CONN Les Paul copy

[Riotonsunset]

I got this 1980 Conn CSE-4V at a local store for $200. Anyone know who made these?









Some close ups. The mini switch is for series/parallel the neck pickup is original but the bridge pickup is a DiMarzio Super Distortion. The Bridge is made by Schaller







It had a brass nut and Gotoh tuners.Abalone inlays on the headstock binding too.

[Riotonsunset]

It's a really nice guitar. Have you seen any other Les Paul copies with a neck like this? It's a one piece maghogany with a small 70's style volute. it's sort like a 60s thin profile but it gets wider and flatter as you go up the neck to the short heel.

[Riotonsunset]

Here is a 1980 LP Custom volute VS a 1974 LP Custom volute



and here is the volute on mine for comparison




This is some other info about CONN electric guitars from this webpage:

CONN ELECTRIC GUITARS BRIEF HISTORY
Conn electric guitars may have only been made in 1980. This short run of electrics followed Conn's departure from making acoustic guitars from 1969 through 1978. It is thought that the attempt to enter the booming electric guitar market was a "last hurrah" attempt to capture some the market in the burgeoning electric guitar sales of the 70's and 80's. However, it was probably too little too late since many other manufacturers, who had seen the opportunity much earlier on, had already captured the loyalty of followers for their brands (examples, "big brands" Fender, Gibson, Washburn, etc). The quality of the electric guitars in the Conn line was rather good. Both quality and price were competitive with that of the big brands, but sales were too low for this essentially "introductory" line of guitars, so the project was scrapped.
This is all of the historical information that is currently known about G.C. Conn company's line of electric guitars. However, as new information is discovered, it will be included here.
G.C.Conn also had spinoff electric guitar brands which may have even continued on after the actual CONN brand was dropped. These spinoff brands--which may have actually become independent--are not not the subject of this web site (spinoffs include the brands "Continental" and "Drifter" and possibly others).

Here are the control cavities of My CONN Les Paul

[BluesHawk]

Hi, Riot,

wow, that's a beautiful guitar. With all the care put into the exceptional aesthetic details...is that 5- or 6-ply binding?...a bound neck...it would be hard to imagine Conn then scrimping on the electronics.

Wish I could help with more info about Conn or this particular guitar. Maybe someone on the Gibson Guitar Forum's Les Paul Discussion Group could help? I'll be lookin up that link for someone else and will post it for you when I find it.

BTW, are you on another forum as WTRed?

[BluesHawk]

Riot, talk with these folks. They'll have info for ya:

http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/forum/9-les-paul/

[Phizix]

Nice Axe! It seems original besides the brass nut, tailpiece, and the dimarzio pickup/coil tap which are all pretty typical 1980's upgrades. It is definitely well made with high quality components. I'd say for $200 you did pretty well!

Here is the full 1980 Conn catalog

http://www.vintaxe.com/catalogs_japanese_conn_1980.htm

Your guitar is on this page, your finish is called "violin stain", you can see the original LP style tailpiece and standard white nut.

http://www.vintaxe.com/cgi-bin/vintaxe_ ... nn_page_04

[Riotonsunset]

Thanks for the posts and info! Here are some shots inside my CONN Les Paul.









Goto neck pickup



DiMarzio bridge

[BluesHawk]

Some Conn history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.G._Conn