Gibson Les Paul Guitars Collection

A brief history and popular models

The Gibson Les Paul name was used on a variety of guitars including the Les Paul Standard, Custom, Special, Deluxe, and Junior.  The first solid body Les Paul model appeared in 1952 as a Les Paul Standard goldtop, not very playable but very collectable.  It featured a glued on neck, ornate fingerboard inlays and a unique gold top with mahogany sides and back.  The Les Paul Custom was available starting in 1954 and featured a 3rd pickup.  The Les Paul Special was introduced in 1955 The Les Paul Standard arrived in 1958 and replaced the Gold top.  The new standard had a three tone sunburst finish but was essentially identical to the goldtop.  The Deluxe was a late comer arriving in 1970 and was discontinued in 1984. The Les Paul solid bodies are one of the most successful electric guitars of all time and remain in production today. 

The 1952 Les Paul Standard Goldtop

1952 Les Paul Standard Goldto

First introduced in 1952, the Les Paul Goldtop is a very collectable les paul guitar.  The 1955 variation had the entire body painted in gold.  The Gold Top was replaced by a sunburst standard in 1958.

The 1980 Gibson Les Paul Standard 

1980 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Reintroduced in 1976 after being replaced by the LP Deluxe in 1970.
Les Paul Custom

1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom was introduced 1954 as a 3 pickup guitar.  The custom was the high end Les Paul model.  Upon introduction it featured a mahogany top, single cutaway body, mahogany back and neck, one P-90 pickup in the bridge position and one Alnico V pickup in neck.  The bridge was a tune-o-matic and a Bigsby vibrato was optional.  Deluxe fingerboard inlays and gold plated parts were also standard.  It was discontinued in 1963 when the SG model was introduced however it was brought back in 1968 with dual humbucker pickups and is still in production. 

1979  Gibson Les Paul Custom

1979  Gibson Les Paul Custom

Another example of a Custom in Silverburst.
A 69 The LP Custom
A 1969 model of the LP custom also known as the black beauty.

1969 Les Paul Black Beauty

A 1969 model of the LP custom also known as the black beauty.
The Gibson Les Paul Special

Early 1958 Les Paul Special in TV Yellow

The Les paul special was introduced in 1955 and was an entry level student model.  It featured a mahogany single cut slab body, 2 P-90 pickups, dot fingerboard inlays, nickel plated parts.  This Special has an optional "TV" finish and is an early 58 single cut model.  In mid 1958 the body style was changed to a double pointed "SG" style which became just the SG when the Les Paul name was dropped. 

A 59 Les Paul Special

1959 Gibson Les Paul Special

Notice the change to a double cut body !

The Les Paul Deluxe

1976 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe

First available in 1970 and discontinued in 1984.  Replaced the Les Paul standard for a time.  Utilized a four piece body 2 mini-i-humbucker pickups and a 3 piece neck.  In 1985 the Les Paul Deluxe was dropped. 

Gibson's Les Paul Junior

1955 Single Cut Les Paul Junior

The LP Junior was a single pickup student guitar introduced in 1954.  The LP Jr. featured a Mahogany single cutaway slab body, a single P-90 pickup, dot fingerboard inlays, black pick guard and nickel plated hardware.  In 1958 the Les Paul Junior went to a double cut body which later became the sculpted double cut "SG" look (see photo below). 

The Gibson Les Paul SG Junior

1961 Les Paul Double Cut Junior in SG body style

This guitar is really a post-transition model showing the new SG body style and a Les Paul in name only.  This single pickup student guitar was renamed the "SG" model shortly after the new body style was introduced in 1961.

The Epiphone Les Paul Custom

Dressed to Kill! The Les Paul Custom made it's debut in 1954 after the initial success of the Les Paul Goldtop. Les Paul said he suggested black as the color for the guitar because it looked "classy" and went well with a tuxedo on stage. From that point on, the Les Paul Custom has often been referred to as the "tuxedo" Les Paul. And with it's gold appointments, fully bound body, neck and headstock and mother-of-pearl inlays, we think you'll agree that the Epiphone Les Paul Custom is "dressed to kill".

At the heart of the Les Paul Custom is Great Tone Woods. While all Les Pauls share common design features, the Les Paul Custom differed from the Les Paul Standard in that it's body was solid Mahogany without a Maple cap. Epiphone's LP Custom follows that tradition by using a solid, carved Mahogany body giving it a slightly mellower tone. Like the originals, attached to the body is a solid Mahogany neck with a hand-fitted, glued-in joint for optimum neck-to-body contact and acting almost like one continuous piece of wood. The neck features a very comfortable and fast "SlimTaper(tm)" neck profile that has become the most popular profile found on Les Pauls today. The result is a tribute to Les' timeless guitar design with the sound and feel that you can only get from a real Les Paul.

But quality construction and premium woods are only part of the equation. At the heart of the Les Paul Custom is a pair of Epiphone Alnico Classic(tm) humbucking pickups. Patterned after the original Gibson '57 Classics, these pickups combine Alnico-V magnets with enamel wire to give you a tone that is warm and subtle with full, even response that doesn't hold back when you need that classic humbucker crunch! The neck pickup is an Alnico Classic while the bridge pickup is an Alnico Classic Plus. The "Plus" is slightly over wound to give it a little bit higher output without sacrificing its rich, vintage tone.

Loaded with premium add-ons! Other premium features include Epiphone's LockTone(tm) tune-o-matic/stopbar combination for increased sustain and easy string changes, 16:1 ratio Grover(tm) machine heads, a 7-layer bound body, a 5-layer bound headstock and a comfortable single-layer bound Rosewood fingerboard. And like every Epiphone, it features their Limited Lifetime warranty backed by world famous 24/7/365 day Gibson Customer Service. So put on your tuxedo and strap on an Epiphone Les Paul Custom today. No one can ever say you're under-dressed for the occasion!

 

Specifications

Body Material:	Mahogany
Neck Material:	Mahogany
Neck Shape:	SlimTaper(TM); D-profile
Neck Joint:	Glued-In, Set Neck
Scale Length:	24.75"
Fingerboard Material:	Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius:	12"
Binding:	7-Layer body Front and Back, 5-Layer headstock, 1-Layer fingerboard
Nut Width:	1-11/16"
Hardware:	Gold
Machine Heads:	Grover(TM); 16:1 ratio
Neck Pickup:	Alnico Classic Plus(TM) Humbucker
Bridge Pickup:	Alnico Classic(TM) Humbucker
Controls:	1-Neck Volume, 1-Neck Tone, 1-Bridge Volume, 1-Bridge Tone
Pickup Selector:	3-way Toggle Switch, Epiphone All-Metal
Bridge:	LockTone(TM) Tune-o-matic
Tailpiece:	LockTone(TM) Stopbar
Output Jack:	Epiphone Exclusive Non-rotating Heavy Duty Output Jack
Colors:	Ebony, Alpine White
Options:	Left-Handed (Ebony only)
Warranty:	Epiphone Limited Lifetime

Les Paul Bass (1969-1971)

The Les Paul Bass is often termed the Les Paul Recording, or the Les Paul Professional however these were names of guitars; Gibson literature of the time only ever describes this model as a Les Paul Bass. It was a companion model to the Les Paul Personal and Les Paul Professional guitars. This is a very heavy bass; the weight was probably not seen as an issue, being designed primarily for recording use, but it was soon replaced by a very similar, lighter version - the Les Paul Triumph bass. This was not just for the studio, having a low/high impedence switch for use in live and studio situations.The Les Paul bass first shipped in 1969 (have a closer look at a 1969 Les Paul bass), but was first featured in the 1970 catalogue. It appeared in the 'Les Paul' booklet rather than the basses booklet and was listed at $495; more than the EB0 ($350), EB1 ($395), EB3 ($410), but still less than the EB2D ($510). The bass was described as follows.

Les Paul Bass Les Paul Bass The frequency response, range of harmonics and crips clear tones of the LP bass will exceed that of any electric bass on the market to date. This instrument is the only bass equipped with two low-impedance, humbucking pickups, and the slim single cutaway design is especially popular with todays groups. Les Paul Bass FEATURES: low impedance electronics and pickups. Clear grain British Honduras mahogany with center crossband body construction. Three piece laminated British Honduras mahogany neck construction. Buffed and polished clear walnut finish reveals all the fine grain-lined features of the basic wood. Brazillian rosewood fingerboard. Chrome-plated Schaller machine heads with sealed gears. Nickel-plated Tune-O-Matic bridge. 18¼" long, 14" wide, 2" deep; 30 1/2" scale, 24 frets

Epiphone Limited Edition Les Paul Special Bass wit

As this is a low impedance instrument, it requires a low impedance amplifier, such as the LP12 that was launched at the same time. The LP12 was an LP1 preamp, with an LP2 cabinet. Another option was to use a Gibson AD1 low-to-high impedance trasformer cord. The Shure A95U is a modern day equivalent. This bass was eventually replaced by the Les Paul Triumph bass in the early 1970s.
The production run of these basses was short, so few changes appeared within the model: Early models have the Gibson underbridge mute, and post 1970 models also have 'made in USA' stamped into the back of the headstock.
Famous users include Suzie Quatro.

Les Paul Guitar Details and Price

Les Paul  Guitar

Les Paul  Guitar

Manufactured in: Nashville, TN
Top Species: Carved maple top
Back Species: Mahogany
Species: Mahogany
Profile: ’59 Les Paul Rounded
Peghead Pitch: 17
Thickness at 1st Fret: 0.818″
Thickness at 12th Fret: 0.963″
Heel Length: 0.625″
Neck Joint Location: 16
Species: Rosewood; Ebony on Classic/Alpine Wht, Platinum
Scale Length: 243/4″
Total Length: 18.062″
Number of Frets: 22
Nut Width: 111/16″
Width at 12th Fret: 2.062″
Inlays: Pearloid trapezoid, none on Platinum
Plating Finish: Chrome or Gold ; Brushed Chrome on Platinum
Tailpiece: Stopbar
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Knobs: Black Speed
Tuners: Green Key
Neck Pickups: 490R Alnico magnet humbucker
Bridge Pickups: 498T Alnico magnet humbucker
Controls: Two volume, two tone, three-way switch
Strings: Brite Wires .010-.046
Lefty: Avaliable Left-handed
Case Interior: Dark Grey Plush with Black Shroud
Case Exterior: Black Reptile Pattern Hardshell
Case Silkscreen: Silver ‘Gibson USA’ logo
Price: 1600 USD