• THIS IS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY YEAR FOR THE LES PAUL FORUM! PLEASE CELEBRATE WITH US AND SUPPORT US WITH A DONATION TO KEEP US GOING! We've made a large financial investment to convert the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and recently moved to a new hosting platform. We also have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!
  • WE HAVE MOVED THE LES PAUL FORUM TO A NEW HOSTING PROVIDER! Let us know how it is going! Many thanks, Mike Slubowski, Admin
  • Please support our Les Paul Forum Sponsors with your business - Gary's Classic Guitars, Wildwood Guitars, Chicago Music Exchange, Reverb.com, Throbak.com and True Vintage Guitar. From personal experience doing business with all of them, they are first class organizations. Thank you!

Beauty of The Black Beauty - The "Alnico" Custom thread

zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
This week, I celebrate 10 years on the Vintage section of the LPF. :)

Mostly, I lurked, as I was playing vintage Fenders, but eventually I managed to get my very own 50s LP. :jim

So here is a tribute to my favourite Les Paul model.

Often forgotten, misunderstood but mysterious, the Alnico Customs from the 50s haunted me for years. Only last year did I finally manage to get a 1956 and the honey moon is still going strong.

So let's have a thread that celebrates these unique guitars. :slash:

Please post info and pics only of Alnico Customs...I will be updating the thread with photos from my archives as we go along.

20140706004602-19966e70-me_zpshuj4uxdk.jpg


The shipping totals...

20140706004743-4db739ed_zpsfpi4imvs.png


There are some '53s too, not sure where they come under...Gruhn had one for sale for a while, and I remember it being on the heavy side.

A data sheet of some sort, singing the praises of being a Fretless Wonder...

Data%20Sheet%20Front_zps5xwhimno.jpg


Data%20Sheet%20Back_zps6v77vnso.jpg



Here is my '56

20140706004544-8ffd7ce1-me_zps7cm9guoq.jpg


20140706004523-2de79c8b-me_zpsalrohk13.jpg
 
Last edited:
zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
A closer look at the "Staple" pickup...

20140706004738-65bd1385-me_zpswujptoju.jpg


20140706004634-13d37bf5-me_zpsvggjfjwy.jpg


20140706004709-c612fc80-me_zpsligxvdrl.jpg
 
Last edited:
zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
Anatomy of a custom...I came across these pictures so many years ago...and it some ways they have almost killed me by intensifying my desire for one of these...so here we go...

Anatomy of a 1954 model...

20140706004921-73142676_zpsvtf74q1e.jpg


20140706004907-b76956fa_zpsstwvj9af.jpg


20140706004834-622902b9-me_zpsossdbpwv.jpg


20140706004857-f3635ef3-me_zpstno59v1c.jpg


20140706004840-ded64257_zpstgj0rupj.jpg



To be continued...
 
Last edited:
zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
part 2...

20140706005131-b7e6fe26-me_zpsnr9dnhyu.jpg


20140706005019-0727fac5-me_zps2psp4m5g.jpg


20140706005048-66f61cd7-me_zpsb1kmea2v.jpg


20140706005118-d9afdaa2-me_zpshajlrhh8.jpg


20140706005112-8baf8cda-me_zpsarxuzo2i.jpg


20140706005027-2599da0f-me_zpsg0cvdbfe.jpg


20140706005057-e8e9f603-me_zpsuqyvbfjp.jpg


Final part of the anatomy coming up...
 
Last edited:
zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
Here's Phil X rocking out on one...

A pretty good representation of what they sound like...

 
Last edited:
zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
This thread would be nothing without Keef's Custom...

20140708063012-5768bd2e_zpsbav0ix8g.jpg


20140708063015-29aeb985_zpsxqfw8pql.jpg


20140708063017-9070d8ad_zps0b3jgnew.jpg


For many years I wondered what year it was...

the actual guitar is featured in the Rolling Stones gear book...here are a couple of scans I made...the guitar is a 1957, so one of the very last Alnico Customs...

20140708063027-cd944f8c_zpsy5946zcv.jpg


Closeup of the caption...

20140708063035-ab934154-me_zpsftqs1znc.jpg


and the closest shot I could get of the serial number...

20140708063040-e44ac8a9_zpsterenzfz.jpg


:dude:
 
Last edited:
zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
this thread also needs some Les...

20140708083802-b4c2649e-xx_zpsvxxaaqsc.jpg


20140708083751-2f290934_zps5c0pfwp1.jpg


20140708083752-5d4ed66f_zpsl4h6tcdz.jpg


20140708083747-9d8be9f4_zpsod7dhjmw.jpg
 
Last edited:
zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
Catalog shot...with closeups... :)

20140708084552-3dabdbc4_zpszfuuwziu.jpg


20140708084558-a8db67c9_zpsmvkdr70u.jpg


20140708084604-0c132218_zpshoghepht.jpg
 
Last edited:
zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
a 1955...I think it belongs to one of the members here...

20140710023857-ef2e6bf8_zpsajw5i2re.jpg


20140710023852-e5bcfa4b_zps4vqqzstn.jpg


20140710023850-e0719b70-me_zpszwhnst2b.jpg


20140710023842-07711ee6-me_zpsk45adbjb.jpg


20140710023839-21f99e41_zpsaogtifkz.jpg


20140710023903-5f24e4ad-me_zpsptajfswt.jpg


20140710023900-7faa76f6-me_zps8eysj4aq.jpg
 
Last edited:
zhivago

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,419
Here's another '56...one owner guitar, apparently...it was a package with the amp :)

20140831111544-daeafa3b_zpshxgnluds.jpg
 
Last edited:
M

Michael Minnis

Active member
Joined
Feb 12, 2004
Messages
1,597
Great thread. I had a 56 about 10 years ago. Excellent guitar. Extremely lightweight. I foolishly sold it off to Scott Silver at Chicago Music Exchange in pursuit of another guitar. Every time I see a vintage custom I check it out, hoping it's my old guitar. If so, I'm buying it back!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top