Here is an interesting guitar. I took this in part exchange expecting it to be another mid to late 70’s Les Paul Deluxe that had been routed for full sized pickups. Well I was wrong about that. On closer inspection the pot date codes indicated a 1965 build date. These parts can be removed and replaced however, so do not prove a guitars true age. Construction details are a more reliable way to accurately date a guitar.

Firstly, the serial number stamped into the back of the head is a six digit 407616 which is 1966-1968, or 1974.  OK most likely a 74 I thought.

One detail after another soon convinced me I was looking at something unusual.  It does not have the pancake body design seen from 1969 to 1976. Secondly it has a one piece neck which would date it to pre 1969. Post 69 guitars had a three piece neck construction. It has no volute behind the nut, which appeared around 1970 and there is no Made in USA stamp which also first appeared around 1970.

                                                   Hmmm, so it’s NOT a 74 for sure.

The headstock is the small sized version with the two wings at the outside edges. The Gibson logo on the headstock is the open b and o design seen up until about 1969 and it did have a dotted i. The hole is still there but the dot inlay is gone. The headstock face has a holly veneer and the tuning machines are stamped Kluson Deluxe. These would have been stamped Gibson Deluxe if they were built after 1969.

At some time it was routed for full sized humbuckers, which was an all too unfortunate occurrence on early Les Paul guitars, back when they were just “old guitars” with little perceived value or collectability.

Looking at the pickup routes you can see this guitar originally had a pair of P90 single coil pickups as the distinctive height adjustment screw holes are visible in the middle of the route. It has never had mini humbuckers as there would be two screw holes much further apart and they are simply not there. Take a look at the position of the neck pickup route, it is not flush with the end of the fretboard, there is a distinct 2mm wide ledge. The mini humbucker route would be absolutely flush with the end of the fretboard if this was a LesPaul Deluxe. Very interesting!

So, this means it originally had two P90 pickups, and these were mostly seen on the Les Paul Standard before 1957 when the Patent Applied For fullsized humbucker was introduced.

If the guitar was built in the 1950s it would have had an inked on serial number, so its not from before 1961 when they started stamping the number into the wood.

But they did not make ANY Les Pauls between 1961 and 1968 . . . .  at least that is what I thought, and is the accepted history as believed by most people.

Therefore logic decrees it could be one of the first Les Paul Standards that were issued in 1968 when the design was reintroduced. These did have P90 pickups. Kluson stamped tuners and Holly veneer headstock.

Regardless of its age this guitar is one nasty looking beat up dog. It is a rat of a guitar, it has been sanded on the back of the body with an orbital sander, you can see the tiny circular score marks in the wood. It has not got any original finish left on it anywhere. It looks like this refin was done by a grizzly bear on a 3 day mind bender. Most likely refinished more than once as well.

The binding has that melted look that occurs when paint stripper eats into it. Some of the binding has been replaced, notably in the cutaway section next to the fretboard, along with a small section of wood. The heel of the neck has some nasty looking cosmetic filler, likely to repair some over zealous body sanding.

The dark areas on the back of the guitar are deep gouges, despite the heavy handed orbital sander attack.  The front is just as bad, it looks horrible, whats left of a goldtop refin has been sanded then handpainted in clear lacquer. Front of the headstock has also been sanded and repainted by hand, and that was likely when the i dot went missing.

Yes, it is a cosmetic nightmare. But appears to have very few structural issues. It has straplocks fitted which have saved it from needing the all too common Les Paul broken headstock repair. No extra screw holes on the back of the headstock which is a good sign they may be the original tuners.

It has a three piece maple top, obvious join lines are visible where the pieces have shrunk a little. (There is some nice looking flame wood grain evident where the finish has been removed.)

Everything feels tight and solid, which is good. The neck profile is a nice rounded handful, not too fat but not superslim either. Certainly fatter than the 72 LP Custom listed on the stock page.

It plays really well too, despite having a fretboard hump at the 17th fret. It has had a refret and the frets are level to compensate for it. There are no choking notes on string bends. Truss rod is working OK. No twist to the neck either. Fret edge binding nubs are still present !  Even though it has had at least one refret.

Pickups are a Seymour Duncan Distortion at the bridge position and a Di Marzio Super Distortion at the neck.  Both in crème finish and both from about 1972.  No need to say,  but they sound fantastic,  outrageous and honky!  The bridge pickup volume control has a huge leap in volume at 4 on the dial. Below 4  it sounds great and balances nicely with the neck pickup. Turn it up past 4 and you get the fattest loud lead tone you will ever need.

Tailpiece is a modern replacement, as is the nut. Bridge is ABR1 with foundry mark from about 1965.

I have a magazine article from 1984 claiming Gibson made a handful of Les Paul Standards in 1966 with  P90 pickups. The article was in “Music UK” magazine written by a guy called Max Kay. I took a pic of the article, you can see it on the "More Pics"  page.

Incidentally, the Gibson logo on this guitar is in the same position as the 1958-1960 year Les Pauls, not lower down near the tuning pegs as was seen in the 1969 and later versions.

So,  quite a mystery.  Who knows what this is?  Are you ready to take a chance?  It could be the bargain of a lifetime, the Holy Grail of legendary guitars !  Or just a cool as can be Rock survivor that happens to sound FANTASTIC !

This is a badass Les Paul. Not sterile or clinical sounding like the new products, it has character by the bucketful. Is donkeys years old and I might just keep it forever . . . .

Unless the right offer comes my way !

Quote Stock number : A0099