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'68 spec '69 Custom

lpcust

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
414
Long time since I've posted, so . . .
I bought my '69 LPC in NYC back when 48th Street was a bit of a vintage mecca. Great story: I'd been looking for a '68 LPC for quite some time. I visited Gruhn's and other shops on a trip East. Hit all the NYC shops including a small 48th street shop where I saw one hanging on the wall. Very clean and appeared all original- but for the missing neck pickup cover. Shop owner said he thought pickups were both original but he'd happily let me look. Neck PU turned out to be a Seymour Duncan.; everything else original. Guy said, "I'll provide a pickup." At which point he pulled out a PAF in a baggie from a drawer behind the counter. Bought the guitar, went home, had a dear friend and great luthier refret it with tall but narrow wire, I installed the PAF in the neck, and was a very happy camper.

Fast forward: I've sold most of my guitars, haven't gigged for a few years, gave my other LP to my son, and have been playing other guitars. So I recently pulled the LPC out to go to a friend's studio. Where upon critical listening, playing clean into the board, comparing vintage Strats, etc, I noticed that the neck PU didn't sound right: lacking fidelity, clarity, etc. Upon returning home I realized that somewhere along the way I'd installed a rewound PAF. So . . . I grabbed another PAF that's been gathering dust and replaced the rewound PAF, and amen, brothers and sisters! The clarity, string-to-string note separation, and the amazing overtones of a sweet PAF were back. The bridge PU, which is original, and must be either a T-top or pre-T-top, sounds great in combination.
The guitar doesn't sound quite the same as PAF LPs I've owned, but much closer to a '50s LP than Historics of my experience. And we've had many years of making music together.
So I encourage everyone who hasn't done so to consider '68 (and '68 spec '69) Les Pauls, both goldtop and Custom. Historics are excellent guitars, but having played Historics, bursts, PAF goldtops, and a '68 goldtop and this '69 Custom, I still think 68-69 LPs can be an amazing combination of older sound and feel for not much more $ than reissues.
I apologize for no pics at this point. I'll rectify that soon.
 

Sol

Active member
Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
lpcust, I remember you sharing the story of how you bought your Custom elsewhere , it cheered me up no end to think there are still people around like that.

Its great to hear from you and that your still loving that vintage Custom Les Paul.

There's a lack of detailed info (compared to 57-60) regarding the 1968 - 69 Les Paul's, it's a knowledge gap that really needs to be filled because these things are a record of Gibson in a major transistion phase.
 

brandtkronholm

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,737
lpcust, I remember you sharing the story of how you bought your Custom elsewhere , it cheered me up no end to think there are still people around like that.

Its great to hear from you and that your still loving that vintage Custom Les Paul.

There's a lack of detailed info (compared to 57-60) regarding the 1968 - 69 Les Paul's, it's a knowledge gap that really needs to be filled because these things are a record of Gibson in a major transistion phase.

FYI/FYE: http://www.latesixtieslespauls.com/
:)
 
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