'75 ivory LP Custom

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Author Message Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 9:13 am:    I've been looking for a white Les Paul Custom for ages - I play in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band - and I've just won myself one on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1518738775. It hasn't arrived yet, sadly... From this incredibly useful discussion group, I've learned that this is a '75, serial L752747, which I assume means December '75. What *are* those pickups? Are they the originals? - I'm doubting it... Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 9:44 am:    Followup question - exactly which model number is this? Ccs (Ccs) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 9:51 am:    Looks like a 2550WH with EMG's. Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 10:05 am:    EMG's was the conclusion I was heading for: was just boggling as to *why* anyone would want to do that such a gorgeous guitar. *wry grin* Looks like my first job (along with the restring and setup) will be finding some suitable covered humbuckers. Johns (Johns) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 12:50 pm:    Mike: It's a very nice, true lawsuit LP. There's not much detail in the photo that shows the pickups. I can't tell if they are black (EMGs maybe?) or just dull chrome because the gold plating has worn off (pretty normal occurance). Why do you doubt that they are original? Did the seller say anything about them? BTW, are you in europe? If not, I'd be interested in hearing your experiences regarding overseas buying and shipping. Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 1:51 pm:    I'm a Brit, so I can't help you on the shipping front, sadly. They don't look to me like worn chrome - seems too uniform. Anyway - I'll ask the seller when he contacts me to arrange payment. At least then I can a) arrange some replacement pickups if needed and b) placate my friend who wants the EMG's if they are! Once it arrives, I'll get some detail pics, if folk are interested. Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 1:55 pm:    followup - having had a closer look - if they were worn chrome, there'd still be polepiece adjustment screws. Ccs (Ccs) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 7:26 pm:    I have to say thats my dream Les Paul,I've been waiting for exactly that one to come my way.I never realised the UK had its own private ebay.You only have 18 Ibanez up right now but some nice vintage ones.I wish there was a pic of the '75 Artist. Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Wednesday, February 27, 2002 - 3:55 am:    It's my dream Les Paul too (good job you didn't notice it before I did!!!): when I was 16, I fell in love with the one Lindsey Buckingham was playing in several pictures of Fleetwood Mac. The local music shop had a white Hondo (UK budget copy with DiMarzio Super II's) in stock, but when I went back the following day with a Visa-toting parent, they'd sold it and I had to settle for a wine-red one. I've never really liked wine-red LP's since, and sold it for a sunburst Tokai LP Custom two years later. But I've wanted a white LP Custom ever since: came close last year when someone advertised a white Tokai, but it turned out to be a refinish of a sunburst Standard that they hadn't even bothered putting gold hardware on! Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2002 - 4:29 pm:    Well, it's here - and gone straight to my local tech for a setup. Two oddities - the pickups definitely look like EMGs but with no external identification. I'm guessing these might not be originals, but may know more when Jon (tech) takes 'em out. Also, the bridge has plastic (white) saddles - again, I'd guess not original? Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Friday, April 05, 2002 - 3:52 am:    It's back from my tech. The pickups were a ghastly pair of potted EMG clones: build quality awful - the pickup wasn't parallel to the edges of the cover, and the whole held together largely by the wax potting. Plays like a dream: I will confess that I bought this to play, not to collect, and as such it's been set up to my taste. I have had the pickups replaced (with StewMac Golden Age humbuckers) and the bridge with one with metal saddles. I doubt very much these were original: I've replaced the knobs with new translucent black top-hats, rather than the solid ones with V and T inserts that were on it (with two of the inserts missing). It actually hadn't been taken that good care of: Jon (guitar tech)'s first reaction on seeing the high action was 'Um. Did you want this set up for slide or something?'. It has, though, cleaned up beautifully, and sings like a bird: nice, wide frets, moderately skinny neck, good clean sound. In a nutshell, it does what I want, namely allows me to sound like a certain Mr. Lindsey Buckingham (running it through a volume pedal, Boss SD-1, Vestax delay and a Park valve combo helps!). Pictures to follow: apologies in advance if the non-original bits horrify the purists here. Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Friday, April 05, 2002 - 6:51 am:    This page contains images of my two Les Paul copies, the sunburst Tokai and the ivory Ibanez. Johns (Johns) Posted on Friday, April 05, 2002 - 9:40 am:    Mike: Very nice! I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on the differences between the Tokai and the Ibanez. I know there are some differences in construction (is the Ibanez a hollow top?) and maybe woods (is the Tokai laminated mahogany?). And there is the bolt vs. setneck issue. But what do you hear or feel? Harry (Harry) Posted on Saturday, April 06, 2002 - 10:48 am:    Fleetwood! You got a very special 2350 WH there: I see that it's serial number says: L 77 ..... correct? But: the headstock is "open book"-shaped. That's weird, because from 1976 on Ibanez changed the shape of the headstock in a kind of "Guild" style. Obviously Ibanez had a bunch of old-shaped necks laying around and used them also after 1976. I too own a 76 Les Paul with the "lawsuit" headstock. Cheers, Harry Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Sunday, April 07, 2002 - 5:16 pm:    Serial is actually L752747, not L77xxxx. I had a very interesting Saturday trying both my copies and a friend's ...erm... how can I put this... professionally-built forgery (1800 quids worth of very VERY nice flametop built by a local luthier) through a JCM800 and a Boogie Studio 22+. The 'forgery' (I use the term in quotes because there's no intent to sell it as the real thing: it just was made to look like Peter Green/Gary Moore's LP) is basically a Gibson in construction, with a SD 59 PAF in the neck and a Jeff Beck in the bridge: by far the nicest woodwork of the three, with the Tokai (cherry sunburst) second. As far as I can tell, the Tokai is solid mahogany with a carved cap. Impressions: let's see. Best neck of the three, absolutely NO contest - the Ibanez, by a mile, with the other two about equal. Tonewise, there's not much in it. The Ibanez is noticeably quieter, because the StewMac's are lower output, but if you dial up some preamp gain to compensate, it sings just as much. The Tokai squeals if left unattended, through the Boogie distortion channel, because, I suspect, the covered h/bs (which are Tokai originals) are not potted. The hollow top on the Ibanez actually *helps* the sustain: it's X marks the spot on stage for long held notes time! The friend I was with reckoned the Ibanez was 'smoother' tonally, and we both felt it was a bit brighter. Easier to get that 'woman tone' with all the top rolled off the neck pickup on the Tokai. The fretting on the Ibanez is slightly nicer, too - wider profile. And it's lighter. The tuners are original, and prone to a little slippage: I may replace them, with this being a stage guitar, with a set of Gotohs (as I have on the Tokai). Overall, I love 'em both. I'll be gigging with Fleetfoot Mike (my Fleetwood Mac tribute band) with the Ibanez, and have the Tokai as a spare. Johns (Johns) Posted on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 9:20 am:    Mike: Thanks for the insights. Should be very helpful to those considering picking up an Ibanez LP copy. Whereabouts does Fleetwood Mike gig? Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 5:58 pm:    Fleet*foot* Mike will be gigging in the UK this summer, with a bit of luck. Fleetfootmike (Fleetfootmike) Posted on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 6:00 pm:    Oh - forgot: http://www.altrion.org/wf3fast3mike.mp3 is the Ibanez though a Pandora 2 on 'Plexi', as my entry for uk.music.guitar's WiddleFest collaborative jam. Fleetfootmike Username: Fleetfootmike Registered: 02-2002 Posted on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 6:00 pm:    For those who remember me acquiring this guitar, it's currently for sale. This board (since you guys helped me with finding out what I was actually buying) gets first shot at it Anyone feel like making me an offer, mike@altrion.org is my email address. Boogieknight Username: Boogieknight Registered: 01-2004 Posted on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 6:08 pm:    pictures? Fleetfootmike Username: Fleetfootmike Registered: 02-2002 Posted on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 6:19 pm:    I'll try and convince my digital camera to take some fresh ones, but there are some up here - http://www.altrion.org/lespauls.html The sunburst is my Tokai, and not for sale I should also note that the guitar has yellowed considerably with age - the flash rather leaches the colour out of it: it's faded to ivory, especially sat next to my NEW Korean Tokai in Alpine white. To reiterate stuff further up the thread - knobs (standard replacement top hat knobs), pickups (Stewmac Golden Age covered humbuckers) and bridge (stock Pincotts replacement part) are not original. It also has a set of Dunlop straplocks fitted. Serial number is L752747.

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