The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Guitars Etc. => Topic started by: Grog on April 16, 2015, 04:43:48 PM
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While vacationing in Nashville last Monday, we stopped in at the new, (new to me) Gruhn's Guitar location. They happened to have a '73 L-5S with low impedance pickups. The gold hardware was rather worn, as most of them seem to be. It had also had a refret done. After trying to convince myself I didn't really need it, because it isn't a Les Paul........ I made them an offer & it was accepted. They shipped it yesterday so it should arrive Monday, just after I make it back. That's the last of the low impedance series for me........... Speaking of low impedance guitars, we stopped at the Antique Archeology location on Nashville, they had a Les Paul Professional on the wall for $4,200.00. Mike picked that from somewhere...... Photos to follow after I get back home...
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Excellent! Looking forward to pics.
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Not half...! :popcorn:
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That's the last of the low impedance series for me.
I keep forgetting that you're the only person I know of who actually has a Les Paul Jumbo.
Congrats on completing the set.
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If I hadn't picked up the Les Paul Jumbo last year, the L-5S would still be at Gruhn's.....
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I can understand the urge to have the whole set.
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I guess there must be crazier things to collect.... The guitar beat me to Minnesota...... It was in Eagan yesterday morning, I'm leaving Cape Girardeau, MO. Home tomorrow night. I wonder if Uwe found any acquisitions visiting the Deep South ...lol
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Uwe hasn't been on the forum since 4/1. He and his son must be taking their time exploring Mississippi blues territory.
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Travelling wayyyyy back in time to the days before electric amplification, let alone the world-wide-wormhole...
As for collecting, we've discussed way more unusual collecting habits here... at least yours come with strings-attached... ;)
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Back Home........... Here is the one photo I took with my iPhone before I left Gruhn's.......
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/1973%20L-5S%20Gruhns_zpsutnj9z2g.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/1973%20L-5S%20Gruhns_zpsutnj9z2g.jpg.html)
I guess there was one in the camera also.....
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/SAM_0688_zps6z3e2dyq.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/SAM_0688_zps6z3e2dyq.jpg.html)
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/SAM_0684_zpsjn3zacsc.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/SAM_0684_zpsjn3zacsc.jpg.html)
Also, here is the Les Paul Professional I noticed at Antique Archeology, (American Pickers) I don't think he really wants to sell it any time soon!
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/AmPck%20LPP1_zpswbyq8ohz.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/AmPck%20LPP1_zpswbyq8ohz.jpg.html)
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/AmPck%20LPP2_zpspfxl3e7d.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/AmPck%20LPP2_zpspfxl3e7d.jpg.html)
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/SAM_0711_zps93k7zsei.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/SAM_0711_zps93k7zsei.jpg.html)
As long as I'm home to sign for it when UPS delivers it, I'll have the L-5S sometime tomorrow. ;D
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Looks to be in fine shape.
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Official Leg Lamp pics.............
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/73%20L-5S%201_zpskrzgjynj.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/73%20L-5S%201_zpskrzgjynj.jpg.html)
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/73%20L-5S%202_zpsutdblsrk.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/73%20L-5S%202_zpsutdblsrk.jpg.html)
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/73%20L-5S%203_zps0wmuzb8s.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/73%20L-5S%203_zps0wmuzb8s.jpg.html)
It arrived in good shape. It's a far cry from mint, but it's growing on me. It's the most I'd ever paid for a guitar, so I was a bit nervous. I never really understood why it is wired to only play high impedance, what's the point of having low impedance pickups if you can't use them in low impedance??? The output seems a bit weaker than my guitars with regular humbuckers, crank the amp up & it screams pretty nicely. Nice curly maple that looks a bit different from different angles. The last owner had it re-fretted with normal frets. Either he didn't like the fretless wonder frets, or they were worn. Only 197 of these were shipped in 1973 and a few were shipped in 1974 before they switched to regular humbuckers, don't know how many. The most readable pot is 1377315.
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Beautiful... simple as that...
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That is reel purdy...!
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Was that the standard factory wiring? doesn't make sense.
Good to see that the leg lamp is still unbroken. You know how fra-gi-le they are.
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Was that the standard factory wiring? doesn't make sense.
Good to see that the leg lamp is still unbroken. You know how fra-gi-le they are.
Everything is original with the exception of the jack. The original jack would have been one of the cheaper plastic Switchcraft versions.
I found a schematic......drawn in 1976??
http://www.gibson.com/Files/schematics/L5Slow.PDF
As for the leg lamp, I was told around Februrary, that if I didn't get it out of the living room window soon, an accident was inevitable.....????
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In this country, the popular expression is a leg-over... ;)
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As for the leg lamp, I was told around Februrary, that if I didn't get it out of the living room window soon, an accident was inevitable.....????
But...but...buuuut........it's a MAJOR AWARD!
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And without the Leg Lamp.....................
(http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af119/Grog_03/1973%20Gibson%20L5-S%20Custom_zpsmqbaonps.jpg) (http://s999.photobucket.com/user/Grog_03/media/1973%20Gibson%20L5-S%20Custom_zpsmqbaonps.jpg.html)
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8)
Family shot required, now they're all together under one roof...
:popcorn:
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8)
Family shot required, now they're all together under one roof...
:popcorn:
I'd have to find a bigger place to do it. I literally took the last photo in my bathroom to get far enough away to get them all in the shot. The L-5S is technically not a Les Paul, but I might try to redo the picture someday.....
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My guitar is on a UPS truck on it's way to CME, to trade up on the same guitar with much better gold plating. I've been negotiating with a sales man off & on for a few months, we finally came up with a compromise. Time will tell if it was a good move or not...………
(https://i.imgur.com/P6nfj7z.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/35d6AJvl.png)
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It looks nicer, hope it plays and sounds as good for you.
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It looks to be in much better shape. The maple on mine seemed to be more figured than the new one. Mine had a re-fret, the other is original. They said it has a new nut, but everything else is stock. I thought the knobs look odd. After some discussion, he said that they must have "upgraded" the knobs & switch tip. I said that I didn't want upgraded, I wanted original. They agreed to switch the knobs with my old one when it arrives. This is about the fifth Gibson I have upgraded with a cleaner guitar, one of the first being the EB-1 at Willies.
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I'm still kicking myself for not grabbing that clean EB-1 at Willie's. IIRC it was $1300. Even 20 years ago that was a good deal.
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I still have never seen another that clean. I believe that it was on consignment by the original owners widow. I don't know that Willie has ever had another...……...
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Looks like a nice one. Congrats on getting 1 step closer to completing the set.
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I think I like the one in the right pic better.
Because of the figured maple pattern.
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Looks like a nice one. Congrats on getting 1 step closer to completing the set.
Thanks! The set is complete as far as I am going to go. It would just be collecting for fins, like a certain German member, if I were to go any farther.
Add the L-5S to this herd and this is a good time to stop the MADNESS!
(https://i.imgur.com/mf2pMdn.jpg)
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I think I like the one in the right pic better.
Because of the figured maple pattern.
That was the main hesitation I had. The new one is pretty plain in comparison.
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Thanks! The set is complete as far as I am going to go. It would just be collecting for fins, like a certain German member, if I were to go any farther.
Add the L-5S to this herd and this is a good time to stop the MADNESS!
(https://i.imgur.com/mf2pMdn.jpg)
Oh not so my friend - you forget Les Paul's custom EB2 (as well as the spare still used live by his son to this day).
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/cb930b307068bb78e7a6fa6f5854b03b/tumblr_inline_od5dkf7YeQ1tnlwle_1280.jpg)
There was better pics of the other one in the LP estate Auction literature but I can't find it now.
.... never mind Tony Mottola's one off custom Gibson Crest:
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/5f9161aff3602c55fde16c9493326b0a/tumblr_odt5xa4nlG1unxz8do1_1280.jpg)
which appears to still be available on gbase (at a very reasonable 40K). You figure after 2 years they'd try dropping the price, sheesh. https://www.gbase.com/gear/gibson-es-355-1969-natural
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Will it ever end!
(https://i.imgur.com/vOJoHRT.jpg)
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Oh not so my friend - you forget Les Paul's custom EB2 (as well as the spare still used live by his son to this day).
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I don't think Rusty Paul uses it to this day, since he died nearly three years ago.
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And what about this pair... 8)
(https://13376708-689899567947305371.preview.editmysite.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13376708/lp-prototypes-in-a-case_orig.jpg)
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I wish I would have had a chance to buy this one...……..
(https://i.imgur.com/YMkpDt4.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/y3ihgQR.jpg)
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I don't think Rusty Paul uses it to this day, since he died nearly three years ago.
Oh, I missed that - he used it till then anyway.
That 3 pupper - OMG
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It sounds like it will finally be shipped this morning, I should get it tomorrow. My trade got there last Friday at 9:30 & with the holiday, it didn't get opened until yesterday. Everything was finalized about ten minutes before they closed last night...………..
(https://i.imgur.com/36TmiK4.jpg)
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After sitting in a UPS facility just a few miles away since last Friday night, it was finally delivered about 4:30 this afternoon. After letting the box slowly warm up for about 4 hours, (it was unseasonably warm here), I finally cracked it open. It looks better than it did in the CME photos, the gold plating (which is what I was trying to improve) looked better than in the photos. A little bit of peeling or blistering around the Gibson logo on the neck pickup, otherwise near new. It even has a bit more figure in the maple in person, but nothing like my old one...…..
Official Leg Lamp Photo. (Unfortunately, the lamp had to resume it's storage location a few days ago until Black Friday of next year ??? )
(https://i.imgur.com/RD8vSL1.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/gaDuh0p.jpg)
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That does look better than in the photos you were sent..
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CME insisted that the guitar was a1975 by the serial number 138XXX. The info I've found dates it between 1970-1975. The pot codes are around the middle of 1973 & I believe that this model only came with low impedance pickups in 1973. Normal humbuckers in 1974. I think I will call it a 1973.
(https://i.imgur.com/129ZDco.jpg)
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I agree with your serial number years. I'll take your word about the pickup years.
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Yeah; they switched over to PAFs pretty quick with these.
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The two side by side...….
(https://i.imgur.com/9wfdivN.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/v895bAq.jpg)
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8)
Family shot required, now they're all together under one roof...
:popcorn:
It took a while, but by taking a photo of the guitars and basses separately, I was able to get the entire blended family in two shots...….
(https://i.imgur.com/dwLAQvf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VG8a4or.jpg)
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Very nice!
It looks shorter than the other Les Pauls. Or is it at an angle more?
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It is shorter & shaped slightly different. The Les Paul Recording is slightly larger than a typical Les Paul so it may be exaggerated a bit. The L-5S doesn't even come close to fitting in a standard Les Paul case. I believe that an L-6S case would fit, but have never tried one.
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.... never mind Tony Mottola's one off custom Gibson Crest:
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/5f9161aff3602c55fde16c9493326b0a/tumblr_odt5xa4nlG1unxz8do1_1280.jpg)
which appears to still be available on gbase (at a very reasonable 40K). You figure after 2 years they'd try dropping the price, sheesh. https://www.gbase.com/gear/gibson-es-355-1969-natural
I was at the Songbird Guitar Museum today. The Tony Mottola Crest must of been purchased by them for the museum. It was in their rotating exhibit that you pay extra to see in their “Vault”. I’ll post a photo when I get back home.....
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(https://i.imgur.com/2lQHWVP.jpg)