Kalamazoo 1952-1953
COLORS:
Goldtop Gold
BODY:
Body Wood: Honduran Mahogany
Binding: White Royalite Binding (Now Vintage)
Top Wood: Carved Maple Cap
Lacquer: Bronze Powder lacquer mix
Finish: Nitrocellulose
NECK:
Neck Wood: Honduran Mahogany
Nut: Nylon (Molded)
Neck Angle: 1 °
Headstock Logo: Pearl Inlay Gibson / "Les Paul Model" Gold Silkscreened
Serial: None (Only "Made in USA")
Binding: Cellulose Nitrate White (Early models are unbound)
Fretboard Material: Brazillian Rosewood
Inlay: Pearloid Trapezoid
Neck Lacquer: Natural Brown Stained / Very few were Gold lacquered.
Neck Top-Coat: Nitrocellulose
Neck Profile: Medium Soft-"V" or "C"
Nut Width: 1-11/16" (43mm)
Scale: 24 3/4"
Radius: 12" to 10"
#Frets: 22
OG Fretwire: NS Narrow Frets
Trussrod: Standard Headstock
Bolt-On Type: Glued Set-Neck
HARDWARE:
Bridge Type: Trapeze Tailpiece End-Mounted (Pat Pending Stamped)
Tailpiece: None
Saddle: Underwrap Bar / Floating System (Not Mounted)
Tuners: Kluson Unbranded / Single Ring Keystone Buttons
PLASTIC:
Knobs: Gold Speed Knobs
Back Covers: Burgundy Plastic
Switch Plate: None
Trussrod Cover: White Plastic with Black Top-Ply
ELECTRONICS:
Switch: 3-Way Switchcraft / White Tip
Pickup Config: SS
Wiring: Vintage Wiring
Capacitor: "Chicago" 0.2mfd PIO Caps
Pots: 500k Centralab
Neck Pickup: P-90 (7.50k +/-)
Bridge Pickup: P-90 (7.50k -/+)
Case: Brown Hardcase w/ Pink Lining
The first year Gibson Les Paul were experimental. The Neck angle was shallow at only 1° A few degrees less than today's standard. Deemed to be low-Grade player condition due to the simple Trapeze Tailpiece bridge. and hard to keep in tune. These are more collector items not meant to be played today.
Aftermarket replacement parts can be installed on these to bring it to better playable condition today. This model would still appear with the Trapeze bridge in early 1953.
Noteworthy:
- No serial number was put on any 52-models
- A Few was fully Gold neck/Body
- Early production run had no binding on neck.
- Bridge Pickup mounting screws was Diagonal design compared to straight horizontal of today.