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

[zhivago]

Your historic looks great too! :dude:
I need one :laugh2:

Historics are great, if you get a chance, try one of these out! :salude

 

[Cav]

Historics are great, if you get a chance, try one of these out! :salude

I alreday had three. A 1998, a 2003 and a Krieger aged.
Had to sold them to fund something else. But when I can afford another one again, I'll not hesitate one second. :dude:

 

[Rev.WillieVK]

Apologies if this question has been answered fully already, but:

How would you prove a staple-pickup Les Paul Custom was undeniably a 1953?

Most/all don't have serial numbers, and pots dates are deceptive, there are many many 1954 guitars with mid-1953 pots

Here is what I have put together so far:
- Chunky neck like a '53/'54 Goldtop
- Hand-chiseling in neck pickup cavity to accommodate staple Alnico pickup.
- Body binding is 'slimmer' and 'finer' and sometimes makes body look thicker with broader black area
- Tailpiece frequently has holes that would have held Allen screws for a wraptail application

Numbers on edges of headstock?

Headstock diamond inlay went under TRC? Or something like that?

Any help would be appreciated! :salude

 

[zhivago]

Apologies if this question has been answered fully already, but:

How would you prove a staple-pickup Les Paul Custom was undeniably a 1953?

Most/all don't have serial numbers, and pots dates are deceptive, there are many many 1954 guitars with mid-1953 pots

Here is what I have put together so far:
- Chunky neck like a '53/'54 Goldtop
- Hand-chiseling in neck pickup cavity to accommodate staple Alnico pickup.
- Body binding is 'slimmer' and 'finer' and sometimes makes body look thicker with broader black area
- Tailpiece frequently has holes that would have held Allen screws for a wraptail application

Numbers on edges of headstock?

Headstock diamond inlay went under TRC? Or something like that?

Any help would be appreciated! :salude

Good call, Rev...as I started collecting photos of guitars, I actually found that people would usually claim the guitar to be a '53 instead of '54 and my feeling has always been that they date the guitar by the pots alone, which is not usually entirely accurate.

The odd thing is that in my archives, which are still limited and growing, there are more claimed '53s than '54s.:##

As you mention, the thin tailpiece with the holes is always a good indication. I don't have that many shots of tailpieces unfortunately so I can't get a good timeline going. Hopefully as time goes and I collect more stuff we'll be able to get a better idea.

I'm in for the long-haul :salude

 

[67blackcherry]

No problem at all, they truly are my favourite guitars ever, so this is a pleasure.

I have documented pics of:

1953 (supposedly) – 16
1954 – 6...but this is probably because many people look at the pots to date the guitars and call the '53s
1955 – 81
1956 – 77
1957 – 13

I don't have the serial numbers to all of them unfortunately...but I do have the the serial numbers of the majority of guitars.

Sometimes I can identify them from wear etc...and there are a few that I can now track from multiple sales.

:jim

Excellent!
Any idea what was the total production run of P-90 Customs?

 

[zhivago]

Thanks

It is hard to say when it comes to totals. The official figures say:
1953: 94
1955: 355
1956: 489

So 938 officially...

We know there were some made in '53 and some made in '57 before the switch to PAFs, but it's hard to say how many.

If I were to guess wildly, I'd say 1100 tops, considering they only made 283 Customs in total in '57, which shows that the popularity of the model was probably waning...but that's just me thinking out loud

 

[67blackcherry]

Thanks

It is hard to say when it comes to totals. The official figures say:
1953: 94
1955: 355
1956: 489

So 938 officially...

We know there were some made in '53 and some made in '57 before the switch to PAFs, but it's hard to say how many.

If I were to guess wildly, I'd say 1100 tops, considering they only made 283 Customs in total in '57, which shows that the popularity of the model was probably waning...but that's just me thinking out loud

So, 1000-1100 give or take?
Good to know - thanks.

 

[zhivago]

Probably somewhere around that :jim

 

[zhivago]

Here's a great looking '55 BB...

:hank

 

[El Gringo]

zhivago, I have to pay you a major compliment for this most super awesome thread .I have now read every page and have a better understanding and appreciation for the Alnico Custom as before I was never really a fan of the non humbuckered Les Pauls .I have gained a lot of knowledge and better understanding of the Alnico guitars and the beauty of there tone .I hope that you continue this wonderful thread into 1957 going to 1958-1960 to the Patent Applied For Pickups era .

 

[zhivago]

zhivago, I have to pay you a major compliment for this most super awesome thread .I have now read every page and have a better understanding and appreciation for the Alnico Custom as before I was never really a fan of the non humbuckered Les Pauls .I have gained a lot of knowledge and better understanding of the Alnico guitars and the beauty of there tone .I hope that you continue this wonderful thread into 1957 going to 1958-1960 to the Patent Applied For Pickups era .

Thank you ever so much

I do love the PAF Customs as well, although I don't have as large of a PAF BB photo library saved over the years.

It is a good idea though, and maybe at some point I could start a thread on them too. God knows they are incredible instruments as well.

:salude

 

[zhivago]

Here is another '56...

 

[zhivago]

Mr Garcia with a Custom...it would have been his birthday today

 

[Jeggz]

Heres mine.
1956
She has an invisible headstock repair and some replaced parts, but all the important stuff is there.

 

[zhivago]

Very cool!

I saw your thread on The Other Forum about it...any more closeup photos? You've had it for a while now, what are your thoughts? :salude

 

[Jeggz]

It's an absolute beast.

I shimmed (Hagen Das mod) the bridge pickup closer to the strings and sunk the neck pickup as deep as it would go, and it's a monster.

Its been refretted with 100/45 wire so it plays effortlessly.

One of my favorite guitars.

 

[Jeggz]

 

[Cav]

Very nice Jeggz!
Will you play it at Ieperfest in Belgium with Sheer Terror?
Can't wait to see your band live. eace2

 

[Jeggz]

Nah she's staying home, I'm bringing a current LPC with me on this one.

I'm actually leaving for Blackpool in a few hours, see ya at IeperFest!

 

[zhivago]

It's an absolute beast.

I shimmed (Hagen Das mod) the bridge pickup closer to the strings and sunk the neck pickup as deep as it would go, and it's a monster.

Its been refretted with 100/45 wire so it plays effortlessly.

One of my favorite guitars.

Awesome!!

I have 6150s on my '56 it just takes a Fretless Wonder to the next level! :salude