1969 Gibson ES-355 with lo-z pickups

[Basvarken]

What do you guys make of this?

At first I thought it looked like one of those prototypes that Les Paul built. With all the little control plates and the oval black lo-z pickups.
But when I looked again I think the fretboard looks all wrong. Like a bad photoshop job?

https://www.gbase.com/gear/gibson-es-355-1969-natural

[Dave W]

That's beautiful. Here's the album mentioned Rudy's Gbase listing, the front cover is too dark to tell but it's clearly visible on the back cover. You can even see the controls even though it's laying flat. I don't think Rudy's would fake it.

[chromium]

That is something, innit?  Wonder if they'd come down to 38.5K... 

The bright-white binding edge kinda does make it look photoshopped, but I can see some yellowing along the edge.

[Basvarken]

Yes I see that too. Like there is an extra layer of yellowed binding under the bright white binding.
But there is also something going on with the angle of the fretboard. Or is that optical illusion caused by the angled pickups?

[Alanko]

The geometry at the end of the neck looks odd, but this might be because of the slope of the neck pickup? Cool guitar, sort of reminds me of the Gibson Crest.

[Rob]

http://www.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/10-rare-gibsons-0917.aspx

Sure does look like a Crest

[Dave W]

It's probably a custom ordered Crest variation. He was a well known jazz studio guy in New York and I wouldn't be surprised if he knew Les Paul well.

I saw him a few times as a guest on Carson back when the Tonight Show was in  New York, but I only remember him playing an acoustic. That was probably before this guitar was built.

Here's another image of him with this guitar, seems to be from a Brazilian release of his greatest hits.

[Basvarken]

They knew each other well. Here's a nice anecdote:

http://mahwahmuseum.org/tony-mottolas-les-paul-story/

[Dave W]

Les' mind was obviously still sharp. 

[Alanko]

Looks like a Crest bridge, body and pickguard. Looks like the same finish! The Crest's necks joined the body around the 15th fret, whereas the guitar in the first post looks more like a typical ES355 in that regard. Same headstock layout as on a Crest, albeit with a 'Custom' TRC.

Apparently this is a massively reworked Crest:

[D.M.N.]

I actually saw that guitar in person earlier this year while I was in NYC. It is really something else. The finish has such depth, and the grain is absolutely gorgeous. It is flat out one of the most beautiful instruments I've ever seen.

[Granny Gremlin]

OMG.  I think I just soiled myself.