Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

[LLL]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

Try Zooming the pics- the nibs are there.

No nibs. Fretwire runs straight to the edge of the fretboard; fretwire edges have been beveled off.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

No nibs. Fretwire runs straight to the edge of the fretboard; fretwire edges have been beveled off.

View attachment 78736

Try the other pic (angle on towards the upper bout). Even the guy you quoted finally saw them and corrected himself when he zoomed the other picture.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

Here, I will help.

You can see them here. They have shrunk over time, which is what happens to them, especially on the small nibs/frets of the earlier years.

 

[LLL]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

Try the other pic (angle on towards the upper bout). Even the guy you quoted finally saw them and corrected himself when he zoomed the other picture.

Nibs should cover the ends of the frets. These fret ends are beveled off ("shrunk nibs" or not). There's an angle; if the nibs "shrunk", those fret ends should be square.

On a few frets in this pic, you can see what might be the very bottom of what used to be the nibs; like they were cut off.



For reference, here's a Gibson True Historic 1957 Goldtop fretboard (best "closeup" I could find for now):

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2015/Custom/True-Historic-1957-Les-Paul-Goldtop.aspx

(click on pic to embiggen)

 

[JeffB]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

New historic nibs and old nibs are not the same. They also have'nt had 60 years to age and shrink.

Yeesh.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

I can see slight nibs on the MLP photo. Don't know if it's factory fresh or not. Curious that the finish aging covers uneven portions of the binding on the neck. Not sure if that's how they were made? Interesting that the new Historics photo actually looks like the frets overlap the binding a bit. Lighting isn't that good to tell.

I get that the guy is reputable and all. But if I were the six-figure buyer I would require that the seller and myself be present for a couple legitimate professional appraisals. I would be suspicious if it were a newer Historic that had been lightly NOS'd or something and they just mated it with some original case candy they acquired. That's a big number $$$,$$$ to not do due diligence.

 

[LLL]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

A few tidbits about Gibson fretboard nibs from a reputable source (Les Paul Forum):

http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?77193-nibs

A pic of actual Gibson nibs (note that if you removed the nibs in situ, or if the nibs "shrunk", the fretwire ends would be squared off, not beveled):



A pic of actual Gibson nibs "sacrificed" (cut off) after a refret (note the beveling on the fretwire ends).
You can see the very bottom of the nibs, but they have been cut off:

 

[JeffB]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

I've played a original 57, 58, and 60. None of them had big blocky nibs like that 3x5. They are small, thin/narrow and shrinking. I have played a 61 335 that was not refretted. It did not have big blocky nibs like that either.

I will trust my own experience and a respectable dealer, thanks.

 

[LLL]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

I've played a original 57, 58, and 60. None of them had big blocky nibs like that 3x5. They are small, thin/narrow and shrinking. I have played a 61 335 that was not refretted. It did not have big blocky nibs like that either.

Even with the smaller nibs (undeniably a fact of that period), if those nibs "shrunk", those fretwire edges wouldn't be beveled like they are in the pics.

That "almost like new '57 Goldtop" fretboard has been refretted; the nibs on that guitar were cut.

Cutting nibs for a refret leaves the very bottom of the nib intact; which can (somehow...?) be confused with an actual full nib.

(who knows what other discrepancies one could find - there were no pics of the truss rod adjust nor electronics cavity, for example)

I will trust my own experience and a respectable dealer, thanks.

I wouldn't trust anyone on that forum, nor any of the myriad of sockpuppets there either; but suit yourself.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

Well I guess all these people did not realize he is a sock puppet.

Keep digging that hole Bro

http://www.abalonevintage.com/abalone_vintage_guitars_celebrity_clients.htm

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

It is interesting to compare the well-used Greenie / Moore '59 close up. Did Gibson change their fret/binding approach over those few years 57-59? (I don't know, I'm really asking/curious. I'm just interested in the guitar, not the guy's reputation.)

 

[RorySquier]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

what a beauty!



i never had a problem at MLP. however, the gear page mods are idiots and are quick to ban. i was banned for making fun of someone's mazda miata. i think i called it a woman's roadster. anyways..

I've had problems over at MLP...got banned 3 times. One time I got a double ban from two drunken mods a while back and they were giving each high 5's or something. You have to walk on eggshells over there. And speaking of the gear page, I got banned there for posting a funny picture of a seagull spreading chemtrails...like WFT?:boggled:



;>)/

 

[JeffB]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

It is interesting to compare the well-used Greenie / Moore '59 close up. Did Gibson change their fret/binding approach over those few years 57-59? (I don't know, I'm really asking/curious. I'm just interested in the guitar, not the guy's reputation.)

That guitar has been refretted and repaired several times.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

And I don't think MLP is any worse than here or anywhere else for moronic activity.. It's just they have alot more traffic, so percentage of sightings is bound to go up. I find the vast majority of people respectful.

This is my feeling too.

I have no idea how long ago various people have been members, but the current mod crew are good and pretty fair.

 

[Pinstripe]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

Perhaps I can shed some light on your discussion.

Diligence was performed on the guitar. The purchase was funded by the current owner, prior to Abalone arranging its purchase. Eric (Abalone) and the current owner are friends and this is not their first (or last) deal of this nature.

The guitar has been played, but very lightly. The original owner, the seller's father, didn't have an amp at home. The seller inherited the guitar from her father. She was born in the same house, never lived anywhere else, never worked and never married or had children. She's been a fixture in her street for more than 70 years, and the sale came about because she was house-clearing to move into a retirement home.

The guitar does have nibs, period. The guitar has not been refretted. It's as simple as that.

JeffB's comments are accurate and well informed. With respect, LLL's comments are not.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

Perhaps I can shed some light on your discussion.

Diligence was performed on the guitar. The purchase was funded by the current owner, prior to Abalone arranging its purchase. Eric (Abalone) and the current owner are friends and this is not their first (or last) deal of this nature.

The guitar has been played, but very lightly. The original owner, the seller's father, didn't have an amp at home. The seller inherited the guitar from her father. She was born in the same house, never lived anywhere else, never worked and never married or had children. She's been a fixture in her street for more than 70 years, and the sale came about because she was house-clearing to move into a retirement home.

The guitar does have nibs, period. The guitar has not been refretted. It's as simple as that.

JeffB's comments are accurate and well informed. With respect, LLL's comments are not.

Thanks for popping in and sharing the story!! :bigthumb: It's an amazing old guitar and great story , and that is why I posted the thread here. Not to discuss nibs :rollseyes:

 

[LLL]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

The guitar does have nibs, period. The guitar has not been refretted. It's as simple as that.

JeffB's comments are accurate and well informed. With respect, LLL's comments are not.

With respect, regardless of anyone's comments (yours included) and whether or not they are "accurate", the pictures offered by the seller are undeniably accurate and show exposed, beveled fret ends and the occasional very bottom of a nib that had been cut for refretting, just like this example pic:

A pic of actual Gibson nibs "sacrificed" (cut off) after a refret (note the beveling on the fretwire ends).
You can see the very bottom of the nibs, but they have been cut off:

View attachment 78740

Actual guitar in question pic:

Now normally I wouldn't give a ****, but seeing how:

1) $six figures were being thrown around
2) The provenance of the post (mylespaul.com)
3) The inaccuracy of the seller's statements "It's one of the few chances to see EXACTLY what a 50's Les Paul looked like as near new as possible."
4) AlexR jumping in to defend his crappy forum (with his usual canned "banned much?" comment)

The facts in the photos provided needed to be pointed out, and the lesson here is caveat emptor. You might fool a lot of people, but you don't fool everyone.

I will now leave you two to gush about this highly suspicious (and highly expensive) "super-lucky bedroom find only blocks away from the guitar store with the laminated, full page newspaper ad for the same said guitar store from 1994 under the guitar inside the case" (and I'll bet the ad that was laminated from 1994 was a 20% off refretting coupon - LOL - yes, I made a joke there).

 

[LLL]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

Did Gibson change their fret/binding approach over those few years 57-59?

No change.

 

[esandes]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

i'm surprised the lacquer held up so well. the underside of the bed must have had the perfect humidity and temperature.

 

[Securb]

Re: Awesome find!- NM 1957 Goldtop with case candy

Why don't you join our forum so we can discuss this and other items without getting off topic here? I'll be there...

guitaramped.com Topic: mylespaul.com