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Peter Mac

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I recently acquired a Black Les Paul Custom but not too sure of its Year.

It seems to be an LC-70, I would think from the 80's as it still has the Super 400 headstock inlay and multi-ply binding.
Body is mahogany with a maple cap but the pickups have been swapped out for Duncans.
There is no serial number on the back of the headstock however the front pickup cavity is stamped 121181. The pots are seperated (no PCB) and it has had Sprague capacitors placed in it. Hardware is gold plated but tuners have been replaced with Grovers. Neck has a 60's feel with low frets and a blackened rosewood fingerboard.

I also have a VH-1 pickup that I am thinking of putting in it.

Any help in identifying it would be appreciated
 
They do say a pictures worth a thousand words :)

That headstock style sitched 88/89 to the lightening bolt styled one, usually the pots are used to date some as the codes show the month and year they were made and they were usually used quite quickly. If they're not present you can then move onto things like the tooling marks as they used different factories for certain years pre Dyna. Also some have the serial stamped on the FB or cavities so pics would help determine if it's 70's/80's as I think the serials stopped 1982 until the 90's so 81 if that's a stamped serial. On top of that the majority of later ones were all mahog with the maple caps used on models like the Sykes ones so could be an earlier one.
 
Hi Peter,

What you are describing is a Matsumoku made Burny, so can be made in between 2nd quarter 1985 up to late 1986.

Cheers,
Jacco

PS How's the book coming along?
 
Hi guys,

Thanks for that info, and again Jacco - you tha Man.
I is definately not a Sykes due to the gold hardware (Sykes use chrome) and my 1985 and 1986 Fernandes catalogs both have the LC with the Super 400 inlay and VH-1 pickups and it does not seem to have ever had a serial number on the headstock rear.
I will try to post a shot of the front pickup cavity showing the inked serial number soon as it has been restrung and I'm playing it.
It has a more 60's profile neck and ultra low frets and the action is quite different from the '59 so it's an nice change.

Jacco - The book is coming along, it's getting the right info on post-82 Fender serial numbers that's bogging me down. I plan to visit the Tokai factory around April 2015, and hopefully that will give me the minor details i need to finish. Do you want to proof-read the Love Rock section or SpringySound??

Peter
 
Love to prove read the Love Rock section! Or actually both :)

How did you manage to get Tokai approve of your visit and have access to the files?
 
Hi guys,

a slight change of specs. I was re-routing the control cavity to allow for a set of Bumblebees when I noticed the wood for the top is mahogany and not maple. How strange?. It does sound good though but I will probably sell the VH-1 and replace it with a Burstbucker.
I will post pics soon - next time I pull her down.

Pete
 
I had a LC70 with a mahogani cap too. A warmer sounding than uusal guitar that one. A good one.
 

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