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  1. #1

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    Hi,
    I am currently looking around for plating companies to replate my tailpiece on the Newly Acquired Gibson L5 Wes Montgomery, and I just noticed that the tailpiece on my guitar doesn't have the "L5" insignia etched into it.
    Is that normal? I just looked at a 2005 (same Model) that Gregs Guitars had for sale and I noticed that guitar did have the L5 insignia.
    Its shocking to me that I didnt notice this before.
    I am hoping some had it and some didnt.
    Please let me know.
    JD

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  3. #2

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    Hi, Joe.

    I have a 2001 Wes. It does have “L5” etched on the tailpiece.

    I haven’t weighed in for a while, but love your new guitar (looks just like mine) and your playing, as always. Especially appreciate your heart for the music and others.

    Larry

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Max405
    Hi,
    I am currently looking around for plating companies to replate my tailpiece on the Newly Acquired Gibson L5 Wes Montgomery, and I just noticed that the tailpiece on my guitar doesn't have the "L5" insignia etched into it.
    Is that normal? I just looked at a 2005 (same Model) that Gregs Guitars had for sale and I noticed that guitar did have the L5 insignia.
    Its shocking to me that I didnt notice this before.
    I am hoping some had it and some didnt.
    Please let me know.
    JD
    I'd start by trying to contact Gibson and ask if there has been some history of the tailpieces. Perhaps there was an era in which the L5 was not engraved on the tailpiece? I don't know, but I'd check with Gibson first. I have found a couple of 1990's WesMos online that did not seem to have the engraving, but the pictures were not absolutely clear so I can't be certain.

  5. #4

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    For a short period they made them with a resin badge with "L5" inlaid in pearl, similar to the JS. I always that one was the best looking.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Max405
    Hi,
    I am currently looking around for plating companies to replate my tailpiece on the Newly Acquired Gibson L5 Wes Montgomery, and I just noticed that the tailpiece on my guitar doesn't have the "L5" insignia etched into it.
    Is that normal? I just looked at a 2005 (same Model) that Gregs Guitars had for sale and I noticed that guitar did have the L5 insignia.
    Its shocking to me that I didnt notice this before.
    I am hoping some had it and some didnt.
    Please let me know.
    JD
    This is the tailpiece on one of my L-5 Signatures, from 2003:

    Wes Montgomery "L5" Tailpiece Insignia-l-5sig-tp_01-jpg

    All of mine are from 2002-2004 and all are the same.

    Quote Originally Posted by Woody Sound
    For a short period they made them with a resin badge with "L5" inlaid in pearl, similar to the JS. I always that one was the best looking.
    These were made in the late '80's to around 1992. Here's a '92:

    Wes Montgomery "L5" Tailpiece Insignia-l-5-92-cesn-front-2-jpg

    Danny W.

  7. #6

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    I’m shocked you didn’t notice it upon first viewing too, for that’s the first thing I look for, especially on a late model 2005. I had a 2005 Hutchins WesMo that definitely had the tailpiece stamp. There’s a story going on somewhere.

  8. #7

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    Bro the tailpiece on your guitar is not a counterfeit. Gibson just screwed up and used a L4 tailpiece by mistake or were out of L5 tailpieces at the moment.

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
    Bro the tailpiece on your guitar is not a counterfeit. Gibson just screwed up and used a L4 tailpiece by mistake or were out of L5 tailpieces at the moment.
    Joe- I agree with Vinny , he knows more about Gibson than most folks. I found a used Wes tail pc without the L5 etching that sold on Reverb. Of course I cannot validate the originality of the tail pc on Reverb - but I do trust what Vinny said

    Gibson L5 Custom Wes Montgomery Tailpiece Gibson L5 Custom Wes Montgomery Tailpiece | Richard's | Reverb

  10. #9

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    L4CES tailpiece Wes Montgomery "L5" Tailpiece Insignia-35f66104-e838-4dee-9a0c-6bb13167fe5d-jpg

  11. #10

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    That made me feel better.
    Our offline conversations almost made me hang myself.
    JD

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Danny W.
    These were made in the late 80's to around 1992. Here's a '92
    Wes Montgomery "L5" Tailpiece Insignia-l-5-92-cesn-front-2-jpg
    Yeah that's what I was talkin bout!

  13. #12

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    Joe

    I just thought of something - -

    If - - you're going to have it plated anyway -meaning -
    You'll have some sort of blank slate anyway - -

    Why not find a way to add your initials ?

    Similar font maybe ??

    Dennis

  14. #13

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    I never liked that ebonyish medallion and was glad they got rid of it after a few yrs.
    That said I've never seen an L5 that wasn't a custom order not having the engraving after the 30's besides that short run in the late 80s early 90s.
    I always thought the coolest features cosmetically were the torch inlay, the cupid's bow at the end of the fingerboard and the engraved t.p. Honestly, I'd rather it have the L5 engraving than Wes Montgomery. If it was mine I'd swap it for one w the engraving if I could, but that's me.
    Last edited by wintermoon; 08-13-2020 at 04:11 PM.

  15. #14

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    Joe, I would get one that was engraved and then sell the one you have probably can be done.

  16. #15

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    always have to be careful with this kind of thing...15 years from now, they'll be saying a select few wes' went out with a different tailpiece..now a $carce rarity!!..hah

    cheers

  17. #16

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    Or it could be one of these Japanese tailpieces that someone swapped in, yeah, that's the ticket. Of course, they would have had to strip the paint on the badge, grind off the existing engraved strip, polish it back up, get it engraved with the Wes name, silverplate it, and tarnish the silver. Seems a bit ... unlikely.

    Er, ah, maybe you should take a Valium, get a bottle of silver plating solution, and magically restore the badge all by yourself. Here are few typical products that do the job:

    Robot Check

    Silverplater - 4 oz. (133 ml) - Caswell Canada

    Silver Plating Solution | RKM Nushine
    Attached Images Attached Images Wes Montgomery "L5" Tailpiece Insignia-75ariape180cf-3-1300-jpg 

  18. #17

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    IF i don't have a genuine Gibson Tailpiece on my guitar, then its my own fault. I saw clear pictures of it before I pulled the trigger. I made a decision and I have to live with it. Just another reason to:
    - buy new
    - or buy from a friend who bought new
    - buy from reputable store who will stand behind what they sell and offer a return policy -
    - OR - Don't be a idiot next time and do my homework.

    In retrospect, I should have done my homework.

    Tailpiece aside, The guitar is still an excellent L5. I think I love it even more now. But as we know, "Replacement anything" on a guitar like this devalues it. So I am probably a victim of my own ignorance.
    I am hoping to get a new Tailpiece in the future (if Gibson will sell one to me), when I can afford it. Then, this guitar will be dressed up like she deserves to be.

    Joe D

  19. #18

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    "But as we know, "Replacement anything" on a guitar like this devalues it."

    yeah, but who knows if it already is a replacement


    funny that Wes' own guitar didn't have Wes Montgomery on the tailpiece like other 60s Gibson artist models like the Johnny Smith and Tal Farlow, but rather inlaid on the body where the toggle normally would be on a standard CES model.


  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    "But as we know, "Replacement anything" on a guitar like this devalues it."

    yeah, but who knows if it already is a replacement


    funny that Wes' own guitar didn't have Wes Montgomery on the tailpiece like other 60s Gibson artist models like the Johnny Smith and Tal Farlow, but rather inlaid on the body where the toggle normally would be on a standard CES model.

    Backwards humbucker? And quite a cufflink!

  21. #20

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    I had some offline discussions with JD about this subject today. My L-5CES came to me with no gold ( all of the gold had been polished polished off by the seller) and it needs to be replated. I bought a tailpiece from a Reverb seller to use while mine is out for the replate (I'll get around to that up the road when this pandemic has mellowed).

    The tailpiece I bought was a factory second made by Bigsby for Gibson and sold off by a music store some years ago. I paid $250 for it shipped. It has no L-5 Engraving and no hole for a varitone screw (much like the late 80's/early 90's L-5 tailpieces) and it also has no engraving where the varitone screw would go. The underside has less than stellar welds (I have seen this kind of stuff on Gibson tailpieces that were not factory seconds) making this a factory second. Here are the pics:

    Wes Montgomery "L5" Tailpiece Insignia-l5tp-jpgWes Montgomery "L5" Tailpiece Insignia-l-5tp1-jpg

  22. #21

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    "Backwards humbucker? And quite a cufflink"

    yeah, I think Wes thought it gave a brighter sound backwards. I only noticed the cufflink today and just noticed the extra wide cutout on the guard, I guess so his thumb wouldn't contact it as easily.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    " and just noticed the extra wide cutout on the guard, I guess so his thumb wouldn't contact it as easily.
    or so that he could adjust his pup height without removing the "fingerrest"

    the reversed humbucker also places the pole pieces at the 24th fret node...(despite the non believers!) haha



    cheers

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    or so that he could adjust his pup height without removing the "fingerrest"

    the reversed humbucker also places the pole pieces at the 24th fret node...(despite the non believers!) haha



    cheers
    I don't think so NA, that screw is accessible even on a standard CES guard

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    I don't think so NA, that screw is accessible even on a standard CES guard
    not for wes...he was all thumb(s)!!! haha

    cheers

  26. #25

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    I purchased my Wes L5 right when they came out, around 1993. Mine has the L5 engraving and "Wes Montgomery" on the medallion.