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Very cool!

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jw ( o)===:::

They used those pickup rings because they were small Epiphone style humbuckers, but they wanted to fit them to a full size humbucking p/u rout. So they mounted them in a cutout P-90 cover, and then mounted that inside a full size ring.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Thanks Filippo for the story and pics. That's a very nice lookin' restored LP deluxe.
I've never played that model but I do love Les Paul standards. I wonder how
those Epi style pick-ups compare to the regular size humbuckers ?

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

You're a lucky fellow, Filippo. I think these are the coolest of all the Les Pauls. I've never owned one, but have played a bunch of them. A friend of mine owns a gold top of the same vintage as yours. This is purely subjective, but I think those mini humbuckers have the best sound of any of the Les Pauls. The first time I hit a chord on my friend's guitar, the sheer power and complexity of the sound scared me!

I was not remembering exactly right ( I had one of those briefly about 1971). The rout is the shape of a P-90. They added another decorative trim ring around that. IIRC, the outer ring is not from a full size humbucking; it's a flat rectangular ring. My guess is that someone liked the Epiphone humbuckings, but wanted the pickups to have a bulkier look. The corporate mind of Gibson is hard to fathom.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I can explain the rings.

They are called "goof" rings. When the route process happened for the pickups, every once in awhile the router bit would enter or leave the body before it raised all the way up. It would leave a small bit or bite mark on the edge. Because the route was supposed to be clean it normally would not get an ring. But when it got dinged during this process, gibson would add the ring to hide it. It was never considered a bad thing. It was never considered a flaw or a second. It seems to be the most excepted "goof" we have seen from the factory. Strange but true.

Gruhn missing this one is the joke of the century! It really shows he does not look very well at instruments when appraising them. He knows his inside and out. To look at this guitar and call it anything but a 69 was just stupid. Anyone with Gibson knowledge (like he is supposed to have) can clear see at first glance what it is. What was he thinking?

Here is a few signs:

Lets see: No volute makes it pre 1970. No "made in usa" makes pre-late 1969. Three piece neck makes it post 1968. Large headstock places it mid 1969. I can not see if it has a pancake body, but the information above it enought to date it.

So with just the pictures shown (and assuming no alterations were made to the headstock/neck): this guitar is a Mid 1969 Les Paul Deluxe. In original condition it would have been worth about $4-5K. Restored...a bit less.

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Joe

Joe hit it the nail right on the head. My guess is that George never looked at this one personally - he's probably saving himself for all the pre-1960 instruments....

It really looks great! Cool story too, I love these vintage instrument stories.

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....

Full size humbuckers had rings already so they did not need "goof" rings. Sometimes its hard to tell exactly why the goof ring was added years later. At the time they placed them on the guitar...there was a reason. In the early 70's you could order 10 Les Pauls and only a few would have the rings. This is also simular to "second" and "2" being marked on a guitar. You never could find anything wrong with them, but rest assured, someone thought there was prior to shipping.

Anyway, the price does not seem to be affected by these rings.

JD

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Joe