Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Solid Body Electric Guitar (1974)
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Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1974), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 208822, cherry sunburst finish, mahogany body with maple cap, laminated mhogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, brown alligator hard shell case.
This is a nice example of that 1970's favorite, the cherry Sunburst Les Paul Deluxe. It shows some minor wear bit remains largely unaltered and better preserved than many working instruments nearly 50 years along. All four pots are dated to the 21st week of 1974 so it's safe to assume the guitar was built that year, theoretically one of the 3190 shipped out of Kalamazoo. This one has the small "2" on the back of the headstock marking it as a factory second, so may not have been included in that total.
It has typical features for the era with a laminated "pancake" mahogany body and neck; the maple-capped top is finished in a bright cherry sunburst with hardly any fade. The fittings include two Mini-Humbucking pickups in cream 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. The top has a cosmetic flaws along the edge of the center laminate piece, more noticeable on the bass side. It looks like this shrank just a bit after being finished, no doubt the reason it was deemed a second. There is no structural issue and this would not even be much noticeable except for a little finish flaked off just above the bridge along this seam.
The guitar plays and sounds exactly as expected, with a bright growl that can get quite nasty if cranked through the right amp. The Les Paul Deluxe was the most popular "street" guitar here in NYC in the mid-'70's, and many young 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 was spared the many indignities of the '70's (lookin' at you, DiMarzio Super Distortion humbuckas) and is a great player's example even with its factory flaws.
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, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This Deluxe remains in fine playing shape showing some wear overall but not too heavily played over the past not-quite 50 years. There are dings, scrapes and dents with some belt-buckling into the back but no really heavy wear. The flaws in the top that made this a second are visible but inconsequential in any functional way. The back of the neck is quite clean. The original large frets have been crowned down fairly flat in that '70s style and show very little subsequent wear, the fingerboard is relatively unblemished. The hardware is original except for a correct replaced cream plastic jack plate, the little part that always breaks. It is housed in it is housed in a later alligator grained HSC, a cool '70s survivor ready to rock in the 2020s. Excellent - Condition.
This is a nice example of that 1970's favorite, the cherry Sunburst Les Paul Deluxe. It shows some minor wear bit remains largely unaltered and better preserved than many working instruments nearly 50 years along. All four pots are dated to the 21st week of 1974 so it's safe to assume the guitar was built that year, theoretically one of the 3190 shipped out of Kalamazoo. This one has the small "2" on the back of the headstock marking it as a factory second, so may not have been included in that total.
It has typical features for the era with a laminated "pancake" mahogany body and neck; the maple-capped top is finished in a bright cherry sunburst with hardly any fade. The fittings include two Mini-Humbucking pickups in cream 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. The top has a cosmetic flaws along the edge of the center laminate piece, more noticeable on the bass side. It looks like this shrank just a bit after being finished, no doubt the reason it was deemed a second. There is no structural issue and this would not even be much noticeable except for a little finish flaked off just above the bridge along this seam.
The guitar plays and sounds exactly as expected, with a bright growl that can get quite nasty if cranked through the right amp. The Les Paul Deluxe was the most popular "street" guitar here in NYC in the mid-'70's, and many young 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 was spared the many indignities of the '70's (lookin' at you, DiMarzio Super Distortion humbuckas) and is a great player's example even with its factory flaws.
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, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This Deluxe remains in fine playing shape showing some wear overall but not too heavily played over the past not-quite 50 years. There are dings, scrapes and dents with some belt-buckling into the back but no really heavy wear. The flaws in the top that made this a second are visible but inconsequential in any functional way. The back of the neck is quite clean. The original large frets have been crowned down fairly flat in that '70s style and show very little subsequent wear, the fingerboard is relatively unblemished. The hardware is original except for a correct replaced cream plastic jack plate, the little part that always breaks. It is housed in it is housed in a later alligator grained HSC, a cool '70s survivor ready to rock in the 2020s. Excellent - Condition.