This week the Hale Guitar workshop has seen a guitar with a somewhat special headstock design. The 1989 Epiphone Les Paul Custom.
Newsflash - Gibson are pretty protective over their open book headstock design. I don't mind that, if I'm honest. There is quite a significant degree of exclusivity in guitar purchase decisions and branding plays a big part.
That said, it seems a shame that Epiphone, a Gibson sister company appears to tread cautiously on its headstock design. Maybe it's a choice to use a different headstock on their Les Pauls, but I am not so sure. There is also a fair amount of dislike for the Epiphone headstock across the internet battle ground.
Enter the 1989 Epiphone Les Paul. The year they got close? In 1990 its ears were clipped, leaving it, as some might say, scarred.
Imagine our flappy hands then, when none other than a 1989 Epiphone Les Paul Custom should come in for a little restoration. Having hidden from view for a while, some TLC returned this notable guitar to an instrument very much worth playing.
After a thorough rub down and beauty treatment, he benefitted from a fret polish as well as a good clean of the pots and set up. The Nashville Tune-O-Matic, tail piece and pickup covers show their age with heavy tarnish, but hey, who doesn't like a relic. Replacements are available but that's the great thing about having us work on your guitar. You get to choose at every step.
Having spent a week with this lovely guitar, we have managed to build a bit of a friendship. As always though, its time to give him back to his owner so he can get the best out of this rather special year in Epiphone, Les Paul History.
Back to that S Type neck radius.
Keep Riffing
Chris
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