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1952 Les Paul Goldtop

mikeslub

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Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
15,380
Pulled out my 1952 Gibson Les Paul today. I bought this ages ago from an antique dealer with original case. With the exception of a few belt buckle scratches on the back, this guitar was barely played and is near mint. Virtually no lacquer checking. It has a small initial “B” on it that I dare not remove- plus it’s the first initial of my wife’s name, so it is perfect! And even though everyone criticizes the early design due to shallow neck angle requiring the strings to be wrapped below the trapeze stop bar, this guitar plays and sounds glorious! In my opinion it’s perfect for rhythm work. Love it!
482986939_24169699099284937_2041003323488453435_n.jpg

484067930_24169699005951613_593171020831646874_n.jpg

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J.D.

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
10,085
That's incredibly clean. Wasn't it Mojo Axe or Music City that made a retrofit top wrap bridge that would install in place of the plain bar with no further/permanent modification? Seems like a good idea to improve playability a bit.

That sticker would drive me mad personally and would have to go 😜
 

jb_abides

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Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
7,322

goldtop0

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Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
9,144
Cheers Mike.
I played one of these in the early '90s at Auckland Rock Shop, had a baseball bat neck and they wanted NZ$6.5k for it, sold a month later or so to Bryan Adam's guitarist.
 

ourmaninthenorth

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Joined
Mar 28, 2009
Messages
7,264
I love these.




E2CdhFl.jpg
 
Last edited:

GreenBurst

Active member
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Messages
931
Pulled out my 1952 Gibson Les Paul today. I bought this ages ago from an antique dealer with original case. With the exception of a few belt buckle scratches on the back, this guitar was barely played and is near mint. Virtually no lacquer checking. It has a small initial “B” on it that I dare not remove- plus it’s the first initial of my wife’s name, so it is perfect! And even though everyone criticizes the early design due to shallow neck angle requiring the strings to be wrapped below the trapeze stop bar, this guitar plays and sounds glorious! In my opinion it’s perfect for rhythm work. Love it!
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Very cool. When you say antique dealer do you mean an actual 'antique' dealer selling a bit of everything old? That would be an odd but cool find.

I remember being at Gruhns in 1988 and they had three '52 GTs hanging on the wall of the main floor. They were all priced at $1899. But these all had significant greening.

To put that pricing in perspective they also had a Gibson map guitar finished in natural mahogany for $695. I should've bought one of the GTs.
 

mikeslub

Administrator
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
15,380
Very cool. When you say antique dealer do you mean an actual 'antique' dealer selling a bit of everything old? That would be an odd but cool find.

I remember being at Gruhns in 1988 and they had three '52 GTs hanging on the wall of the main floor. They were all priced at $1899. But these all had significant greening.

To put that pricing in perspective they also had a Gibson map guitar finished in natural mahogany for $695. I should've bought one of the GTs.
Yes, it was an antique dealer, not a guitar dealer. He was advertising on eBay at the time. Again, many moons ago. I treasure this one.
I also own a '53 with trapeze, purchased from Gruhn's a long time ago as well.
 

charliechitlins

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2021
Messages
1,434
I must be the only person for whom a trapeze Lester is my dream guitar.
It used to be they were cheap because nobody wanted to play one.
Now nobody wants to play one and they're expensive.
 

ampdan

Active member
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
465
Beautiful guitar! If it wasn't played much, something chewed on the fretboard first 3 frets.
 

jb_abides

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Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
7,322
That's incredibly clean. Wasn't it Mojo Axe or Music City that made a retrofit top wrap bridge that would install in place of the plain bar with no further/permanent modification? Seems like a good idea to improve playability a bit.

That sticker would drive me mad personally and would have to go 😜

Apologies, I should give 'fair time' to BOTH, especially a forum brother, @DANELECTRO

So --> Here's the MojoAxe version!

MojoAxe CTT-A Compensated Top-Wrap Trapeze Tailpiece

The MojoAxe Trapeze Tailpiece is designed to improve the playability of 1952-1953 Les Paul Goldtops by replacing the original “wrap-under” bridge with a compensated “top-wrap” bridge which dramatically improving the tuning of the guitar and allows for palm muting of the strings. The CTT tailpiece is CNC machined from 7075 aircraft grade lightweight aluminum bar stock. The tailpiece is designed to fit onto the existing trapeze rods (rods are not included) and it is adjustable for both intonation and height. The standard finish is aged (un-aged available on request)

 

mikeslub

Administrator
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
15,380
Thanks much for the links to the retrofit tailpieces. But besides changing the strings, I'm not going to touch a thing on my '52 or '53, even if it can be removed and replaced. These geetars play and sound perfect as-is. And I'm not going to be the first person who turns a screw on them - the next owner can do that when I kick the bucket.
 

jb_abides

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
7,322
Thanks much for the links to the retrofit tailpieces. But besides changing the strings, I'm not going to touch a thing on my '52 or '53, even if it can be removed and replaced. These geetars play and sound perfect as-is. And I'm not going to be the first person who turns a screw on them - the next owner can do that when I kick the bucket.

Absolutely.

BTW, Mike, I don't mean to derail the thread, I just wanted to fully answer JD's query and provide others with the pointers they may need in the future.
 

Subliminal lanimilbuS

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2023
Messages
504
Pulled out my 1952 Gibson Les Paul today. I bought this ages ago from an antique dealer with original case. With the exception of a few belt buckle scratches on the back, this guitar was barely played and is near mint. Virtually no lacquer checking. It has a small initial “B” on it that I dare not remove- plus it’s the first initial of my wife’s name, so it is perfect! And even though everyone criticizes the early design due to shallow neck angle requiring the strings to be wrapped below the trapeze stop bar, this guitar plays and sounds glorious! In my opinion it’s perfect for rhythm work. Love it!
View attachment 29708

View attachment 29709

View attachment 29710
Is the original case manufactured by Geib? Can you post a pic of the case?
 
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