1959 GIBSON LES PAUL BURST

CONCLUSION

Absolutes not variables. Learning about and identifying any vintage instrument is about knowledge. You must know how things were made. This cannot be confirmed with pictures, at a distance or by someone who doesn't know how these details come to be. Variables (slight variations) Neck Shape Heel Transition Headstock Top Carve Logo All the above are hand finished operations. The top carves are done via machine BUT finished on a slack belt sander by human. The overall shape will be consistent but there is room for slight changes. It doesn’t take much pressure on a slack belt paddle to make a little oops you now have to sand out. Same with neck shaping and transition areas. Logo’s are hand cut and painted over. Just the scraping can alter a letter slightly. Not that overall spec should be ignored, but to obsess over variables is a waste of time when absolutes exist in abundance. Absolutes Headstock angle. Scale length (rule of 18 quite different from modern) Materials. All plastic, all woods, electronics, glue, finish even screws are the same type on all bursts. Each Route Angle/Bit Sizes. Routes are cut via template. They are ALWAYS in the same spot and at the same angle and in relation to each other. This cannot deviate as they were all done with the same templates. This is what separates expert from snake oil salesman. Knowing and verifying. Cannot be done any other way than in hand and by the right person.