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Need help tracking down guitar history...


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Strange guitar. Gibson never had any 25th anniv. models ( the only known with number 25 was 25/50). Did you blacklight it? ..... may be some worker turned 25, or celebrated his 25th year of working for them)

It would be interesting to see more pics of it, of course if you are interested in further investigation :)

I had not Black lighted it until just now.....and your suggestion unveiled another mystery!!! THANK YOU!!!!!

It came from "House of Guitars"...the black light revealed the rest of the message above Les Paul's signature!!!!

The top and the top of the headstock all blacklights good and original....the back had been spray painted.

Neck cavity

ex1_zps9b2d4b5f.jpg

Bridge cavity

ex3_zpsae572a56.jpg

control cavity

ex2_zps5993a12b.jpg

ex4_zpsd15149b4.jpg

closeup of logo

ex5_zpsd2cf753c.jpg

closeup of 9th fret inlay

ex6_zpsb123ddd4.jpg

body blacklight

ex11_zps1852dba9.jpg

headstock blacklight

ex7_zps7737d779.jpg

House of Guitars with les paul sig

ex8_zpsec34f7be.jpg

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Spill the beans, Jay.

FWIW - my late '78/early '79 has a stamped (not inked) serial number and the last 3 or 4 digits are quite a bit lighter (read: barely there) compared to the rest.

it is at least a 78 or a 79....the guy I bought it from has pics of the original pots that date to 1978

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Assuming there's only the one House of Guitars, you should reach out to them. According to their website and wiki, the same ownership has been in place since the 1960s.

http://www.houseofguitars.com/

I just got off the phone with them.

They had 25 of these made in 1978 to commemorate their 25th Anniversary.

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Also, I was thinking, if they commemorate 25th anniversary in 78, that puts the beginning of HOG to 1953. However official information says they opened in 1964. And in this light - did you have a chance to compare the size of this guitar's headstock and any other Gibson made from 84 and up? On '70s LPs it measures 86mm btwn the tips of the mustage, on modern - '1984 and up - it is 78mm . Also the tuners are grovers and in the 70s they put Gibsons with large diameter ferrules and no nut ( I understand that they could specifically order Grovers, but I doubt that).

Now if the headstock is small, then everything makes sence - it's from 88-89 with grovers ( according to info 64+25=89...88 in some cases :) ), cavities look identical to the ones from 80s ( see pics), and with no metal surroundings ( I do not imagine someone going into the trouble taking all of them out, from the switch cavity in particular - it literally is pain in the ass), the hole for wires is rectangular, just like on the 80s. You can see that the shape of the cavities on 70s is quite different with round hole for wires.

If the headstock turns out to be large, then I am no help without touching it, because sometimes you look at them and they look real, but when you touch them, you feel silicone , if you know what I mean :) . And on top of that the info on wiki about them opening the store in 64 will be incorrect.

And I'm suspecting the headstock repair. I wish was wrong, but those lines usually left from bending the top layer + full back re-paint to cover it and make the color consistent all the way with the back of the body

2heads_zpsa26b9adb.jpg

cavity78_zpsa68c2ca6.jpg

cavity84_zps42d26533.jpg

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He's aware of and acknowledges the headstock repair at 1:17 here.

Could the square vs round wiring channel be a Nashville vs Kalamazoo thing? I ask because I think (Brent would know for sure) Heritage control cavities have the round channel.

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I might have an explanation why the back was re-painted, and it might be a bit disappointing. Just look at the pic and tell me if you think what I think

headstock_zps63b04069.jpg

I know it has a headstock repair...I knew it when I bought it

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He's aware of and acknowledges the headstock repair at 1:17 here.

Could the square vs round wiring channel be a Nashville vs Kalamazoo thing? I ask because I think (Brent would know for sure) Heritage control cavities have the round channel.

I'm not 100% sure on the routing (but I think you are right)....but the cross section of the fretboard binding is a sure way to tell a Kalamazoo Gibson VS a Nashville

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I talked to one of the more senior staff at HOG today. He told me that this Les Paul had an inked on serial #....HOG 001 - HOG 025. There were 25 made. They do not have the records of which one was sold to who, so looks like I will never know if mine is 001 or 002 or 003 or 004....you get the idea. But its nice to know its origins.

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it is a nashville plant made guitar.

only a few les pauls/ models where made at Kalamazoo at the end of days,

the last Les Pauls to push thru were the KM's.

Also, Nashville was supplying Kalamazoo with necks, bodies, etc.,

just like what they do today between divisions.

Some things never change, Most certainly with Gibson.

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"They had 25 of these made in 1978 to commemorate their 25th Anniversary"

So.... if I'm interpreting this correctly, HOG commissioned 25 LP's to be built in 77-78 to celebrate

the LP's 25 anniversary - not the HOG's 25th anniversary?

Sound right?

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