1961 Gibson Les Paul Standard EBONY

Fantastic 1961 Gibson Les Paul Standard which was Gibson factory stop-converted and Les Paul Custom Ebony refinished sometime around 1969 by original owner (exact date/record lost). Incredible PAF-sticker humbucker tone (neck 780k, bridge 888k), with the classic slim-profile '61 neck and that action you've only dreamt about. Two original PAFs with covers attached, original wiring harness (bridge tone pot has code 1346120; some wiring may have been changed when refinish was done), original Gibson ABR-1 bridge (no retaining wire), original Grover tuners and all the original plastic parts. Stop tailpiece was added at the time of the vibrato removal; has Straplocks instead of Gibson hardware. There was a refret somewhere in its history; has plenty of fret life left. The original hard case is in unusually nice condition for a 60-year-old guitar because the LP was usually transported and stored in an SKB hard plastic case. While these guitars have always had a reputation for being rather fragile, it's one of the best players we've seen and a recording studio favorite for its action and its tone.

THE BAD NEWS:
A while back, the output jack was pulled out of the top of the guitar along with a piece of the top surface of the wood from the bridge volume pot to the bottom front edge of the guitar. It was clean enough to be hide-glued back together without much fuss, and the piece is strong and the jack works fine. The area around the jack had been loose and the finish cracked around it for quite a white before the jack and small chunk of wood was yanked out completely. Other than this, the guitar plays extremely well, all the electronics work, tuning and intonation is accurate, and the neck takes adjustment fine.

And about the refinish:
While the refinish is a professional job, the provenance about the factory involvement is unverifiable. Current owner has had the guitar since early 1981, and was told by the previous seller that the LPC refinish was done at the factory in 1969 by the original owner purely for cosmetic reasons. The owner didn't like the original Gibson vibrato setup (you can faintly see the holes in the top), and, as long as it was it the shop, the owner said Paint It Black. The original paperwork from the factory was lost in storm damage from a flooded basement.

In an effort to put to rest some obvious questions over the past 40 years about the refinish covering up hidden damage, the guitar was x-rayed at an industrial facility. Images were taken at the neck/body joint and at the headstock/nut. The results were inconclusive, mostly due to the awkward angles and the size limitations of the machine, along with the material that the guitar had to be mounted to to keep it steady during imaging. After examination by everyone involved in the scanning process, there were no obvious signs of breaks or the usual indications of pro repairs that you would find for damages to these areas. We are in the process of looking for another imaging service, but they don't come cheap. The x-ray images on the page are lower resolution files; if anyone is interested, higher resolution files are available. Please let us know if you would like to see them; we'd be glad to send them to you and would welcome your feedback and opinions.

The selling price reflects the current value for the original parts alone. A great set of electronics for that 1957-1962 Les Paul Standard restoration project you're working on. Two original PAF sticker humbuckers with their covers, all the wiring, pots, and output jack, an ABR bridge without the retaining wire, Grover tuners, and all the original plastic pieces ("Les Paul" truss rod cover) and silver-insert top-hat knobs. The stop tailpiece looks 1969 period-correct (or earlier). And the original faux alligator case in excellent condition. Did we forget to mention the tone that comes with all of these parts put together in such an unreasonably attractive package?

3/19/24 ADDED NOTE: Will consider selling parts separately if anyone is interested in the just the PAFs. I would keep the body just for the neck, it's that nice, and sell off the rest of the nickel parts. Send us a message if you have any interest, I'm sure we can work something out.