1st Les Paul in hands... what can you tell me about it?

[alex1fly]

As a piggyback to my "first lp" thread, I picked up this one used over the weekend. Price was right, guitar is solid, seemed like a good place to start. From what I can tell its a 1992 LP Special so slab body and no maple top. Frets in particular are in amazing shape for a 31 year old guitar, so I wonder if its been refretted or at least been worked on. No idea what the pickups are. I do like the little inserts under the pots, pretty neat. Beyond that is there anything I should know about this axe? Also, any warning signs that it isn't a legit Gibson?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Congrats! Looks pretty nice! Can we see a full body shot?

 

[alex1fly]

Congrats! Looks pretty nice! Can we see a full body shot?

Are you seeing 5 pictures? One is like a 90% body shot lol. The thing is big!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Are you seeing 5 pictures? One is like a 90% body shot lol. The thing is big!

Yeah, LOL. I meant the full guitar.

 

[NegativeEase]

As a piggyback to my "first lp" thread, I picked up this one used over the weekend. Price was right, guitar is solid, seemed like a good place to start. From what I can tell its a 1992 LP Special so slab body and no maple top. Frets in particular are in amazing shape for a 31 year old guitar, so I wonder if its been refretted or at least been worked on. No idea what the pickups are. I do like the little inserts under the pots, pretty neat. Beyond that is there anything I should know about this axe? Also, any warning signs that it isn't a legit Gibson?

Those Crocs look fake too.

 

[ICTGoober]

Looks stock to me. Congrats!

 

[beaubrummels]

Looks like a legit 90s LP Special to me. When you re-string it, just lift the pickups out to see what they are. Looks like a good platform to try out various pickups.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Looks like a legit 90s LP Special to me. When you re-string it, just lift the pickups out to see what they are. Looks like a good platform to try out various pickups.

Looks like either 500T, 498T, or 490T. The bridge pickup looks wider-spaced to me, that's what I can tell. I doubt 500T, though.

 

[beaubrummels]

Actually, looking more into it, I believe the Special with Humbuckers was the Faded series, from 2002-2005 and 2011. They had 498T/490R pickups stock.

https://web.archive.org/web/2003040....com/products/gibson/lespaul/Faded Series.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20030409094913/http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/lespaul/lpsh.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Les_Paul_Special

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I wouldn't swap the 498T out, personally. At least not immediately.

Unless you're going for something more traditional PAF Les Paul-y sounding.

It is, after all, the same pickup they put in the 6,000 Customs.

 

[beaubrummels]

Looks like either 500T, 498T, or 490T. The bridge pickup looks wider-spaced to me, that's what I can tell. I doubt 500T, though.

Gibson switched to a wider bridge spacing many years ago, but I don't recall the exact year. Might have coincided with the introduction of the Nashville bridge, but don't quote me on that. ICTGoober would likely know.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Gibson switched to a wider bridge spacing many years ago, but I don't recall the exact year. Might have coincided with the introduction of the Nashville bridge, but don't quote me on that. ICTGoober would likely know.

Not for all pickups. At least for the current ones (meaning from the 90's and later), I mean.

The PAF-types are still all PAF-spaced. The Burstbuckers, the 57's, the Custombuckers. All standard-spaced. Even the bridge ones.

 

[Securb]

Very cool rock machine. Who cares what the pickups are as long as you dig the tone. The cool thing is if you don't there are so many flavors of Les Paul pickups out there.

 

[alex1fly]

Those Crocs look fake too.

LOL They're my "you sprained your toe by kicking the door in the night you big idiot" shoes. Nice look eh

 

[alex1fly]

Links above lead me to believe it features a 490R neck pickup and a 498T bridge pickup. 1998 LP Special "SL" whatever that means

 

[NegativeEase]

LOL They're my "you sprained your toe by kicking the door in the night you big idiot" shoes. Nice look eh

:banana: Im glad you appreciated my joke.... its the little things!

Nice guitar!!!!

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, I don't generally swap out pickups unless I live with them for awhile. But that looks like a cool LP. It is the kind I certainly would go for.

 

[beaubrummels]

Not for all pickups. At least for the current ones (meaning from the 90's and later), I mean.

The PAF-types are still all PAF-spaced. The Burstbuckers, the 57's, the Custombuckers. All standard-spaced. Even the bridge ones.

Right. Standard spacing is typically on Historics or models following 'traiditional' specs.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I love the 498T. Kinda like a less compressed, less hot, more gritty JB.

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

Congrats! That should rock pretty hard!
If it were mine, I'd already have a TB6 on order!