May edition of Vintage guitar featured gear page by Greg's guitars.net Featured Vintage Guitar, May ,2008 Edition by Greg's guitars.
This first article on featured vintage guitars is on the 1983 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul recently acquired by Chris up in Michigan. Enjoy this wonderful 1983 Custom shop Les Paul. Article contains excerpts from Mr.Mike Slubowski from one of his Les Paul articles. Mr.Slubowski states " The years 1982 and 1983 were tremendous experimental years for Gibson, with many Pre-reissue and custom shop as well as one off guitars coming out of the Gibson plants in Kalamazoo as well as Nashville." This 1983 custom shop Les Paul plays like a Les Paul Custom,looks like a '59 Standard and has dot inlays on the fretboard like the soon to be released (1984 ) Studio versions. Experimentation at its finest wouldn't you say ? In 1983 a limited run of Bright Cherry 'bursts were made mainly for the Japanese market,this guitar is designated by the paint code as a "Vintage Cherry Sunburst" and coded in the pickup cavities appropriately. She also sports a wide binding in the lower bout cut away and has small black dot markers along her neck. Along with the paint code she also has in her pup cavities the signature of the Gibson builder and guitar tech that worked on her as well as a order # or 2nd serial # designation as well as the initials R.G.R. She also sports the vintage Gibson deluxe tuners, vintage styled control knobs nickel hardware and a " Nashville " bridge all from the Custom shop at Gibson. Her logo has the open"b" and the open "o" as well as the dot above the "i" that touches the capital G in Gibson. The top is not a flamed top or a highly figured one but rather a perfectly book matched slightly figured and grained carved maple top. Her back and sides are mahogany as well as her neck. What ever the designation for her is ,she is a wonderfull looking and great playing and sounding Les Paul and I am sure the new owner is not only pleased , but beside himself with his recent acquisition .Thanks from Greg @ Greg's guitars.http://gregsvintageguitars.wetpaint.com/page/vintage+guitar+news+and+views