NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

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TheProphet

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New Dream Guitar Day ... and not for the purists! :D

1986-87 Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite - Special Run Gold Top

Flat out the 86-87 Les Paul Custom Lites are without a doubt my favorite guitar of all time. Unfortunately I can never find one (I'd even have one in that metallic pink/purple that was the main colour that they came in)

Not the showcase edition, but I've been in love with the LPC lite series since playing one around '97/98. So I decided to convert my LPC fund into a fund for my dream. The Les Paul Custom Lite. Managed to score one in one of the rarer colours as well. Wine Red was an option in 1987 only. I've seen nearly all the colours that the LPCL came in, but never a Wine Red one.

CONDITION: Beautiful condition for her age and model. It's rare to find one that hasn't been modified in any way, and usually there's a fair bit of finish cracking. This one is almost perfect. The seller said 9.5/10 ... I'd say that's a fair assessment. No finish checking. Binding is all in good condition. The inlay is really nice and figured. Frets are good, neck is really fast. Hardware is in suspiciously good condition. Only a few miniscule knocks and scratches. The pots definatly need to be replaced though.

WEIGHT: Lites are usually not that light as (unlike the Studio lites) they are full mahogany with a maple top. Usual weight is around 9 pounds, this one feels like it tips the scales around 7-7.5. The scales said 5 pounds flat but I don't believe that.

SOUND: Great resonance, I had this in front of the Mesa and even at fairly quiet volumes I could control the feedback a lot better and hold notes longer than some of my other LP style guitars. The tone is better than a regular Custom, but it is similar to the '68's. The pickups definately need to go. The Gibson high output 1959 reissue pickups are muddy in humbucker mode, tapped their pretty good, but it needs Duncans. I'm thinking PGn/'59b, PGn/SDb, or a Seth Lover set.

I was thinking of doing the switch/tone replacement mod. But due to the fact that this guitar is somewhat rare and in near perfect condition I'll leave it as I don't usually use the tone control anyway. She'll get 50's style top hats when I change the pots though.

Thanks Seymour for inspiring me to chase after my dream guitar, and to Gearjoneser for his advice when I was considering going after a regular LPC. This definately a keeper.

So see what I got today ...

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Pre Scale
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On Scale
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And if it's good enough for the following guys ... 'tis good enough for me.
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Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

Sweet my buddy has one of the burgandy mist ones, gorgeous guitar.

Best of luck with it!
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

sweet dude :smokin:

my black beauty Custom is an 87. what year is this Lite?
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

Nice score! Make sure you get zebras for her. She's begging for them.
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

Burgandy Mist (AKA Flip-flop metallic pink) was the most common colour and was the one I got to play back in the day (I was a lucky FOH sound guy to have the guitarist let you play his guitar).

She's an 1987.

The colour choices were:

For 1987: Chrome hardware: metallic sunset, ebony, Ferrari red or pewter. Gold hardware: Alpine white, metallic sunset, ebony, wine red, heritage cherry sunburst or vintage sunburst.

For 1988 and 1989: metallic sunset, ebony or heritage cherry sunburst finish

Specs: 1 3/8” deep (5/8” thinner than Les Paul Custom), contoured back, 2 PAF humbucking pickups, 2 volume knobs, master tone knob, coil-tap switch, pickup selector switch on upper bass bout, ebony fingerboard, block inlay, Floyd Rose vibrato or tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece.

Pickups
1987: 1959 Reissue High Output
1988/1989:SW-5 sidewinder in the neck, L-8 humbucking pickup in the bridge.

She's staying gold guys. So much better than the Eclipses.
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

Wow man, that thing is stunning!

The slimmer body is cool too - I had no idea Gibson made some like that.
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

Those are sweet guitars congrats. I've only been able to get my hands on the pink ones, and the color just doesn't do it for me.
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

dang, that's nice. after playing jolly's LPs, I've realized I pretty much HAVE to get a real LP now.
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

NEW STUFF ROCKS!!! :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

Congrats on grabbing your dream!!!
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

Thanks guys!

I was listening to a lot of tunes trying to find a guitar that sounded similar and the closest one I can find is whatever guitar Clapton was playing on "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and a couple of other tracks off of DG. It's got that top end sizzle going on with a big tight bottom end. Definately going to have some combination of PGn/'59b, PGn/Seth Lover, or Seth/Seth in her to keep that vibe.

The Chainsaw cases are pretty useless as they have a big Gibson sign and no locks on them. So no leaving the case anywhere unattended. They're also way too big as the case is about 3-4x thicker than the guitar. I think I'll try and get a proper molded flight case for it and put the chainsaw into storage.

So:
- New pickups
- New pots
- 50's style black top hats
- New case
- New strings (the current set feels like 8's)

I've decided to cull the herd as well. I've got about 3 guitars that were impulse buys, or ones I haven't gel'd with. So I figure I'll keep the RGX for sentimental reasons, the RR for a dedicated thrash guitar, and sell off the rest and just hunt for more LPCL's.

Next target: Pewter
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

^ I would be a very jealous man if you were to acquire that pewter LPC.
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

Wow, that thing's awesome, dude. Congrats. I've never seen a Paul with a body that slim either. Is the sound closer to SG territory or is it easy to tell it's a Les Paul?
 
Re: NGD ... wait NDGD Gibson Les Paul Custom

More Les Paul than SG. It doesn't have as much "umph" as a Standard or Custom, and it has a bit of top end sizzle from the ebony board and maple top. I find it has a much bigger sound than any SG I've played.
 
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