Werewolf by Night Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Man, if I could swing it, I'd sooo jump on buying this guitar! Used to belong to Hank Williams Jr, who, over the years, had apparently had it refinished in translucent cherry (it was originally a "gold-top"), replaced the bridge, and replaced the original P-90 "soap-bars" with (I think) Seymour Duncan "mini-humbuckers"... (clonk on pic for much larger image) http://www.rumbleseatmusic.com/images/188s/gibson/54GibsonLesPaulHankJr.jpg 1954 Gibson Les Paul 'Hank Williams Jr.' "Cherry" "With a signed letter from Hank himself this guitar is part of Rock History, and its a phenomenal player! EXC w/HSC..." I so want this guitar! Keep it the Hell away from Kyle Bush! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Yeah, I don't care for Kyle's mods at all! Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e397/reifspano/Guitars/89GibsonLPCustomWhite.jpg This would be my pick from that vendor - never seen a 3 pickup "White Beauty" before! Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 Yeah, that's a cool one, too, ain't it! Oh, cheesewhiz, Elliot's always got so many cool used and vintage guitars, it's sick! His "Private Stock reserve" would probably give me a stroke. Years ago in his old store, I played a Gibson Les Paul prototype for a model that never saw production, a '50s Gretsch Round Up with the knotty pine top, an all original Vox AC50 head and 2x12-cab with the chrome stand, a '56 LP Custom that had been Jimmy Vivino's, a sweet '60 LP Special (DAMN I shoulda bought it!!), an original prototype for an upscale LP-ish dual-hb axe that had been made for Fender... on and on and on... "1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom "Wine Red" Heard on many John Prine Recordings, this Custom has a Great History and was Hand Picked by Chet Atkins!? Izzatt a fingerstyle joke? Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I'm just so not into modified vintage axes. I ruined one myself years ago, which, if it had been left alone would be worth today more than what most people make in a year or two. The Mona Lisa doesn't need modified or fixed, it is just fine the way that it is, and the same holds true for those 'modified' classics. What we did in the 70s borders on criminal, at least from a 'good sense' point of view. "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 It's just a cool guitar all-around in its own right; and at least the changes made to it aren't bad ones. This one wasn't "ruined" by any means. It probably plays and sounds great; if I get by there sometime, I hope to find out! And I for one LOVE that there are vintage guitars out there that get called "players" due to refinishing, etc., sometimes putting good old guitars within the reach of PLAYERS- not collectors- who otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford 'em. Seems to be a fair number of '54 Les Pauls out there like that, for some reason... Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 When you get Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound, it would be cool to drag this one out of the closet and give her hell...but on the other hand, you would have a collector with the signed letter..even with the mods, it's going to be valuable...look at any great star that vamped his own custom concept including the master himself....buy it.... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d halfnote Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I'd have to go with the idea, as I'v expressed before, that the value of an instrument can be weighed in 2, uh, ways: It's collectibilty or it's usablity. Which is more worthwhile is an individual question... Still, that cherry color's not that common, is it? Looks a bit like the Rick Derringer/Clapton/Harrison LP. "Lucy" http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/legendary-guitar-lucy-507/ d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 It's a flamed-topped Les Paul from the 50's. Regardless of the mods and previous ownership, it's at least a $3000 guitar, and that's probably low. Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I'd rather have an original gold top... refinished or not... with the P-90s over any gold top with the mini-humbuckers. As it happens, I've owned an original 1957 gold top with P-90s, which we refinished in 1970/71 because the gold top had turned a rancid green in places, and I don't really like green. I gave it away years ago, when I was on the road and feared that it would be stolen. I have a 70s gold top with min-humbuckers and a Murphy preaged 57 goldtop with humbuckers, and given my druthers, I'd like my P-90s back, thank you. When you pull the pickups and electronics from a 1954 guitar and replace them with something newer, and you re-finish the guitar, can you accurately call it a 1954 anything? Reminds me of the Scrubs, where Perry tells Jordan that he'll even love her when she's 70 ....and her face is 30 and her breasts are 22. As to the guitar in question... if I understand correctly, what was created was a sunburst Deluxe. You can buy a 1970s vintage sunburst Deluxe for under $2k. Probably cost him more to mod the 54 gold top. You'll have a much harder time finding a '54 gold top, and it will cost significantly more than $2k.... which is important because the more that have been modified, the fewer originals exist, and the price will climb appropriately. But touting that particular guitar as a "1954" is somewhat inappropriate. I can't tell you how many 50s Les Pauls were refinished back in the 70s, but the popular thing to do when 'wooden' music was 'in' was to strip the LP tops and refinish them in natural. Mine happened to be a three piece top when we stripped it, so we did the top in white, with a scraped maple edge by the binding. Quite attractive. "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 I believe that other than the finish (fwiw, not a sunburst), the bridge, tuners, and the pickups (and not the rest of the "electronics") were what was changed out. There's been a headstock repair, as well. It's just cool in its own right; and it's still the same wood, luthiery, and all underneath. I'd still base my final verdict on whether or not I liked how it played and sounded once I tried it out; first "unplugged", and then through an amp. It'd be an easy enough thing to change the pickups to some choice P-90s if I really liked its acoustic response, but wasn't wild about the SD mini-hb's. I really couldn't care at all about whether or not it's a "collector's" guitar, I just think it's beautiful, cool, and interesting. Found out some more about it: "On October 2, 1987, during a concert in Topeka, Kansas, country music superstar Hank Williams Jr. threw a harmonica into the crowd. It hit a fan in the head and cut her, requiring several stitches. Hank Jr. not only apologized, he presented the fan with this refinished Les Paul that he used onstage." Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 "It's just cool in its own right; and it's still the same wood, luthiery, and all underneath. I'd still base my final verdict on whether or not I liked how it played and sounded once I tried it out; .." Indeed, as I hope we do with all guitars. My only reservations have to do with all of the "1954!" stuff. It might be a way cool guitar, but it is not a way cool 1954 guitar (in my opinion...) because a big part of what would give that " '54" aspect some legs would be the finish and particularly the electronics. A completely stock 1957 LP Custom would not sound the way that you or I would want, had someone in 1974 put in a pair of super-distortions to replace the original PAFs. By the by, making a trade this weekend .... an old Yamaha DX-7 that I never play, for a 1967 Vox Kensington combo bass amp. Hope that I like it! "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 I hope you do, too! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzan Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Man, if I could swing it, I'd sooo jump on buying this guitar! Used to belong to Hank Williams Jr, who, over the years, had apparently had it refinished in translucent cherry (it was originally a "gold-top"), replaced the bridge, and replaced the original P-90 "soap-bars" with (I think) Seymour Duncan "mini-humbuckers"... (clonk on pic for much larger image) http://www.rumbleseatmusic.com/images/188s/gibson/54GibsonLesPaulHankJr.jpg 1954 Gibson Les Paul 'Hank Williams Jr.' "Cherry" "With a signed letter from Hank himself this guitar is part of Rock History, and its a phenomenal player! EXC w/HSC..." I so want this guitar! Keep it the Hell away from Kyle Bush! wow what a chunk of sexy wood! dead sexy. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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