Ok, This Is Really Weird. Thoughts?

[TRGuy]

My '67 ES-335 Headstock.

Gibson logo, no dot on the i. I cant find another example of this. The guitar shows NO signs that its a fake.... laquer checking, aged finish, aged label on the inside, serial matches up, all specs fit the time period, Patent Number pickup/PAF with original sticker (Not a '57/fake) etc etc. Everything seems perfect, just this is curious....

Thoughts?

 

[Stringz]

I just read somewhere that early Les Paul Deluxe models didn't have a dot over the "i" for like a year or two. That was back around 1968-69.

I don't like the look of the "o" on that headstock. There is a chinese company that makes "Gibsuns" with an open top "o" that are about the worst fakes you could ever imagine.

 

[TRGuy]

Yeah I've been searching around and have found small batches of Gibsons that did't have the dot on the i, I know its real, it shows absolutley NO signs of being a fake at all, even the electronics inside are a bit dusty, oxidised and old just like an original, no fake would go that far really. And the O..... EVERYONE always says "OMG it says GibsUn it must be a fake blah blah blah...."

I dont know where this myth came from that gibsons always had a closed o, they only did in the late 70's and 80's afaik. They all had open o's in the 60's, 90's and 00's.

Just seems odd, but yeah, its quirky and rare I guess! Heres one I just found.

Apparently its a '61 SG headstock.

 

[TRGuy]

Anyone know anything more about this?

 

[Sean French]

Do you have more photos?
The headstock shape looks odd in the pic you posted.Could be just the angle.
I'm going to post that headstock pic on the Les Paul Forum.
The experts will let ya know in a jiffy.

Here is a link to the thread I started on the LPF.
http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155842

 

[TRGuy]

Aah thanks for that man I do have a couple of photo's but not of the headstock. I REALLY dont think its a fake, its WAY too detailed, the ageing is way too authentic, every last tiny detail is there.... Heres a couple more photo's I have.

In this photo below you can see the finish checking, plus the fading of the colour a bit, the label inside, klusons, serial, truss rod, a lot of fret wear, it all just seems WAY too detailed for a fake.

 

[TRGuy]

Following a reply on the Gibson Forum, pretty sure its a '69 headstock!

Heres another example, exactly the same.

http://www.jacksonsrareguitars.com/gibson-es-335-1969-sunburst.html

 

[Cody]

Yep, the logo looks more '69/'70-ish than '67.

 

[gadzooka]

I think that might be from '69. Here's my '67 for comparison. Both inlays are a bit different...

 

[TRGuy]

The serial number was one of those awkward ones that dated it to 66, 67, 68 or 69, looks like I figured out its a '69.

 

[gadzooka]

Yeah, mine was easier to pinpoint, because it is a 6-digit serial starting with "0". Supposedly, that can only be from 1967.

 

[Ray M]

uh oh....there's no "d" on the end of Gibsund!!

 

[TRGuy]

I still wanna find out if its a real PAF in the bridge. I mean, did they ever come with chrome covers?

The stickers aged and looks original, but yeah, its curious. Is there a way I can tell if its real by taking off the cover? If its a T-top that would sort it right? But if its not, theres a chance it could be a Pat Number with a fake sticker put on years ago to sell for more at some point? It wasnt sold to me as a PAF so im not that bothered if its a T-Top (It sounds amazing either way) I just wanna know really

 

[gadzooka]

The best place to ask that particular question may be the Les Paul Forum. They really know their vintage Gibson parts over there.

Again, since I took pictures of one of the pickups in my '67 I might as well post 'em here for a reference point. These are the last generation of "Pre-T-tops" (something I learned at the LPF), and yep, they sound fabulous :

 

[HeeHaw]

uh oh....there's no "d" on the end of Gibsund!!

No Ray, they misspelled it. Actually it's Gipsun.

 

[Rhynster]

All the best Gipsuns come from China.

 

[mc5nrg]

The Gibson logo has varied quite a bit over different periods and what you have isn't particularly unusual. Check the Duchoissoir (sp?) ID and Gibson books along with other references. No big thing.

 

[HeeHaw]

All the best Gipsuns come from China.

That's right Ryan. It's exactly as God intended it.

 

[Rhynster]

That's right Ryan. It's exactly as God intended it.

If God had any say in the matter, we'd all still be playing long tenons.

 

[drbob1]

PAFs never came with chrome covers, just nickle, sorry. There're a lot of "reissues" and fakes going around, including ones built by Gibson recently that have PAF stickers but aren't. Actually a few good pics of the pickup over at the LPF would bring out a lot of info...