Interesting CL listing 52' Les Paul

[12fretter]

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/msg/3331729906.html


no affiliation......Just thought it is pretty cool

[WordMan]

Fascinating - thanks for sharing. Looks legit - or, at least, it speaks to the features I am aware of that indicate a prototype or very, very early production model, e.g., unbound fingerboard, P-90's with corner screws, etc...

The only thing that stinks about it is that '52 were kind of unplayable since the neck was angled so that the strings had to go under the bridge/tailpiece instead of over, so it is hard to do palm-muting. Most folks buy '52's in order to reset the neck and swap in a wraparound bridge/TP. This appears to be in such good shape that you wouldn't want to mod it. I have seen folks come up with TP designs to work around it - but either way, I would want to be able to play it - if not, what's the point?

[zumaboy]

Originally Posted by WordMan

Most folks buy '52's in order to reset the neck and swap in a wraparound bridge/TP.

Neil Young has a couple of '52s. Of course he puts Bigsbys on 'em and swaps out the bridge pup for a Firebird mini-hum...

[Jim Owen]

From a distance it looks real. The shot of the control cavity shows a little nick in the upper right. I would want to see if it is a nick or a burn. If it is a burn, there has been a soldering iron there post production. But it's likely a nick?

[min7b5]

My father in-law had the same 52' Les Paul. His was mint, because he bought it new and didn't like. Stayed under the bed for decades. It was cool, but not a great guitar at all. They hadn't really dialed it in just yet. I helped him sell it many years ago -for a lot more than asking price here...

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by WordMan

Fascinating - thanks for sharing. Looks legit - or, at least, it speaks to the features I am aware of that indicate a prototype or very, very early production model, e.g., unbound fingerboard, P-90's with corner screws, etc...

The only thing that stinks about it is that '52 were kind of unplayable since the neck was angled so that the strings had to go under the bridge/tailpiece instead of over, so it is hard to do palm-muting. Most folks buy '52's in order to reset the neck and swap in a wraparound bridge/TP. This appears to be in such good shape that you wouldn't want to mod it. I have seen folks come up with TP designs to work around it - but either way, I would want to be able to play it - if not, what's the point?

And guess what?

The fact that it has a screwed in tailpiece that is removable means that a replacement can be machined, with the strings going over it, and it can be played in normal fashion. Obviously the replacement has to be smaller, but the point is that nothing serious need be done to the instrument.

Want to sell it? Take off the new one, put the old one back on. There's no reason why it can't be played, except for how much it's presently worth being so clean, but that's another issue.

HE

[M Sarad]

I had a "52. It was an interesting specimen because it had the neck broken and replaced in the late 50s by Gibson. I traded it for a '62 ES 335 with a stop tail piece and PAFs.

[Jim W]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

And guess what?

The fact that it has a screwed in tailpiece that is removable means that a replacement can be machined, with the strings going over it, and it can be played in normal fashion. Obviously the replacement has to be smaller, but the point is that nothing serious need be done to the instrument.

Want to sell it? Take off the new one, put the old one back on. There's no reason why it can't be played, except for how much it's presently worth being so clean, but that's another issue.

HE

With the 1 degree neck angle, I'm not sure a Glazer type bridge would work.