L5 CES Pickguard Dimensions

[omphalopsychos]

This is always something that bothered me about my CES.

When did Gibson start making the pickguard wrong on L5s? You can see they used to connect at the top of the cutaway, with the corner of the pickguard terminating around fret 17-18. The photo below is a 58.



In the modern ones, the pickguard terminates at the last fret on the fingerboard.



Interestingly, Gibson still makes a correct pickguard on the wes montgomery.



Anyone know at what year Gibson decided to shorten the pickguard on the CES?

[customxke]

I was under the impression it was when the venetian cutaway was reintroduced after the florentine cutaway, but I'm sure those that know better than I will chime in.

[wintermoon]

I was under the impression it was when the venetian cutaway was reintroduced after the florentine cutaway, ?but I'm sure those that know better than I will chime in.

1960 was the year the florentine cutaway was introduced and was also the year they began attaching them w a screw into the top as opposed to pinning it to the fingerboard extension as it wasn't physically possible to pin them anymore due to the deep cutaway.
They still pinned them on venetian L-5C's after '60, not sure when all L-5s went to screws in the top but '69 is likely as customxke says, my '69 has it drilled into the top.

[ThatRhythmMan]

Not an L-5, but what wintermoon says holds true for my ‘69 Super 400.


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[omphalopsychos]

So this validates my belief that the 60s ruined everything? Long hair, short pickguards, must be the acid.

[John A.]

Is the guard actually shorter? It just looks to me like it's the same guard positioned differently.

[deacon Mark]

My 2003 L5c is up from your in between frets 18-19 approx.

[deacon Mark]

My 2005 Super 400ces the pickguard in the same spot as this L5. I think maybe the guards vary in length and where they do the cutout for the pickups. I hate making guards that I have to cut out for the pickups unless I have the guitar in the shop.

[wintermoon]

So this validates my belief that the 60s ruined everything? Long hair, short pickguards, must be the acid.

[omphalopsychos]

It's just wrong on every possible level, beyond the super 400 pickguard. I thank god I wasn't alive for this garbage.

[ThatRhythmMan]

It's just wrong on every possible level, beyond the L5 pickguard. I thank god I wasn't alive for this garbage.

Those poor guitars.


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[omphalopsychos]

I'm trying to think of what was actually going right in the 60s. US hegemony (among its western allies), soul music, boomer porn.



Did I leave anything out?

[wintermoon]

It's just wrong on every possible level, beyond the super 400 pickguard. I thank god I wasn't alive for this garbage.

as opposed to the garbage of today?

[omphalopsychos]

as opposed to the garbage of today?

I'm sure it sucks too, but today's media empire gives the consumer the illusion of individuality and autonomy through endless options. So the garbage is more easily avoided.

[Stringswinger]

I'm trying to think of what was actually going right in the 60s. US hegemony (among its western allies), soul music, boomer porn.



Did I leave anything out?

If those two had done a nude photoshoot back then, a lot of us might be blind today.

[sgcim]

The presentation was stupid as hell, but that song was written by jazz and studio guitar player Stuart Scharf.
My sister used to play it all the time. It's one of my fave pop tunes of the 60s.

[wintermoon]

The presentation was stupid as hell, but that song was written by jazz and studio guitar player Stuart Scharf.
My sister used to play it all the time. It's one of my fave pop tunes of the 60s.

kids....
excellent singing actually and the interlude in the middle is pretty cool though they cut some of it out in that video
ps Stu Scharf ordered the 3rd to last D'Angelico made in '64, I played it many years ago

[deacon Mark]

If those two had done a nude photoshoot back then, a lot of us might be blind today.

Even as a kid before puberty I figured it out, but it is a gradual process. Later on, you look back and say.............wow. Do you like and L5 or a Super 400? Take your pick.

[sgcim]

kids....
excellent singing actually and the interlude in the middle is pretty cool though they cut some of it out in that video
ps Stu Scharf ordered the 3rd to last D'Angelico made in '64, I played it many years ago

A friend of mine, who was also a friend of Scharf's, bought the last D'A John made. The spring spacing was like a classical guitar's.

[TAA]

This is my 1951/1952 L-5C, with a florentine cutaway. But maybe the discussion is
limited to the CES variant?

Tom

[Danny W.]

[QUOTE=TAA;1319216]This is my 1951/1952 L-5C, with a florentine cutaway. But maybe the discussion is
limited to the CES variant?

Tom


[/QUOTE


That’s a Venetian cutaway].

Danny W.

[TAA]

Looks like my alphebetical aporoach fails...

A rounded cutaway = florentine A=F

B pointed cutaway = venetian B=V

Tom

[yebdox]

If those two had done a nude photoshoot back then, a lot of us might be blind today.

Or be stuck shaving our hands for the rest of our lives. But this was the REAL threat:

[yebdox]

So this validates my belief that the 60s ruined everything? Long hair, short pickguards, must be the acid.

I don't think it was just the 60's. This looks like evidence to me of a long haired Gibson executive on acid, but it came much later on:

[TAA]

A liile more pickguard fun.

On the left is a 1967 Johnny Smith, in the middle is a brand new pickguard that I purchased a few months back that I'll never use. Had a brain fart about using it but that flopped.

They are not exactly the same dimensionally.

Tom