Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Solid Body Electric Guitar (1972)
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Item # 10567
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Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1972), 8.75 lbs., made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 614839, gold lacquer top, natural back and sides finish, mahogany body with maple cap, laminated mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is a cool "Genuine relic" example of a perennial 1970's favorite, the goldtop Les Paul Deluxe. This 1972 example has been well played over the last 50 years and shows typical features for the era. These include a laminated mahogany "pancake" mahogany body and neck and the maple-capped top finished in gold lacquer, two Mini-Humbucking pickups in cream P-90 style mounting rings, chrome Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop tailpiece, and 3-way switch with cream Rhythm/Treble ring, 'Gibson Deluxe" stamped Kluson tuners with keystone buttons and amber capped 60's style knobs. An oddity from this specific year is the "GIBSON" logo stamped into the pickup covers, something quickly abandoned when the company brass realized it made keeping inventory of pickups twice as complicated!
The serial numbers in this period are inexact but the one clearly visible pot code is 7211 (11th week of 1972) so combined with the pickups it's safe to assume the guitar was built that year, one of 2482 of this variant shipped out of Kalamazoo. Most early '70s Deluxes are gold top models, initially the only finish the model was offered in. As the decade rolled on sunburst and other options became more common, but in early 1972 this the signature look for this Les Paul variant. This one has seen a lot of use but is still a great looking and sounding guitar, wearing its scars proudly as it hits its 50th birthday.
Overall length is 39 3/8 in. (100 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth at side. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar shows quite a bit of play wear overall, now enjoying the status of a genuine relic of the 1970s. It remains mostly original, "Shallerized" at some point as many were but now but now restored with its original "Gibson Deluxe" Kluson tuners, showing a few scars on the headstock from the process. The always-broken cream plastic jackplate has been replaced with metal, the strap buttons are re-issues, the upper tone pot is replaced (and a fresh ground wire added) but the remaining hardware appears original except possibly the lower tailpiece stud.
The finish overall shows a lot of checking, mostly on the top, and a large collection of dings, scrapes and dents over most of the instrument. The gold-topped face has not faded much but has worn-in greening spots common to heavily played gold tops, where the metallic pigment reacts to the players hands. The back of the body has a decent amount of buckle wear mostly into but not through the finish. Despite obvious heavy use it NOT suffered the typical headstock crack that many did.
The guitar has been refretted at least once, the frets currently fitted are similar to the original wire but have been crowned down somewhat flatter; they still have decent height and play well. The fingerboard has some old divoting in a few spots, but nothing too serious. The back of the neck is heavily worn down to the wood along much of its length but is not heavily dinged or dented and plays smoothly.
The guitar sounds exactly as expected, with a bright growl that can get quite nasty if pushed through the right amp. The Les Paul Deluxe was the most popular "street" guitar here in NYC in the mid-'70's, and many high-school rock star dreams were whetted staring at them in the windows of 48th Street when buying strings for the Univox or Ibanez you actually owned. This one did get the tuner addition many endured but was spared the more intrusive indignities of the '70s (looking' at you, DiMarzio Super Distortion humbuckas). Somebody loved and played this guitar for a long time "Back innda day" and it shows. The original purple-lined shaped case is included, worn but still serviceable. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This is a cool "Genuine relic" example of a perennial 1970's favorite, the goldtop Les Paul Deluxe. This 1972 example has been well played over the last 50 years and shows typical features for the era. These include a laminated mahogany "pancake" mahogany body and neck and the maple-capped top finished in gold lacquer, two Mini-Humbucking pickups in cream P-90 style mounting rings, chrome Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop tailpiece, and 3-way switch with cream Rhythm/Treble ring, 'Gibson Deluxe" stamped Kluson tuners with keystone buttons and amber capped 60's style knobs. An oddity from this specific year is the "GIBSON" logo stamped into the pickup covers, something quickly abandoned when the company brass realized it made keeping inventory of pickups twice as complicated!
The serial numbers in this period are inexact but the one clearly visible pot code is 7211 (11th week of 1972) so combined with the pickups it's safe to assume the guitar was built that year, one of 2482 of this variant shipped out of Kalamazoo. Most early '70s Deluxes are gold top models, initially the only finish the model was offered in. As the decade rolled on sunburst and other options became more common, but in early 1972 this the signature look for this Les Paul variant. This one has seen a lot of use but is still a great looking and sounding guitar, wearing its scars proudly as it hits its 50th birthday.
Overall length is 39 3/8 in. (100 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth at side. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar shows quite a bit of play wear overall, now enjoying the status of a genuine relic of the 1970s. It remains mostly original, "Shallerized" at some point as many were but now but now restored with its original "Gibson Deluxe" Kluson tuners, showing a few scars on the headstock from the process. The always-broken cream plastic jackplate has been replaced with metal, the strap buttons are re-issues, the upper tone pot is replaced (and a fresh ground wire added) but the remaining hardware appears original except possibly the lower tailpiece stud.
The finish overall shows a lot of checking, mostly on the top, and a large collection of dings, scrapes and dents over most of the instrument. The gold-topped face has not faded much but has worn-in greening spots common to heavily played gold tops, where the metallic pigment reacts to the players hands. The back of the body has a decent amount of buckle wear mostly into but not through the finish. Despite obvious heavy use it NOT suffered the typical headstock crack that many did.
The guitar has been refretted at least once, the frets currently fitted are similar to the original wire but have been crowned down somewhat flatter; they still have decent height and play well. The fingerboard has some old divoting in a few spots, but nothing too serious. The back of the neck is heavily worn down to the wood along much of its length but is not heavily dinged or dented and plays smoothly.
The guitar sounds exactly as expected, with a bright growl that can get quite nasty if pushed through the right amp. The Les Paul Deluxe was the most popular "street" guitar here in NYC in the mid-'70's, and many high-school rock star dreams were whetted staring at them in the windows of 48th Street when buying strings for the Univox or Ibanez you actually owned. This one did get the tuner addition many endured but was spared the more intrusive indignities of the '70s (looking' at you, DiMarzio Super Distortion humbuckas). Somebody loved and played this guitar for a long time "Back innda day" and it shows. The original purple-lined shaped case is included, worn but still serviceable. Overall Very Good + Condition.