BENCH TEST 1969 LES PAUL CUSTOM
The pickup covers were removed at some point in its playing life, which might explain why they’re in such good condition
1950s practice and the control cavity has a maple ‘step’ near the bottom where the depth was altered after gluing the cap. Shortly afterwards, Gibson introduced the ‘pancake’ body with a two-layer mahogany back sandwiching a thin layer of maple. By mid ’69, headstocks acquired ‘made in USA’ markings and a volute. Assuming all this information is accurate, it helps to pin the manufacturing date of this Les Paul Custom down to a fairly specific timeframe. This guitar has the step rout cut into the maple so it was made after January 1969, but there is no evidence of a ‘pancake’ layer. Furthermore, there is no volute or ‘made in USA’ stamp. On that basis, this was probably on Gibson’s production line sometime between February and May 1969. The guitar’s black lacquer has shrunk sufficiently to reveal a join line in the maple top that’s about 15mm to the side of the bass tailpiece post, but it’s probably the only part
Look closely and you’ll see how the Gibson logo evolved from 1952 to 1969 as it migrated north of this guitar that hasn’t changed colour since 1969. Much of the gold plating has rubbed off the hardware or picked up verdigris around the edges, the clear coats over the binding have yellowed considerably and by the same process, the pearl inlays on the peghead have acquired a golden hue. Look closely and you’ll see how the Gibson logo evolved from the ‘kissing dot’ style of 1952 to the missing dot of 1969 as it migrated northwards away from the tuners. Speaking of which, its machineheads are patinated
1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom • PRICE £8,995 • DESCRIPTION Solidbody electric guitar. Made in the USA • BUILD Mahogany body with maple cap, set mahogany neck with short tenon joint, bound ebony fingerboard, block markers and 22 frets • HARDWARE Vintage Kluson tuners, ABR-1 bridge with retaining wire, stop tailpiece • ELECTRICS 2x Patent Number humbuckers • FINISH Black nitrocellulose • SCALE LENGTH 624mm/24.6” • NECK WIDTH 43.4mm at nut, 52.04mm at 12th fret • DEPTH OF NECK 21mm at first fret, 25.5mm at 12th fret • STRING SPACING 5.09mm at nut, 51.93mm at bridge • WEIGHT 4.68kg/10.31lbs • CONTACT: ATB Guitars www.atbguitars.com >
124 THE LES PAUL BIBLE theguitarmagazine.com
GMC27.69custom.FOR PRINT.indd 124
02/02/2018 10:21