1960 Gibson Melody Maker with the Les Paul-style single-cutaway body.
Not the same Melody Maker that was used in 1974, this was (most probably) a 1960 single-cutaway Melody Maker. The body was basically just a version of the early Les Paul Jr but it was a lot thinner which made it a very light instrument. It had a mahogany body, a one-piece mahogany neck and a rosewood fingerboard. It first shows up on July 5, 1975, in Tampa, Florida, for the outdoor show at Florida Jam but it's only visible when J.R. Smalling is carrying it to the stage area before the band's performance.
This Melody Maker had a few more modifications than the one used in 1974. The original wraparound bridge had been replaced by what looks like a Leo Quan Badass bridge. We have no really clear photos of this Melody Maker, the backstage photo from Wildwood above is the best I know of, so we can't say for sure. Other backup guitars from this time had that type of bridge so I've assumed that the Melody Maker did too. The original pickup had also been replaced in favor of an unknown humbucker. As seen below it can be found standing on Ace's side of the stage up until August 23.
And then, quite unlike most other backups, it gets its moment on stage. The dates of these photos are tentative but probable. They're not the greatest quality either but it does appear as if Paul is playing the Melody Maker (and the backup Epiphone Coronet is standing on Ace's side of the stage).
