Les Paul model identification help wa...

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Author Message Lespaul Username: Lespaul Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 8:22 pm:    Hi all, I am new here on this fine forum and I have a question for you all. I recently bought this special order custom shop prototype Ibanez Les Paul. I believe it to be all original. All parts say Ibanez on them. I cannot find any information on this guitar anywhere. Can anyone tell me what model number it is? I hope I can work out the picture thing..... \ image{1} Thanks, Paul (bored) Lespaul Username: Lespaul Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 8:23 pm:    Oooopssss, Second try. Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 01-2002 Posted on Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 9:33 pm:    Les,looks to be a very cool frankenstein Ibanez..The tailpc, bridge, knobs & Pickups, although authentic Ibanez are at least 3 years newer than the neck/body. Gibralter bridge/fancy tail are typically found in the '77 model year (the last of the clones) with a "tulip" style headstock-the lawsuit neck is definately 1974-5. As far as I know Ibanez never used logo pickups on a Les Paul clone, those were reserved for the "original" designs. The hardware on the black LP's is, as far as I know, always gold...also the tuners are from a 76 or later Artist, the later lawsuit LP's (square edge on the fretboard) would have had Gotoh Star tuners and cheap knockoff witchhat knobs, the Suregrips were used on the later (77) and would be black on this guitar. IMHO-This looks like a restored "parts bin" guitar, but there is a lot of $ tied up in NOS parts. I bet it just sounds great though........ What makes you think this is a special order custom shop prototype Ibanez Les Paul? Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 01-2002 Posted on Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 9:35 pm:    OOPs, What I was trying to type was "The tailpc, bridge, knobs, although authentic Ibanez are at least 3 years newer than the neck/body.... Travesty Username: Travesty Registered: 07-2006 Posted on Sunday, July 02, 2006 - 8:41 am:    You should scan through the catalog pages here: http://www.ibanez-vintage-page.de I am with Dave. I am nowhere near an expert, but I think you have a frankenstein also. Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Sunday, July 02, 2006 - 3:55 pm:    I also think Dave is right. There is a lot of $ tied up in NOS parts but all a few years younger and from the wrong type. So you probably have a great player now, but if you want to turn it into a collector's piece again, you need the right parts. You could buy the right parts and later sell the younger parts, or keep them to restore other vintage guitars. But perhaps you can trade, leaving your wallet closed. It would mean an increase of the value of your guitar. What I don't know is, whether the older tuners were as good as these. But I would certainly replace the tailpiece. It's totally out of place. I would say, the Gibraltar II bridge is a keeper. If you don't need it on this guitar anymore, then you can use it on some AS or AM model, you're yet to acquire. They're the best bridges I know. This would be my first honest opinion. But after another look at the start of this thread I wondered: Did you perhaps create this yourself to provoce some reactions, because you were indeed bored? Come on, you should know better... prototype... Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Monday, July 03, 2006 - 9:24 am:    Well, I wrote to Japan about this very special guitar! It is indeed a one-off prototype. It was made for a VERY special person who's initials are L.P. The story is that Mr. L.P. was so impressed with Ibanez replicas that he was ready to jump ship from the large American company that was making his signature guitar. The wood is very exotic. The body is Spalted Peruvian Limbo with a 2 inch thick AAAAA Quilted Hard Rock Maple top. The neck is a laminate of 17 interlocking pieces of quartersawn South African Purple Bubalah wood with a truss rod made of carbon fibers. There are hand chisled chambers in the body of the guitar that were then filled with a light resin material to add mass, but retain a very "acoustic" sound. This revolutionary construction makes the guitar very loud, sustain forever and extremely light. Although it appears that some parts are newer than the rest of the guitar, the master luthiers in Japan designed these "new prototype" parts specifically for this special guitar. It then took several years before they found their way onto regular production line guitars. It's said that Mr. L.P. actually flew to Nagoya to meet with Mr. Gotoh and together they designed the tuning machines that feature the knurled tightening screws you see on all the "vintage" Ibanez guitars from the "golden era". Because this development came so late in the build process, the tuners arrived at the factory after an initial set of cheaper tuners had already been fitted. That's why there are "spare" screw holes in the headstock. Unfortunately, the big American guitar company found out about the secret negotiations and threaten massive legal action, so the entire deal died. But it did lead to Mr. L.P. telling Mr. Gen Gakki to change the headstock shape to something more like the Guild style "very soon". And you all thought that was just coincidence....right! This bit of history is still so sensitive that my source asked not be named. So, please don't repeat this information to anyone else. (bored, too) Lespaul Username: Lespaul Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Monday, July 03, 2006 - 10:19 am:    Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Monday, July 03, 2006 - 7:18 pm:    Nobody else wants to play "what if"? Jchester Username: Jchester Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Monday, July 03, 2006 - 8:00 pm:    Not with you, Johns! But this is exactly what I love about this site! I originally came to find a replacement for a long lost guitar. I found it, bought it & love it. I don't have anywhere near enough $$$ to be a collector... but I still love reading the humor and intrigue in these posts. You guys are a hoot... all the way to the Top Guy! Thanks Johns! John Chester

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