Guitar Filter: can you help me identify this Gibson Guitar?

January 10, 2005 12:54 PM

Guitar Filter: Can you ID this Gibson guitar?

I was thinking perhaps it was a Les Paul Jr., but I wasn't too sure about the year.

posted by jackofsaxons to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (22 answers total)

I don't think its a JR (don't Jr.s have one pickup?)
posted by drobot at 1:08 PM on January 10, 2005

Well, it looks like a Les Paul Jr., but those look like some kind of humbuckers (and not the customary single P-90; they could be aftermarket, though). The non-tailpiece and wrong-shaped headstock, though, lead me to believe that it might be a knockoff. I'm no expert, though. Is there a serial number stamped on the back of the headstock?
posted by uncleozzy at 1:10 PM on January 10, 2005

I think that they did make a few different 2 pickup Jr.'s & reissues, but they look a little different to me. The pickguard is pointier than any Les Pauls I've seen (maybe a replacement), and the lack of a bridge makes me think it might pretty recent - 80s - 90s?

But then again, I'm a Fender guy.
posted by sluggo at 1:11 PM on January 10, 2005

Response by poster: yeah, the serial is 550555
posted by jackofsaxons at 1:15 PM on January 10, 2005

It kind of looks like a knockoff to me. The body and pickguard styling are similar to the Nighthawk but that's a hollow body. The body is somewhat similar to several other les pauls, but with most of the 2-pickup les pauls have 4 knobs. The placement of the pickup switch and the output jack seem odd to me for a gibson also.
posted by RustyBrooks at 1:15 PM on January 10, 2005

That serial would put it at about 1966. Does the serial number seem a little... suspicious to you?
posted by RustyBrooks at 1:20 PM on January 10, 2005

It looks a little like a Melody Maker, but the sides appear to be more beveled on yours.

Same goes for the Les Paul, Jr.
posted by COBRA! at 1:21 PM on January 10, 2005

Well, if it's really a Gibson, it could be a 1966, but it really doesn't look right to me -- the headstock just isn't right. Gibson say they will try to identify and date the instrument for you, so why not give it a try?
posted by uncleozzy at 1:24 PM on January 10, 2005

Response by poster: the serial looks legit, it's also got MAde in the USA stamped underneath....
posted by jackofsaxons at 1:25 PM on January 10, 2005

It has sort of an SG body, does it not? Except there is only one cut away. So perhaps it's an SG offshoot or an early SG?
posted by spicynuts at 1:25 PM on January 10, 2005

I'm guessing it's a knock-off too.

It looks, to me, like a single cutaway sg body.

You can plug your serial number into this page.

Also, it doesn't have the Gibson stop-bar tailpiece. This one looks like the strings go through the body.
posted by greasy_skillet at 1:30 PM on January 10, 2005

Response by poster: You can see a closeup of the head here and here.

Thanks for your help guys, I'm going to contact Gibson and see what they have to say...
posted by jackofsaxons at 1:31 PM on January 10, 2005

Here's an SG-Pete Townshend. The headstock is very similar, as is the knob set up. Obviously the single cut away and the bridge are different. I don't know what the prototypes of this model looked like, perhaps this is an early prototype? I would tend to go with knock off though. Gibson just doesn't really do that angled,planed body look that you see at the bottom left of the body.
posted by spicynuts at 1:32 PM on January 10, 2005

It looks like a knockoff (cross between a JP Jr and a SG) to me. The bridge looks all wrong, as do the pickups. You might ask the Les Paul Forum though.
posted by mrbill at 2:04 PM on January 10, 2005

Looks almost, but not quite like an L6-S.
posted by nikzhowz at 2:23 PM on January 10, 2005

It's an L6-S Deluxe; they had the string-through-the-body design.
posted by timeistight at 2:35 PM on January 10, 2005

Those are aftermarket humbuckers (EMG's?)... This thing screams knock-off.
posted by basicchannel at 2:36 PM on January 10, 2005

Wow... timeistight nailed it and I stand corrected :).
posted by basicchannel at 2:36 PM on January 10, 2005

Response by poster: timeistight is my hero.
posted by jackofsaxons at 3:29 PM on January 10, 2005

Forty years of guitar geekery finally pays off.
posted by timeistight at 4:51 PM on January 10, 2005

Wow! timeistight is, also, my hero. I boggle.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:00 PM on January 10, 2005

My badass husband totally called it. I said "is it an SG?", and he said "No, it's only got one cutaway...I think it's an L6".

He is SO HOT right now.
posted by padraigin at 11:25 PM on January 10, 2005