Bacchus Live Road Handmade Series

[Geardog]

Handmade series Bacchus Live Road Les Paul in Natural color (matching color MOP fretboard in-lays).
Comes with SKB TSA Hardcase with keys. $1600 Plus shipping, PP. US ship only.
Local pickup, Boston area can be arranged.

Guitar Features;
Upgraded BG Greenies Pickups (not the Zebras shown in 1 picture).
Obsedian solderless wiring harness
Tight Long tenon
8.5 lbs.
Has ding on headstock and impressions on the top and elswehere. Excellent fit & finish and overall condition. Over 21 years old. Comes with it's pickguard. Case has a few scratches from moving it around, but in excellent working condition.

I had contacted Deviser when I purchased in 2011, who owns Bacchus, and they said they did not keep serial numbers info until much later. They could not say if it was a special order, or a BLS59 or BLS 120 etc. They ackowledged it was hand made.

 

[guitar hiro]

that looks like the BLS that Greg Curry recently sold; why you wanna sell it now?

 

[Geardog]

This isn't the one you refer to. I purchased this in 2011 as mentioned.

 

[currypowder]

This isn't the one you refer to. I purchased this in 2011 as mentioned.

That's correct, the serial number on mine was very close though - 101204.

There used to be a Bacchus serial number decoder on the Deviser website, but it doesn't appear to be there anymore. But when I looked my guitar up, it indicated that it was a 1999 BLS-120, and that's what I listed it as.

Obviously, I can't attest to this one, but the one I had was outstanding.

 

[Geardog]

This isn't the one you refer to. I purchased this in 2011 as mentioned.

That's correct, the serial number on mine was very close though - 101204.

There used to be a Bacchus serial number decoder on the Deviser website, but it doesn't appear to be there anymore. But when I looked my guitar up, it indicated that it was a 1999 BLS-120, and that's what I listed it as.

Obviously, I can't attest to this one, but the one I had was outstanding.

Thanks for the info - with the close serial number. I also noticed the decoder is gone. I'd like to list it as a BLS59 or 120, but i can't as I cannot support it. I think they are extremely well built as well. They are hard to sell without the masses understanding these. They were more in favor price wise a decade ago.

 

[guitar hiro]

I have an example that is very close to the serial number range and my example is obviously a transition era for the BLS Live Road examples.

It has attributes of the (earlier) BLS-120 examples that were most typically inked with the 100*** serial # range and and it also has attributes of the (later) BLS-59 examples that were most typically inked with the 102*** serial # range.

Some of the earlier examples were listed on warranty cards as BLS-120 and some later examples were listed as BLS-59.

My example is a BLS-DX Live Road Model which has a solid maple quilt top. The neck thickness is thicker than the average BLS-120 examples and it is also thinner than the average BLS-59 examples. It also has the wider body binding typical of the BLS-59s. The tail piece stud anchors are not set sub-grade like the BLS-59s but are instead set higher like the BLS-120s. There are of course some other attribute differences.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=24640

Odd and interesting combination of attributes from the BLS-120s and the BLS-59s with the BLS transition examples in the 101*** serial range.

 

[guitar hiro]

OP's Bacchus, my BLS-DX, and many other Live Road Model examples from the 101*** serial range have the 'incomplete' dimple at the top of the open book head stock.

I saw a comment on another forum that touched on the subject and when I read the comment I didn't know if I should cringe or LOL. Here is the quote.
"When you see that top of the headstock too, it was routed with a pin router, which is why it doesn't have the sharp transition in the center of the open book. That's a sign of being made in an Asian country that is not Japan. Even Korean guitars do a much better job on that so it's probably Chinese."

I suppose the implication of that quote is the BLS-120s and BLS-DX examples with the 101*** serial range with the incomplete head stock dimple were not MIJ but are made in some (other) Asian country, probably China, because they do a better job in Korea? :roll: :lol:

Oh crap; I just crapped my pants :lol:

 

[Geardog]

OP's Bacchus, my BLS-DX, and many other Live Road Model examples from the 101*** serial range have the 'incomplete' dimple at the top of the open book head stock.

I saw a comment on another forum that touched on the subject and when I read the comment I didn't know if I should cringe or LOL. Here is the quote.
"When you see that top of the headstock too, it was routed with a pin router, which is why it doesn't have the sharp transition in the center of the open book. That's a sign of being made in an Asian country that is not Japan. Even Korean guitars do a much better job on that so it's probably Chinese."

I suppose the implication of that quote is the BLS-120s and BLS-DX examples with the 101*** serial range with the incomplete head stock dimple were not MIJ but are made in some (other) Asian country, probably China, because they do a better job in Korea? :roll: :lol:

Oh crap; I just crapped my pants :lol:

Haha. I was told that the not so sharp crease in the middle of the open book headstock signified a transitional year model. That the first I heard that it would not be MIJ. I'm not concerned as the quality of the build, fit and finish is consistent with the MIJ's.

 

[guitar hiro]

OP's Bacchus, my BLS-DX, and many other Live Road Model examples from the 101*** serial range have the 'incomplete' dimple at the top of the open book head stock.

I saw a comment on another forum that touched on the subject and when I read the comment I didn't know if I should cringe or LOL. Here is the quote.
"When you see that top of the headstock too, it was routed with a pin router, which is why it doesn't have the sharp transition in the center of the open book. That's a sign of being made in an Asian country that is not Japan. Even Korean guitars do a much better job on that so it's probably Chinese."

I suppose the implication of that quote is the BLS-120s and BLS-DX examples with the 101*** serial range with the incomplete head stock dimple were not MIJ but are made in some (other) Asian country, probably China, because they do a better job in Korea? :roll: :lol:

Oh crap; I just crapped my pants :lol:

Haha. I was told that the not so sharp crease in the middle of the open book headstock signified a transitional year model. That the first I heard that it would not be MIJ. I'm not concerned as the quality of the build, fit and finish is consistent with the MIJ's.

I realized back in 2016 when my 101*** example arrived that it is indeed a 'transition' era BLS with a combination of attributes from both the earlier BLS-120s and the later BLS-59s, hence my post in this thread from Sep. 02, 2022.
Your example IMO certainly is included in this range with the similar combination of attributes.
These are obviously MIJ produced Bacchus examples IMO which I have never had an opinion otherwise.

I thought it was both cringe worthy and laughable that someone would have the opinion that just because any Bacchus BLS example has the incomplete head stock dimple that is some how an indicator of a non MIJ produced BLS. :lol: That opinion is nothing more than speculation and likely isn't based on any real experience with multiple 'in hand' BLS examples. Speculation is how rumor morphs into 'truth' and I find that annoying at best but speculation doesn't serve the broader community well, IMO.

I'm not saying that every single BLS example with the incomplete head stock dimple are MIJ because obviously there are examples such as the Universe examples that are not MIJ, yet they do indeed have the incomplete head stock dimple.
But again to see the quote I posted from Sep 7 is certainly a quote from an individual that is speaking from a point of view of speculation; not from a point of view of possessing real knowledge of the brand.

 

[Sigmania]

Beautiful guitars.

Just wanted to add that this reminds me of Martin guitars, and the belief that over many years the template that they used to cut the necks became worn from use and over time the corners on the headstock became more and more rounded without them apparently realizing it.

Whether that is true or not, the softer outline just seems older to me. Sharper corners in general look new to my eyes.

Beautiful guitar whatever it is. Good luck with your sale.

 

[guitar hiro]

Beautiful guitars.

Just wanted to add that this reminds me of Martin guitars, and the belief that over many years the template that they used to cut the necks became worn from use and over time the corners on the headstock became more and more rounded without them apparently realizing it.

Whether that is true or not, the softer outline just seems older to me. Sharper corners in general look new to my eyes.

Beautiful guitar whatever it is. Good luck with your sale.

Yes, the OP's example certainly is a very nice Live Road BLS and considering the 101019 serial number I'm confident it is a BLS-120.

Based on MIJ Bacchus Gibson style examples in the 101*** serial number range that I previously dated using the no longer available Bacchus link that vanished just a few short months ago, and also based on 101*** serial number examples I previously documented with warranty cards with date of sale info, I would place a year of manufacture for the OP's BLS-120 as 1997 to possibly very early 1998.

And yes also to GLWTS

 

[Geardog]

Beautiful guitars.

Just wanted to add that this reminds me of Martin guitars, and the belief that over many years the template that they used to cut the necks became worn from use and over time the corners on the headstock became more and more rounded without them apparently realizing it.

Whether that is true or not, the softer outline just seems older to me. Sharper corners in general look new to my eyes.

Beautiful guitar whatever it is. Good luck with your sale.

Yes, the OP's example certainly is a very nice Live Road BLS and considering the 101019 serial number I'm confident it is a BLS-120.

Based on MIJ Bacchus Gibson style examples in the 101*** serial number range that I previously dated using the no longer available Bacchus link that vanished just a few short months ago, and also based on 101*** serial number examples I previously documented with warranty cards with date of sale info, I would place a year of manufacture for the OP's BLS-120 as 1997 to possibly very early 1998.

And yes also to GLWTS

Thank Guitar Hero. When I originally purchased it, some people on MLP forum thought it was a BLS120 transitional model due to the headstock. I was never sure how to support that for the sale. Thank you for all the info.

 

[Geardog]

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[Geardog]

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