The Body
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So lets have a look at the body. The most glaring
imperfection is the chip, down to the maple cap, just above the rhythm tone control.
This happened one night at rehearsal in '73. Dave was so bummed, literally
this was the first ding in the guitar. Below
the selector you can see another blemish, down to the wood. There are several other
"impressions" in the finish, but very few "check" lines. One behind
the selector ring, extending just beyond its limits. One from the bass stud of the
tailpiece forward to about the bridge, and another from the bass side of the bridge to the
pickup surround. The back has a chip, oval in shape 1/8" x 3/16", through to the
wood about dead center. Numerous impressions, worming some like to call it, but no
"buckle rash" into the wood. The binding is very good, front and rear, all the
way round. No breaks, cracks, or pull away. There is some wear through the clear (amber)
coat on the binding; in the cutaway, and on the upper hip. Likewise on the back binding,
in the area of the neck join, and along the lower edge. The sides show the normal
impressions down by the jackplate from missing the jack with the cord. More impressions
all the way round with several small dings into wood in and around the cutaway, and on the
upper hip. All in all, other than the big chip, the finish is in very good condition, with
all the normal wear one would expect on an instrument that has been a player's main
guitar. Original "witch hat" knobs are missing, I have fitted the black
"bonnet" type knobs that would be correct on a 50's original.
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There are numerous shops doing "relicing" work these days, if this were a
relic job I would call it "Lovingly Cared For". Lets face it, if you play the
guitar, wear is inevitable, and its gonna take a shot or two.
Now lets talk about the maple cap; what's that you say "Customs are one
piece mahogany bodies." Yes, in 1954 they were, are later Customs all
mahogany? I don't know. This one has a maple cap. The chip on the top was
white the day it happened. You can see a sliver of maple in the photo of the
neck joint. You can see white wood in the electronics cavity (not shown).
The wiring route is square, it gets routed before the maple cap is glued on.
One piece Custom bodies have a round route, it has to be drilled from the
side through the output jack hole. Iwanade goes on about the "internal
stress" created by the maple cap. A poor man's sunburst?