1974 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Factory Lefty Electric Guitar

Overview: Heck, this one is unusual, right? The serial number places this right around 1974 and it's a factory lefty Les Paul Deluxe. It originally would have had mini-humbuckers in soapbar-style routes but someone, at some point, expanded the pickup routes a little ham-handedly and fit some 1981 Gibson Patent Number full-size humbuckers in their place. This has given it the bigger, darker sound of a "proper" Les Paul, though a whole bunch of (now filled) extra little pickup mounting ring holes tell me that this is not the first set of replacement pickups fit to the guitar.

Aside from all that, it's a good-looking instrument with an attractive cherry sunburst finish over some nicely-figured maple in the top cap. The neck is comfy and it's playing like a champ post-work.

Repairs included: Sarah gave this a level/dress of the frets and I gave it a setup, cleaning, and going-through. It's playing spot-on and ready to go.

• Weight: 9 lbs 14 oz
• Scale length: 24 3/4"
• Nut width: 1 11/16"
• Neck shape: slim-medium C/oval
• Board radius: 12"
• Depth at first fret: 0.8"
• Depth at seventh fret: 0.9"
• Body width: 12 7/8"
• Body depth: 1 7/8"
• Body wood: two-layer mahogany
• Bridge: replacement Gotoh ABR-style
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck wood: mahogany 3-piece
• Pickups: 2x 1981 full-size Gibson Pat No humbuckers
• Action height at 12th fret: 1/16” overall (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 46w-10 lights
• Truss rod: adjustable
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: medium

Condition notes: It's missing its pickguard and bracket. The tuners are later replacements. The pickups are Gibson but later and not correct to the instrument. The pickup routes have been expanded and there are filled screwholes (for other pickup rings) around each pickup ring currently on it. The bridge is non-original and the tailpiece might be, but the studs look original. The knobs are unoriginal. The 3-way may be older and/or correct but its ring and tip are probably newer. The truss rod cover may not be original as it doesn't have script but it looks right for a guitar from the time (it may be a period Gibson replacement cover). There are scratches, scuffs, nicks, and dings here and there throughout but nothing that detracts too much. There are unfilled screwholes on the back of the headstock from, presumably, the original set of tuners that are long gone. The wiring looks at least period. The strap buttons are incorrect replacements -- though I do have "aged" Gotoh Gibson-style buttons if they're preferable to the actually-old Japanese ones currently on it.

It comes with: It has its presumably-original old hard case.

Consignor tag: MBRN