interested in your example!
 

fender69

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Apr 17, 2003
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Maybe I'm dense but why would a guitar built in 1968 have pots that date to 1960? Doesn't seem to add up to me.:hmm
 

Wilko

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1960_pot.jpg


looks like Centralab '60
 

marshall1987

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Okay let's start with the acronyms.....

Maybe you can help.....what does CRL stand for? And....what does POT stand for?

thanks. :teeth
 

imoemon

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Nov 7, 2009
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I don't know how, but I believe that for some reason, the leftover ‘60~’61 CRL pots was used for Les paul’s reissue in early ‘68.

I imagine what happened at the Kalamazoo factory in 1968.
And it's so much fun...:hank
Please let me know if you have any information.
 
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Jumping@Shadows

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Very interesting! I’ve had two ‘68 Goldtops with ‘67 pots and red ‘chicklet’ caps, as well as a super early 8.6lbs ‘68 LPC with ‘61 Centralab pots, but the neck heel and tenon shape/length in the OP images is bizarre! That heel looks even bigger than the ‘72 Alnico RI Custom, and is highly anomalous and would strongly indicate a reneck under normal circumstances :hmm
 

imoemon

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About five years ago, I checked a ’68 LPC with exactly the same specifications.
Then I kept looking for a ’68 LPC with the same specifications…
 
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Jumping@Shadows

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Amazing! This really fascinates me as I’ve had LPC’s earlier than 51XXXX serial which didn’t have that huge heel :hmm Also it’s like no other Les Paul heel ever seen bar the later ‘72 Alnico ‘54 RI’, and nothing like the same era Goldtop heel...how strange!
 

imoemon

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Nov 7, 2009
Messages
120
Amazing! This really fascinates me as I’ve had LPC’s earlier than 51XXXX serial which didn’t have that huge heel :hmm Also it’s like no other Les Paul heel ever seen bar the later ‘72 Alnico ‘54 RI’, and nothing like the same era Goldtop heel...how strange!

I've seen some early serial ’68 Goldtops.
They had a crown inlay on the headstock.
Others did not have a “Les Paul Model” silkscreenlogo. (Instead, it had a “Les Paul” Trussrodcover)
But they were not huge heels.
 
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Wilko

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I've seen the huge heel only on customs. Of course, the custom and standard got different necks. Maybe they were assigned to different carvers?
 
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