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Gibson Les Paul Protype ?

brandtkronholm

brandtkronholm

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Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,749
El Gringo said:
Looks like it is a copy and not a Gibson
Click to expand...

+1

However, the Gibson logo on the headstock looks fine...but the location of the truss rod access might indicate 1952-1953?.
Even if the guitar has been cobbled together from miscellaneous/broken Gibson parts (logo, fretboard?) it does appear to be altered so much an so far away from a proper Gibson that it is essentially a homemade copy.

More pictures, especially of the back, the control cavity, and the pickup routes would be appreciated and would give us more clues.
 
Last edited:
somebodyelseuk

somebodyelseuk

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Jun 10, 2020
Messages
457
Raoni said:
Hello, thanks for your kinds replys,
First no, it's really my first time here on this forum, I'm belgian and my father was this guy https://youtu.be/4tB7sovvzV0 (this is my fav song from him).
Second, I do not intend to sell it, it got too much emotional value to me.

I just wanna know more about it's history, only thing my father told me about was the things i already said.

For the photos here it is (thanks for looking at it) :

View attachment 11957
View attachment 11958
The pieces i removed that may give a hint on its original color ?
View attachment 11959
and the head, i think he changed the tuning stuffs by Schaller ones
View attachment 11960

He was born in 1948 so maybe it's not a 1952 model or earlier like he said, he got it by exchanging it to a stupid guy that took it from his brother ... decisions gave regrets i think but it was too late.
I think he aquired it around the 60's not really sure tho, all I know is that he was really young (maybe 16).
So i don't know and he probably didn't knew what the model really was well maybe before painting it like he did.

Thanks for looking at it and giving me hint on what it could really be. :) So far I know it might be a Gibson Les Paul heavily modified but that's all.

Edit : and the back like asked :)
View attachment 11961
Click to expand...

Apologies for suspecting you.
Crown inlays with a Custom head screams fake to me, sorry.
Over to the real experts.
 
brandtkronholm

brandtkronholm

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,749
My guess: This is (was) a 1952-1954 Les Paul.
The vibrato unit and bridge point to the possibility of it being a 1952-1953 once having a trapeze tail piece, but this is just a guess.

It has been extensively (and intrusively) reworked.
It could be resurrected, but the mysteries (and damage) hiding under the black paint are anybody's guess.

The picture of the plastic covers from the back of the guitar are blurry but it looks like they have been painted black too. However, there may be a bit of the original brown colored plastic showing through.

If you can, please remove the neck pickup and take a clear, focused picture of that cavity and post it.
 
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