Lewguitar
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I enjoyed reading this and looking at the photos. https://guitar.com/features/paul-right-now-paul-kossoffs-1959-gibson-les-paul-up-close/
Paul Kossoff's 1959 Gibson Les Paul taken apart and closely inspected...
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YeRedHouseOverYonder
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Re: Paul Kossoff's 1959 Gibson Les Paul taken apart and closely inspected...
Beautiful photos and well detailed. Killer information too.
As much as I would love a '52 or '53 Les Paul, I just can't justify it anymore. I sold off most of my vintage collection of amps and player grade guitars ('56 Les Paul Jr, '59 Les Paul DC Jr, '69 Les Paul, '69 ES 335 and Gibson GA 18T & GA 20T) to swing for one and failed lol. Right now, I'm sitting on cash to see if I can find a player grade Les Paul, but I'm abandoning the thought.
Most modern guitars play as well as vintage guitars. Its the bloom, harmonic content/overtones, and woody/airy nature thats harder to capture. The Les Paul Jr's had a timbre that was inspiring. I might settle for a vintage Jr/ES 335 and just pickup chambered R4 (cloud 9).
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Beautiful photos and well detailed. Killer information too.
As much as I would love a '52 or '53 Les Paul, I just can't justify it anymore. I sold off most of my vintage collection of amps and player grade guitars ('56 Les Paul Jr, '59 Les Paul DC Jr, '69 Les Paul, '69 ES 335 and Gibson GA 18T & GA 20T) to swing for one and failed lol. Right now, I'm sitting on cash to see if I can find a player grade Les Paul, but I'm abandoning the thought.
Most modern guitars play as well as vintage guitars. Its the bloom, harmonic content/overtones, and woody/airy nature thats harder to capture. The Les Paul Jr's had a timbre that was inspiring. I might settle for a vintage Jr/ES 335 and just pickup chambered R4 (cloud 9).
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Lewguitar
New member
Re: Paul Kossoff's 1959 Gibson Les Paul taken apart and closely inspected...
In the late 60's and early 70's I actually owned and gigged with 50's Les Pauls.
I had a 56 with P90's. And two 59's with humbuckers. Also a three pickup Les Paul Custom that I loved the sound of but hated the super low "fretless wonder" frets.
Guys like Michael Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Paul Kossoff were my heroes and they all played 1959 or 1960 Les Pauls!
I loved that British Blues sound of a Les Paul through a cranked Marshall.
In the late 60's and early 70's I actually owned and gigged with 50's Les Pauls.
I had a 56 with P90's. And two 59's with humbuckers. Also a three pickup Les Paul Custom that I loved the sound of but hated the super low "fretless wonder" frets.
Guys like Michael Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Paul Kossoff were my heroes and they all played 1959 or 1960 Les Pauls!
I loved that British Blues sound of a Les Paul through a cranked Marshall.
YeRedHouseOverYonder
New member
Re: Paul Kossoff's 1959 Gibson Les Paul taken apart and closely inspected...
Oooffff. Just read in more detail, looks like it had a break at the headstock that was repaired with a scarf joint. Ouch. I really don't mind headstock repairs, but that would be a deal breaker for me. However, I understand the guitars history and mojo. I suspect the neck profile has a fuller C shape, but comfortable to play across the board.
A man of culture, I respect it. Its better off if I don't get a '52/53 Les Paul. I'm going for a p90 neck/HB bridge setup and I don't want to mangle one. My dream guitar is a Aged Goldtop w/ p90/HB setup and a wraparound. But, a part of me wants to still hold out for a moderately mangled one to restore haha.
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Oooffff. Just read in more detail, looks like it had a break at the headstock that was repaired with a scarf joint. Ouch. I really don't mind headstock repairs, but that would be a deal breaker for me. However, I understand the guitars history and mojo. I suspect the neck profile has a fuller C shape, but comfortable to play across the board.
A man of culture, I respect it. Its better off if I don't get a '52/53 Les Paul. I'm going for a p90 neck/HB bridge setup and I don't want to mangle one. My dream guitar is a Aged Goldtop w/ p90/HB setup and a wraparound. But, a part of me wants to still hold out for a moderately mangled one to restore haha.
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Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: Paul Kossoff's 1959 Gibson Les Paul taken apart and closely inspected...
Why in the world would a headstock repair be a deal breaker?
Why in the world would a headstock repair be a deal breaker?
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Paul Kossoff's 1959 Gibson Les Paul taken apart and closely inspected...
So you'd be wanting a guitar based on a '54 Les Paul. Those have the one piece bridge/tailpiece like my PRS guitars have.
So you'd be wanting a guitar based on a '54 Les Paul. Those have the one piece bridge/tailpiece like my PRS guitars have.
YeRedHouseOverYonder
New member
Re: Paul Kossoff's 1959 Gibson Les Paul taken apart and closely inspected...
Edit: Yes, a '54 Les Paul essentially. I just know that the '52/'53s with the tailpiece often get the wraparound conversion and neck reset depending on the angle on the individual guitar. They are cheaper on Reverb.
The '59 Junior posted on my profile pic had a headstock break. It played fine and I loved what the guitar had to offer. I'm generally okay with headstock *repairs whether its comestically clean or not.
A scarf joint repair (I've owned scarf jointed guitars, I don't mind if the guitar was initially designed to have one) tells me that the break was potentially so severe that it warranted to just start with a clean slate. Who knows, it might've been easier to do the scarf joint and or all the splintered pieces weren't recovered. I would just worry about the truss rod functionality. The break went down to the 5th fret. They mentioned a back blow on the guitar. I assume it's adjustable, but to what degree? My les pauls usually rock 10-48s and the Dunlop Heavy Core strings have a little more tension for drop tuning.
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Edit: Yes, a '54 Les Paul essentially. I just know that the '52/'53s with the tailpiece often get the wraparound conversion and neck reset depending on the angle on the individual guitar. They are cheaper on Reverb.
The '59 Junior posted on my profile pic had a headstock break. It played fine and I loved what the guitar had to offer. I'm generally okay with headstock *repairs whether its comestically clean or not.
A scarf joint repair (I've owned scarf jointed guitars, I don't mind if the guitar was initially designed to have one) tells me that the break was potentially so severe that it warranted to just start with a clean slate. Who knows, it might've been easier to do the scarf joint and or all the splintered pieces weren't recovered. I would just worry about the truss rod functionality. The break went down to the 5th fret. They mentioned a back blow on the guitar. I assume it's adjustable, but to what degree? My les pauls usually rock 10-48s and the Dunlop Heavy Core strings have a little more tension for drop tuning.
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Last edited:
Lake Placid Blues
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Interesting that it only weighs a little over 8 lbs.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
FWIW my 60RI weighs 8.39lbs.
nexion218
New member
As far as I understand scarf joints reinforce the area that was broken and inherently weak(er than other constructions) to begin with, which (the weakness) is especially true in the case of completely one piece necks with tilt back headstocks and trussrods - like the LP. Many times the luthier even installs two splines in the area for extra reinforcement. If done right, nothing is visible and the headstock is tough as a battering ram, better than it was out of the box. Though I understand that it significantly decreases collector's/vintage value.
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