Since its launch in 1952, the Les Paul underwent minor design refinements until reaching its most celebrated and coveted version in 1959. The journey began with the trapeze bridge, which forced the strings to pass underneath, preventing muting with the right hand. This design was replaced by the first wraparound bridge, which necessitated adjusting the neck angle relative to the body. This increased angle resulted in greater string spacing relative to the pickups.
The earliest models lacked serial numbers and the classic «poker chip» on the selector switch. In 1957, the P-90 pickups gave way to Seth Lover’s new creation, who, by adding a second magnet to cancel noise and interference, gave rise to the legendary P.A.F. humbuckers.
At that time, the finishes were solid (gold top for the Standard and black for the Custom) so the maple tops weren’t always symmetrical cuts, as they were hidden under the paint. Necks were also evolving toward narrower profiles.
This particular guitar began its life in 1952 as a typical Standard Gold Top, but was later «converted» to 1959 specifications. A neck reset was performed, correcting the neck angle to accommodate an ABR-1 bridge and a Stop Bar tailpiece. The routing was done to install Gibson Custombucker pickups, with the bridge pickup having no metal cover, in the style of Jimmy Page. The instrument was refinished, the neck sanded to achieve a narrower profile, a poker chip was added, and the original tuning pegs (worn out by time) were replaced with Kluson reproductions.
As a distinctive detail, the serial number 90663 was added, the same number that originally belonged to the Les Paul owned by Joe Perry and later by Slash, immortalized in the iconic Guns N’ Roses video for «November Rain.»
