Oh stop, it's a guitar (damn nice one though). It was born as a "Deluxe" model which I believe they made for a year or two. The only difference usually recognized from a typical Les Paul Standard being that it had "soapbar" pickups from the factory. They got that name for being like the little bars of soap in hotels.
These were slightly smaller pickups that were seen as a necessity in certain situations as opposed to the usual double coil humbuckers which sucked a lot of power if shared with other instruments in a PA making it difficult to balance the overall sound onstage. If a player had a Les Paul and there was also a fender which typically had single coil pickups then the Gibson would tend to drown out the Fender in the mix. Big dogs rule the porch.
When I bought my Deluxe in a music store in Kailua in '86 (where THE ONE vacationed recently) in Hawaii I got it used. It was twelve years old by then and some previous owner had it professionally altered, routed out and installed original '59 PAF pickups. I paid $450.00 for it at the time, a lowball price even then because I pointed out that the original tuners had been swapped out for gold Grovers (common, and arguably better to players but not collectors) and the fact that the face of the tobacco sunburst finish had some lurid scratches on it. At the time I didn't realize all of the alterations, it seemed a common Standard model at face value save for the "Deluxe" marked truss rod cover which was the only indicator that got me researching, starting with the serial number which belied its true original configuration. I came to learn later the significance of the differences and appreciated the improvements. The 1959 patent applied for pickups make a world of difference in its voice. They are rare and highly sought after. The neck shape and the body construction of the Deluxe was slightly different than the Standard too and many Les Paul aficionados prefer it. There is an additional layer of wood midway in the mohagany body, a thin layer of darker wood about a 16th of an inch thick. Some say this makes a difference and some don't. All I know is sustain is coveted, Les Pauls are known for it and this guitar will hold a note 'till next year.
I really don't care what it looks like, not that it's ugly with the scratches, to me it matters only how it sounds and how I can make it sing. Smooth is not the word to do justice.
I've had many Fenders too over the years, I can certainly appreciate their voice too. I just don't like them, period. I don't like the diminutive size and the feather weight. They feel like toys in the hand. I don't like the bolted on necks either. Have a person playing a Gibson electric seated next to a person playing a Fender electric and anyone can instantly hear the difference in quality and intonation. Fenders are toy crap.
Honestly I don't know what my Les Paul is worth today. I've had it for 25 years or so. I do know that I could sell just the '59 pickups for a whole lot more than the guitar itself is worth but that would be like cutting up one of my children.
sybilll I've been down on Beale St. a time or two, played an open mic night in Handy's one night. I played Clapton's version of "Hideaway" and the crowd liked it but I was an 18 year old jarhead and the crowd liked some longhair in leather better that played shred metal on a flying V so he won. I played my SG, didn't have the Les Paul yet. That one I got for $150 bucks from a guy that was shipping out from Millington and needed cash. Still have that one too. It has the long stop tailpiece and the hardshell case but it's missing its whammy bar, originals are hard to come by.
After all it's from '67 (me too) and old stuff ain't easy to find.
