Pictures galore! 4 years later... my guitar is almost done.

[GuitarIV]

So as some may know, I commissioned a handbuilt Les Paul Custom about 4 years ago.


A lot of crap happened in the meantime, including the whole Virus thing, my luthier was recovering from cancer, and I'm sure there have been some shenanigans on his side in regards to why this guitar takes that long to build.

I won't dwell on it, I have plenty of guitars I love and use so the Custom is not a need, rather a want, however I sure as hell won't order a custom built guitar ever again.

Anyway, finally I can see myself holding this thing in hands:

 

[GuitarIV]

More pics:




Here is one of his 59 models:





I'll be getting the unpainted guitar for about a month to try it out so I can determine if I like the neck profile or if we'll be changing it, he'll leave it a bit thicker as to my request so we can still shave it down before painting.


I'll keep you folks posted!

 

[lespaul339]

NIce! I'm excited to see the finished product!

 

[GuitarIV]

Updates on the neck:




The wait is killing me!

 

[Filipe Soares]

looks like she's gonna be a show stopper! congratz!

 

[GuitarIV]

looks like she's gonna be a show stopper! congratz!

More updates on the build, body and neck are soon to be married:

 

[paul-e-mann]

More updates on the build, body and neck are soon to be married:

View attachment 148958View attachment 148959View attachment 148960View attachment 148961View attachment 148962

What finish do you plan on putting on it?

 

[GuitarIV]

What finish do you plan on putting on it?

I don't know yet. I've been collecting pictures on the internet of Les Pauls with all kinds of finishes and I'll probably need to sit down for a day and think about it. Whatever I'll end up doing, it's gonna make those flames pop!

This is my current favourite:






Got some more pictures today:




Board is radiused and he's clamping the ebony veneer... the more progress pics I get the more anxious I am

 

[paul-e-mann]

I don't know yet. I've been collecting pictures on the internet of Les Pauls with all kinds of finishes and I'll probably need to sit down for a day and think about it. Whatever I'll end up doing, it's gonna make those flames pop!

This is my current favourite:


View attachment 148970



Got some more pictures today:

View attachment 148971View attachment 148972


Board is radiused and he's clamping the ebony veneer... the more progress pics I get the more anxious I am

Is this guy a retired woodworker who puts in one hour a week just for fun the past 4 years? Seriously if he just worked on it for a few days in a row he'd have it done!

 

[Vinsanitizer]

I was told it was a Custom, but it looks like a Standard.

Will it have a you-know-what installed when it's finished?

 

[cccc]

Wow , that thing is STUNNING . Love the thicker binding , a custom would have binding on the back of the guitar also not just the top .

 

[Dogs of Doom]

he doesn't mean a Gibson "custom". he means a custom custom...

a real custom, not a factory built template w/ a few added finish nuances...

 

[nortiks]

LOL, OK, I gotta confess I read the thread title and thought you meant your guitar was kaput. But now I see the real meaning and congrats on a very nice looking build! We need sound clips.

 

[GuitarIV]

Is this guy a retired woodworker who puts in one hour a week just for fun the past 4 years? Seriously if he just worked on it for a few days in a row he'd have it done!

It seems so at times

He has some celebrities as clientel and also a few rich collectors that bring their vintage instruments for maintenance to his shop, so I guess that's his bread and butter. Also he's a one man operation. I'm probably not high up enough on the priority list, but by now I just want this guitar finally finished.

I was told it was a Custom, but it looks like a Standard.

Will it have a you-know-what installed when it's finished?

It's a "Custom" built to my specs, it borrows the bound diamond inlayed Headstock and the ebony board with the block inlays from the real thing.

And not sure yet. Depends on how well I can play Painkiller on it. And if I need to relocate a strap button

Wow , that thing is STUNNING . Love the thicker binding , a custom would have binding on the back of the guitar also not just the top .

The back binding is not done on purpose as it has a different kind of neck joint (for better upper fret access) instead of the traditional blocky one.

he doesn't mean a Gibson "custom". he means a custom custom...

a real custom, not a factory built template w/ a few added finish nuances...

You hit the nail on the head!

LOL, OK, I gotta confess I read the thread title and thought you meant your guitar was kaput. But now I see the real meaning and congrats on a very nice looking build! We need sound clips.

Trust me, as soon as I have this guitar I'll be posting pictures, sound clips and my thank you prayers to God the almighty for finally holding the axe in hands




Just to clarify:

The guitar is based loosely on a Les Paul Custom, the LPC All Axcess was the inspiration for it. I went for a bigger 70ies style Custom headstock with the split diamond inlay, we have an ebony board with the block inlays, also a volute and a better neck/body joint for the weedly weedly on the higher frets.


Here is the back of one of his builds:




Other than that the body and neck are made out of Honduran mahogany, we have the flame maple cap, single ply bindings, an ebony veneer on the headstock instead of the normal black one, no pickguard, and we'll put some Häussel pickups in it, P90 in the neck and a PAF in the bridge.

 

[JSJ900]

I am way too impatient (and cheap), but that is going to be one hell of a guitar!

 

[cccc]

he doesn't mean a Gibson "custom". he means a custom custom...

a real custom, not a factory built template w/ a few added finish nuances...

Yeah , didn't realize that , I thought he was wanting an exact duplicate .

 

[Edgar Frog]

That's crazy that it has been 4 years and it looks like he's just getting started building it, lol. Hope it turns out great.

 

[scozz]

I don't know yet. I've been collecting pictures on the internet of Les Pauls with all kinds of finishes and I'll probably need to sit down for a day and think about it. Whatever I'll end up doing, it's gonna make those flames pop!

This is my current favourite:


View attachment 148970



Got some more pictures today:

View attachment 148971View attachment 148972


Board is radiused and he's clamping the ebony veneer... the more progress pics I get the more anxious I am

Is that neck a 12” radius, in the pic it looks closer to 9.5”?

Could just be my old eyeballs!

 

[GuitarIV]

That's crazy that it has been 4 years and it looks like he's just getting started building it, lol. Hope it turns out great.

He's done more work on it the past month than in 4 years prior

Is that neck a 12” radius, in the pic it looks closer to 9.5”?

Could just be my old eyeballs!

It's a 12 inch radius, might be the shot making it look more rounded


Inlays today:




End of next week I'm driving to the shop to try the neck profile and then the marriage is happening and he's glueing the neck joint!


I'll snap some pics for ya all

 

[scozz]

He's done more work on it the past month than in 4 years prior



It's a 12 inch radius, might be the shot making it look more rounded


Inlays today:

View attachment 149043


End of next week I'm driving to the shop to try the neck profile and then the marriage is happening and he's glueing the neck joint!


I'll snap some pics for ya all

You must be psyched to see the progress after all this time.