Vintage Gibson Les Paul Custom

[xxxx]

Ah Classic not sure if he would like to see that hmmmm.

So, tell me anyone, is it rare to find one with the 3 Pickup config? Im not that much of an expert on Gibson's, more so the Strat's but from my research ive found out that the model/serial numbers are rare of course compounded by its age but Im nore sure about the 3 pickup configuration if that was standard at the time or a certain model extra etc etc...

they'd need a wide angle lense and tilt the camera on the side to get it all in.

[god himself]

I suppose you've had a look here?
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Support/SerialNumberSearch/

[xxxx]

Yes, but Im after whether what models etc came out at that time, I know the serial number & have dated it correctly to what looks like the year 1961 easily but since im not expert on Gibson's I dont know what models came out with the 3 pickups or if its this or that etc etc.

I suppose you've had a look here?
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Support/SerialNumberSearch/

[robnobcorncob]

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibson.html

Knock yourself out!

[Jenesis]

nice

any chance your gramps is from wellington?

You planning a burglary?

[rocklander]

Ha a RS Numpty, hadnt heard that one!

So youd streak at a rugby game? I can ask my grandfather, cant be sure on what he would say though, although it might sound like you would do it just for a thrill

I suspect his only chance is if your grandfather is marc ellis

[raz]

You do realise what that thing actually is, right? It's probably the most valuable guitar in NZ in terms of straight cash value. A real 1961 les paul custom would be worth tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have never seen one in NZ before.

Definitely a very rare find, a '61 les paul custom is rare enough but a 3 pickup 'black beauty' even moreso!

I think Neil Finn is rumoured to have a '59 Burst? if said rumour is correct then I think that would be the most valuable.

NF does have a '59 burst - I've seen it. Held tantalisingly at arms length from me by his guitar tech. Which reminds me I was going to ask him (the guitar tech) for some photos of it, but at the time he was in the UK rehearsing for the Crowded House tour. I was quite impressed Neill bought the 59 with him as a backup guitar on the Finn Bros tour.

I have no idea about the comparative value of Gibsons, but they're both so rare it would depend on what a prospective buyer would pay. With either one you're talking the price of a nice house. Way out of my league.

That's a lovely 3 p'up blackie mate. If you ever were wanting to sell it, and I applaud your wanting to hold onto it for sentimental reasons, then Neil Finn would probably be the man to ask first. He knows some of the people that have the sort of money to collect those. Only if somebody in your family needed lifesaving surgery in a foreign clinic I guess.

I'm not sure about the '61 date, All the literature puts it as somewhere between '57 and '60 it may have been bought in '61 but supposedly at the time, and it's hard to believe, they weren't that popular so stayed on the shelves for a while. Also if it was sold in NZ new then it could have taken a long time to get here on a boat.

This guy lists a price guide for 2007 - it's in US $
http://vintage-guitars.blogspot.com/200 ... ustom.html

Vintage Price Value For 2007 :
1954 - 1957 > $50 000 to $55 500 ( single coil , bigsby optional )
1957 - 1960 > $85 500 to $110 000 ( humbuckers , bigsby optional )
1961 - 1963 > $25 500 to $36 000 ( sg body)
1968 - 1969 > $8 000 to $9 000 ( reissue 1 piece body )
1968 - 1969 > $6 000 to $7 000 ( reissue 3 piece body )
1970 - 1999 > $1 600 to $2 500 ( prices vary according to features/specs )

guitar price guide1954-1957 > Avg Upward Trend Of 38% a Year since 2000
1957-1960 > 41% 1961-1963 > 28% 1968-1969 ( reissues ) > 23%

Bear in mind those figures are written in 2006 and he's talking about a 41% upward annual rise.

I wouldn't look at ebay too much except as a guide. Guitars like this are usually sold between consenting adults in private, they don't end up on ebay.

The condition and fittings have to be taken into account. Actually, I'd seriously suggest getting it appraised at least for insurance purposes. Gruhn Guitars or Elderly Instruments in the US are two of the more reputable dealers in the states who offer an appraisal based on detailed pictures. But for a guitar of this vintage and value, they would probably want to see it to verify it's existence.

Either way, you want it's details recorded. The market for these is very small and if god forbid, it ever got nicked, you want the major dealers to have a record of it. Having something that valuable that fits in a car boot is a bit scarey.

[xxxx]

Hiya,

Thanks for your kind words & info. Yea I knew that NF had the 59' burst, awesome guitar, Ive worked in music my whole life so I have him as a contact should I ever need to contact him about prospective buyers but im pretty sure It will stay in the family's hands for a long while yet as It has been promised to one of my other family members when the time comes to pass it down, im just lucky enough to be holding on to it for the time being!

Yea from the serial number, from what I read from websites like the ones you people out there have supplied & from what my grandfather has told me, it goes '1 XXXX', which, correct me if I am wrong, means the rare '1' prefixed number from '61, if what I read & take is correct.

Thanks for those appraisal contacts, If really does need to be insured, It freaks me out each time I see it in its old case that is falling to bits around it, and having it fit in the boot, pure scaryness.

But yes, All the insides have never been touched at all, never modded, keeped just the way it was when he got it, as he says, you cant tweak perfection. The tone on this thing is unlike anyother Gibson ive heard, you have to be a real player to hear it, & make it work for you. Love the sound, but im not used to the weight of such a thing, its like an anchor around your neck compared to what I thought was heavy, my strat!

Anyhow thanks heaps & glad everyone's enjoying it, probably even more so if they got to play it!

You do realise what that thing actually is, right? It's probably the most valuable guitar in NZ in terms of straight cash value. A real 1961 les paul custom would be worth tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have never seen one in NZ before.

Definitely a very rare find, a '61 les paul custom is rare enough but a 3 pickup 'black beauty' even moreso!

I think Neil Finn is rumoured to have a '59 Burst? if said rumour is correct then I think that would be the most valuable.

NF does have a '59 burst - I've seen it. Held tantalisingly at arms length from me by his guitar tech. Which reminds me I was going to ask him (the guitar tech) for some photos of it, but at the time he was in the UK rehearsing for the Crowded House tour. I was quite impressed Neill bought the 59 with him as a backup guitar on the Finn Bros tour.

I have no idea about the comparative value of Gibsons, but they're both so rare it would depend on what a prospective buyer would pay. With either one you're talking the price of a nice house. Way out of my league.

That's a lovely 3 p'up blackie mate. If you ever were wanting to sell it, and I applaud your wanting to hold onto it for sentimental reasons, then Neil Finn would probably be the man to ask first. He knows some of the people that have the sort of money to collect those. Only if somebody in your family needed lifesaving surgery in a foreign clinic I guess.

I'm not sure about the '61 date, All the literature puts it as somewhere between '57 and '60 it may have been bought in '61 but supposedly at the time, and it's hard to believe, they weren't that popular so stayed on the shelves for a while. Also if it was sold in NZ new then it could have taken a long time to get here on a boat.

This guy lists a price guide for 2007 - it's in US $
http://vintage-guitars.blogspot.com/200 ... ustom.html

Vintage Price Value For 2007 :
1954 - 1957 > $50 000 to $55 500 ( single coil , bigsby optional )
1957 - 1960 > $85 500 to $110 000 ( humbuckers , bigsby optional )
1961 - 1963 > $25 500 to $36 000 ( sg body)
1968 - 1969 > $8 000 to $9 000 ( reissue 1 piece body )
1968 - 1969 > $6 000 to $7 000 ( reissue 3 piece body )
1970 - 1999 > $1 600 to $2 500 ( prices vary according to features/specs )

guitar price guide1954-1957 > Avg Upward Trend Of 38% a Year since 2000
1957-1960 > 41% 1961-1963 > 28% 1968-1969 ( reissues ) > 23%

Bear in mind those figures are written in 2006 and he's talking about a 41% upward annual rise.

I wouldn't look at ebay too much except as a guide. Guitars like this are usually sold between consenting adults in private, they don't end up on ebay.

The condition and fittings have to be taken into account. Actually, I'd seriously suggest getting it appraised at least for insurance purposes. Gruhn Guitars or Elderly Instruments in the US are two of the more reputable dealers in the states who offer an appraisal based on detailed pictures. But for a guitar of this vintage and value, they would probably want to see it to verify it's existence.

Either way, you want it's details recorded. The market for these is very small and if god forbid, it ever got nicked, you want the major dealers to have a record of it. Having something that valuable that fits in a car boot is a bit scarey.

[Marshall]

Got any pics of your Granddad rocking it out on this back in the day?

[xxxx]

Got any pics of your Granddad rocking it out on this back in the day?

There's probably a few lying round at his place & at various aunty's houses.

He was named in the herald a few years back as one of NZ's top 10 guitarists, whether its true or not I can be sure but he is & was pretty top dogs back in the day with his band, Ben Tawhiti & The Mariners, a 60'-70's show band type outfit.

Quote NZ HERALD (And no hes not Martin Winch!)

"Martin Winch was named as one of the top ten best kiwi guitarists among Peter Posa, Billy TK, Kevin Borich,
Ben Tawhiti, Hammond Gamble, Dave Dobbyn, David Kilgour, David Mitchell and Neil Finn. (NZ Herald - Timeout 6/11/99)

[xxxx]

Here, I found a very old pic of him with the very guitar must be like early 60's.

Im not sure who they all are, but my grandfather is on the far left with the Les Paul, then next to him it looks to me like Bill Sevesi I think. Anyhow this is probably the oldest pic I have at the moment of it, there heaps more but they all need scanning.

Ben Tawhiti (Far Left) with the Gibson Les Paul Custom

alp08.jpg (50.97 KiB) Viewed 4314 times

[raz]

Way cool xxxx.

[Capt. Black]

Not much to say except this is one of the coolest threads on the forum for a long time. Nice guitar man and nice attitude to having it in your possession. Nice posts from everyone. Really interesting all round.

Regarding the history of the guitar and your grand dad's band, do you know John Baker? He's a bit of an early sixties NZ music aficionado and may have some interesting recordings or info tucked away somewhere. If you don't have his contacts gimme a yell.

Cheers.

[xxxx]

Thanks Capt. Black for your very kind words indeed allround. Very cool to see everyone's positive & cool reaction to it as well as the posts from others, very cool, kudos to everyone.

I personally dont know a John Baker, It rings a very faint, small bell but Im sure my grandfather knows him if hes from around that era of bands, hes come in contact with so many people over the years, he almost knows everyone he reckons but maybe not quite!

I have copy's of Ben Tawhiti & The Mariners, 25 year reunion CD here that I can copy for anyone interested as he plays the Gibson throughout as well as his Fender? I think lap steel, but very cool to hear the old muso's go at it, I guess they were the top of the day back then, still are in many respects, awesome musicians, great ears for music/sound in general.

Anyhow thanks once again, & I think you can catch him on Maori TV, he hosted/played on some programmes filmed over the last couple years.

Thanks everyone!

Not much to say except this is one of the coolest threads on the forum for a long time. Nice guitar man and nice attitude to having it in your possession. Nice posts from everyone. Really interesting all round.

Regarding the history of the guitar and your grand dad's band, do you know John Baker? He's a bit of an early sixties NZ music aficionado and may have some interesting recordings or info tucked away somewhere. If you don't have his contacts gimme a yell.

Cheers.

[Crazy Horse]

No disrespect to your grandfather who I'm sure is awesome, but did anybody else notice that that list is almost entirely incorrect? Other than Billy TK, none of those guys are remarkable guitar players, and some (Kilgour) are absolute rubbish. Where's Joel Haines, Jeremy Toy, Andy Lynch, Neil Watson, Sean Clancy etc etc?