Gibson Les Paul
Encyclopedia
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation
and the late jazz
guitar
ist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster
to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson Guitar president Ted McCarty
brought guitarist Les Paul into the company as a consultant. Les Paul was a respected innovator who had been experimenting with guitar design for years to benefit his own music. In fact, he had hand-built a solid-body prototype called "The Log", a design widely considered the first solid-body Spanish guitar ever built, as opposed to the "Hawaiian", or lap-steel guitar
. This guitar is known as "The Log" because the solid core is a pine block whose width and depth are a little more than the width of the fretboard. Although numerous other prototypes and limited-production solid-body models by other makers have since surfaced, it is known that in 1945–1946, Les Paul had approached Gibson with "The Log" prototype
, but his solid body design was rejected.
In 1951, this initial rejection became a design collaboration between the Gibson Guitar Corporation and Les Paul. It was agreed that the new Les Paul guitar was to be an expensive, well-made instrument in Gibson's tradition. Although recollections differ regarding who contributed what to the Les Paul design, it was far from a market replica of Fender
models. Since the 1930s, Gibson had offered electric hollow-body guitars, such as the ES-150
; at minimum, these hollow-body electric models provided a set of basic design cues to the new Gibson solid-body, including a more traditionally curved body shape than offered by competitor Fender, and a glued-in ("set-in
") neck, in contrast to Fender's bolt-on neck
joint design.
The significance of Les Paul's contributions to his Gibson guitar design remains controversial. The book "50 Years of the Gibson Les Paul" limits Paul's contributions to two: advice on the trapeze tailpiece, and a preference for color (stating that Paul preferred gold as "it looks expensive", and a second choice of black because "it makes your fingers appear to move faster on the box", and "looks classy―like a tuxedo").
(tiger stripe) sample
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Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
and the late jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson Guitar president Ted McCarty
Ted McCarty
Ted McCarty was a pioneer of electric guitar design and production. This began when he was chosen as vice president of the of Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1949, then later as president in 1950. He remained president until 1966. This period became known as Gibson's golden age of electric guitars...
brought guitarist Les Paul into the company as a consultant. Les Paul was a respected innovator who had been experimenting with guitar design for years to benefit his own music. In fact, he had hand-built a solid-body prototype called "The Log", a design widely considered the first solid-body Spanish guitar ever built, as opposed to the "Hawaiian", or lap-steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
. This guitar is known as "The Log" because the solid core is a pine block whose width and depth are a little more than the width of the fretboard. Although numerous other prototypes and limited-production solid-body models by other makers have since surfaced, it is known that in 1945–1946, Les Paul had approached Gibson with "The Log" prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
, but his solid body design was rejected.
In 1951, this initial rejection became a design collaboration between the Gibson Guitar Corporation and Les Paul. It was agreed that the new Les Paul guitar was to be an expensive, well-made instrument in Gibson's tradition. Although recollections differ regarding who contributed what to the Les Paul design, it was far from a market replica of Fender
Fender
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, commonly referred to as simply Fender, of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster...
models. Since the 1930s, Gibson had offered electric hollow-body guitars, such as the ES-150
Gibson ES-150
The Gibson Guitar Corporation's ES-150 guitar is generally recognized as the world's first commercially successful Spanish-style electric guitar. The ES stands for Electric Spanish, and it was designated 150 because it cost $150, along with an EH-150 amplifier and a cable.After its introduction in...
; at minimum, these hollow-body electric models provided a set of basic design cues to the new Gibson solid-body, including a more traditionally curved body shape than offered by competitor Fender, and a glued-in ("set-in
Set-in neck
Set-in neck is a method of guitar construction that involves joining guitar neck and body with a tightly fitted mortise-and-tenon or dovetail joint, secured using some sort of adhesive...
") neck, in contrast to Fender's bolt-on neck
Bolt-on neck
Bolt-on neck is a method of guitar construction that involves joining a guitar neck and body using screws as opposed to glue as with set-in neck joints. The term is a misnomer, introduced mostly by Fender whose guitars traditionally had "bolt-on necks". Real bolted joints are uncommon in guitar...
joint design.
The significance of Les Paul's contributions to his Gibson guitar design remains controversial. The book "50 Years of the Gibson Les Paul" limits Paul's contributions to two: advice on the trapeze tailpiece, and a preference for color (stating that Paul preferred gold as "it looks expensive", and a second choice of black because "it makes your fingers appear to move faster on the box", and "looks classy―like a tuxedo").
(tiger stripe) sample
|image3=BACCHUS.jpg |width3=105 |caption3=Quilted maple sample
}}
Additionally, Gibson's president Ted McCarty states that the Gibson Guitar Corporation merely approached Les Paul for the right to imprint the musician's name on the headstock to increase model sales, and that in 1951, Gibson showed Paul a nearly finished instrument. McCarty also claims that design discussions with Les Paul were limited to the tailpiece and the fitting of a maple cap over the mahogany body for increased density and sustain, which Les Paul had requested reversed. However, according to Gibson Guitar, this reversal would have caused the guitar to become too heavy, and Paul's request was refused. Another switch: the original Custom
Custom
Custom may refer to:* Convention , a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom* Customization , anything made or modified to personal taste...
was to be all mahogany and the Goldtop was to have the maple cap/mahogany body. Beyond these requests, Les Paul's contributions to the guitar line bearing his name were stated to be cosmetic. For example, ever the showman, Paul had specified that the guitar be offered in a gold finish, not only for flashiness, but to emphasize the high quality of the Les Paul instrument, as well. The later-issue Les Paul models included flame maple
Flame maple
Flame maple , also known as flamed maple, curly maple, ripple maple, fiddleback or tiger stripe, is a feature of maple in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating chatoyant pattern, producing wavy lines known as "flames"...
(tiger stripe) and "quilted" maple finishes, and once again contrasted the competing Fender line's range of car-like color finishes. Gibson was notably inconsistent with its wood choices, and some goldtops or customs have had their finish stripped to reveal beautifully-figured wood hidden underneath.
Models and variations
The Les Paul guitar line was originally conceived to include two models: the regular model (nicknamed the Goldtop), and the Custom modelGibson Les Paul Custom
The Gibson Les Paul Custom is a higher end variation of the Gibson Les Paul guitar. It was developed in 1954 after Gibson had introduced the Les Paul model in 1952.-Notable Les Paul Custom players:...
, which offered upgraded hardware and a more formal black finish. However, advancements in pickup, body, and hardware designs allowed the Les Paul to become a long-term series of electric solid-body guitars that targeted every price-point and market level except for the complete novice guitarist. This beginner guitar market was filled by the Melody Maker
Gibson Melody Maker
In 2007, the Melody Maker became a separate model. It now has a smaller single-coil pickup than the P-90, a wraparound bridge/tailpiece unit, a mahogany neck, and a pickguard similar to the original Melody Maker...
model, and although the inexpensive Melody Maker did not bear the Les Paul name, its body consistently followed the design of true Les Pauls throughout each era.
Beyond shaping and body design, there are a number of characteristics that distinguish the Gibson Les Paul line from other electric guitars. For example, in a fashion similar to Gibson's hollow-body instruments, the strings of Les Paul guitars are always mounted on the top of the guitar body, rather than through the guitar body, as seen in competitor Fender's designs. The Gibson also features a variety of colors, such as Wine Red, Ebony, Classic White, Fire Burst, and Alpine White. In addition, the Les Paul models offered a variety of finishes and decorative levels, a diversity of hardware options, and an innovative array of electric pick-up options, some of which significantly impacted the sound of electric music. For instance, in 1957, Gibson introduced the humbucker
Humbucker
A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...
(PAF
PAF (pickup)
P.A.F. or just PAF is the world's first humbucker guitar pickup, invented by Seth Lover in 1955 as an engineer for Gibson and began use in mass production guitars in 1956 or 1957. However Rickenbacker and Gretsch had developed humbucking pickups also...
), which revolutionized the sound of the electric guitar, and eliminated the mains hum
Mains hum
Mains hum, electric hum, or power line hum is an audible oscillation of alternating current at the frequency of the mains electricity, which is usually 50 Hz or 60 Hz, depending on the local power line frequency...
, which had previously plagued guitars with single coil
Single coil
A single coil pickup is a type of magnetic transducer, or pickup, for the electric guitar and the electric bass. It electromagnetically converts the vibration of the strings to an electric signal...
magnetic pickups.
Goldtop (1952–1958)
The 1952 Les Paul featured two P-90P-90
The P-90 is a single coil electric guitar pickup produced by Gibson since 1946. Having a more complex architecture and larger dimensions than Fender's single coils, it is occasionally mistaken for a humbucker.- History :...
single coil
Single coil
A single coil pickup is a type of magnetic transducer, or pickup, for the electric guitar and the electric bass. It electromagnetically converts the vibration of the strings to an electric signal...
pickups, and a one-piece, 'trapeze'-style bridge and tailpiece, with strings that were fitted under (instead of over) a steel stop-bar.In the summer of 1952 , Gibson Les Paul Goldtop was priced at $US209. The weight and the tonal characteristics of the Les Paul were largely due to the mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
and maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
construction: maple is a hard and quite heavy wood, but was restricted to a cap over somewhat lighter mahogany, to keep weight under control.Nonetheless, most guitarists consider a standard Lester to be a very heavy guitar, especially at the end of a long set In addition, the early 1952 Les Pauls were never issued serial numbers, did not have bound bodies, and are considered by some as "LP Model prototypes". However, the later 1952 Les Pauls were issued serial numbers and also came with bound bodies. Interestingly, the design scheme of some of these early models varied. For instance, some of the Les Pauls of this issue were fitted with black covered P90 pickups instead of the creme colored plastic covers that are associated with this guitar, even today. Of note, these early models, nicknamed "Goldtops", have begun to gain the interest of collectors, and subsequently, the associated nostalgic value of this instrument is increasing.
The 1957 model is one of the highest price vintage guitar models on the market, ranked at #9 on the 2011 Top 25 published by Vintage Guitar
Vintage Guitar
Vintage Guitar is a guitar magazine, published monthly since 1986. Writers for the magazine include Seymour W. Duncan, George Gruhn, and Wolf Marshall...
, and worth between $86,000 and $106,000.
Custom (1954–1961, 2010-present)
The second issue of the Les Paul guitar was introduced to the public in 1954. Called the Gibson Les Paul Custom, this entirely black guitar was dubbed the Black Beauty. The Les Paul Custom featured a mahogany top to differentiate the instrument from its Goldtop predecessor's maple top. It also featured the new Tune-o-MaticTune-o-matic
Tune-o-matic is a name of fixed bridge design for electric guitars. It was designed by Ted McCarty and introduced in the Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar in 1954. In 1955, it was used on the Gibson Les Paul Gold Top...
bridge design and a pickup with an alnico
Alnico
Alnico is an acronym referring to iron alloys which in addition to iron are composed primarily of aluminium , nickel and cobalt , hence al-ni-co, with the addition of copper, and sometimes titanium. Alnico alloys are ferromagnetic, with a high coercivity and are used to make permanent magnets...
-5 magnet, P-480, in the neck position. In addition, since 1957, the Custom was fitted with Gibson's new humbucker pickups, PAF
PAF (pickup)
P.A.F. or just PAF is the world's first humbucker guitar pickup, invented by Seth Lover in 1955 as an engineer for Gibson and began use in mass production guitars in 1956 or 1957. However Rickenbacker and Gretsch had developed humbucking pickups also...
, and later became available with three pickups instead of the more usual two. The three pickup model retained the standard Gibson 3-way switch so not all pickup combinations were possible. The neck and bridge-only settings were retained, but the middle switch position was set to enable the middle and bridge pickups. A common modification was to restore the standard neck/both/bridge switching combination and add a switch to enable the middle pickup on its own.
The Les Paul Custom single cutaway was discontinued in 1961 and replaced with the SG (as we know it) designation for "solid guitar". This model featured a thin 1-5/16" body and a double cutaway. Confusion abounds to this day over the name Les Paul Custom.
Since the single cutaway was discontinued, Gibson transferred the name Les Paul Custom to the new models.
Junior (1954–1960) and TV (1955–1960)
In 1954, to widen the solid-body electric market still further, Gibson issued the Gibson Les Paul Junior. , Gibson targeted to the beginner again with a Les Paul Junior design. Over time, this Gibson design has proven well-suited for even professional use.There were marked differences between the other Les Paul models and the Les Paul Junior. For instance, although the Junior's body outline was clearly reminiscent of the original upmarket Les Paul guitar, the Junior issue was characterized by its flat-top "slab" mahogany body, finished in traditional Gibson Sunburst. The Junior was touted as an inexpensive option for Gibson electric guitar buyers: it had a single P-90 pickup, simple volume and tone controls, and the unbound rosewood fingerboard bore plain dot-shape position markers. However, as a concession to the aspirations of the beginning guitarist buyer, the Junior did feature the stud bridge/tailpiece similar to the second incarnation of the upscale Gold-Top.
Later, in 1955, Gibson launched the Les Paul TV model, which was essentially a Junior with what Gibson called a natural finish. This finish was actually more of a translucent mustard yellow through which the wood grain could be seen, and was not unlike the finish that competitor Fender called butterscotch yellow. The idea behind this TV Yellow was that white guitars would glare too much on early black and white television broadcasts, whereas TV Yellow guitars would not cast a glare.
In 1958, Gibson made a radical design change to their Junior and TV models: with the design change came cosmetic changes to these guitars that would later take on enormous importance. To accommodate player requests for more access to the top frets than the previous designs allowed, Gibson revamped both these electric guitar models with a new double-cutaway body shape. In addition, the Junior's fresh look was enhanced with a new cherry red finish, while the re-shaped TV adopted a new, rather yellow-tinged finish for its new design.
Special (1955–1960)
The Les Paul Special was released in 1955, featuring two soapbar P-90 single coil pickups, finished in a TV Yellow variation (but not called a TV model).In 1959, the Special was given the same new double-cutaway body shape that the Junior and the TV received in 1958. However, when the new design was applied to the two-pickup Special, the cavity for the neck pickup overlapped with the neck-to-body joint. This weakened the joint to the point that the neck could break after only moderate handling. The problem was soon resolved when Gibson's designers moved the neck pickup farther down the body, producing a stronger joint and eradicating the breakage problem.
This stabilized version of the Special is currently offered only by Gibson's Custom Shop in the "VOS" series in TV Yellow.
Standard (1958–1960, 1968–2008)
PAF (pickup)
P.A.F. or just PAF is the world's first humbucker guitar pickup, invented by Seth Lover in 1955 as an engineer for Gibson and began use in mass production guitars in 1956 or 1957. However Rickenbacker and Gretsch had developed humbucking pickups also...
humbucker pickups,maple top, tune-o-matic
Tune-o-matic
Tune-o-matic is a name of fixed bridge design for electric guitars. It was designed by Ted McCarty and introduced in the Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar in 1954. In 1955, it was used on the Gibson Les Paul Gold Top...
bridge with a stop tailpiece or Bigsby vibrato tailpiece. The most significant change in the new models was the finish. the Goldtop color used since 1952, was replaced by the Sunburst finish already being used on Gibson's archtop acoustic and hollow electric guitars such as the J-45
Gibson J-45
The Gibson J-45 is an acoustic guitar model manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. It is part of Gibson's round-shoulder, dreadnought acoustic "jumbo" line, begun in 1934 with the Gibson Jumbo Flattop which was to compete with C.F. Martin & Company's "D" line.The J-45 is generally regarded...
model. To differentiate from the earlier Goldtop model, the new Les Paul was referred to as The Les Paul Standard. Original production of the standards lasted from 1958 to 1960. Only 1,700 of these early models were made and have subsequently become highly collectible.
The 1958–60 Standard is one of the highest price vintage guitar models on the market, ranked at # on the 2011 Top 25 published by Vintage Guitar
Vintage Guitar
Vintage Guitar is a guitar magazine, published monthly since 1986. Writers for the magazine include Seymour W. Duncan, George Gruhn, and Wolf Marshall...
, and worth between $225,000 and $375,000. Original production ended when, in 1961, Gibson redesigned the Les Paul to feature a "double cutaway" body, which has subsequently become the Gibson SG. Due to high demand, Gibson resumed production of Les Paul Standards in 1968. Today, the Gibson Les Paul Standard has BurstBucker pickups on the Vintage Original Spec models and Burstbucker Pro on the lower end models bearing the 'Standard' name.
In the 80s Gibson also sold a limited number of Les Paul carrying Kahler tremolos
Kahler Tremolo System
The Kahler Tremolo System is an electric guitar bridge with a cam operated vibrato arm system. It was invented in 1979 by Gary Kahler and Dave Storey...
.
2008 Standard (2008–)
Gibson's new version of the Les Paul Standard was released August 1, 2008 and features a long neck tenon, an asymmetrical neck profile to make for a comfortable neck, frets leveled by Plek machine, and locking Grover tuners with an improved ratio of 18:1. With the 2008 model Gibson has introduced their "weight relief" chambering, which includes routingRouting
Routing is the process of selecting paths in a network along which to send network traffic. Routing is performed for many kinds of networks, including the telephone network , electronic data networks , and transportation networks...
"chambers" in specific areas of the mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
slab body as specified by Gibson R&D. Before 2008, Les Paul Standards were "swiss cheesed." In other words, it had holes routed into the body, but it was not chambered like most of Gibson's Les Paul lineup now is. In 2008 Gibson also introduced the Les Paul Traditional. The Traditional is built using the traditional Les Paul specifications; such as Kluson style tuners, 57 Classic pickups, and an unchambered body.
Les Paul SG (1961–1963)
In 1960, Gibson experienced a decline in electric guitar sales due to their high prices and strong competition from Fender's comparable but much lighter double-cutaway design, the Stratocaster. In response, Gibson modified the Les Paul line. This 1961 issue Les Paul guitar was thinner and much lighter than the earlier models, with two sharply pointed cut-aways and a vibrato system. However, the redesign was done without Les Paul's knowledge. When the musician saw the guitar, he asked Gibson to remove his name from the instrument and parted ways with the company. Although this separation occurred in 1960, Gibson had a surplus stock of "Les Paul" logos and truss rod
Truss rod
The truss rod is part of a guitar or banjo used to stabilize and adjust the lengthwise forward curvature , of the neck. Usually it is a steel rod that runs inside the neck and has a bolt that can be used to adjust its tension...
covers, and so continued to use the Les Paul name until 1963. At that point, the SG guitar's name was finally changed to "SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
", which stood simply for Solid Guitar. In addition to the SG line, Gibson continued to issue the less expensive Jrs and Specials (and the Melody Makers) with the newer body style. These, together with the Firebird
Gibson Firebird
The Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present.-History:The Gibson Guitar Corporation released several new styles during the 1950s to compete with Fender's instruments, such as the Telecaster and Stratocaster. After success with the Les Paul in...
, were the standard Gibson solid-body models until the reintroduction of the Les Paul Standard Goldtop and the Les Paul Custom guitars to the market in 1968.
Renewed interest in the Les Paul models
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
obtained a 1959 sunburst Les Paul. The guitar, outfitted with a Bigsby tailpiece, was the first "star-owned" Les Paul in Britain and served as one of the guitarist's prominent instruments through 1966. Because he switched guitars often enough in that period (using models ranging from the Epiphone semi-hollow to various other guitars made by Guild and Gibson), Richards is sometimes forgotten as an early post-1960 Les Paul player. In 1966, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
also recognized the rock potential of the late 1950s Les Paul guitars (particularly the 1958–1960 Standard sunburst models), and gave them wide exposure. He began using Les Pauls because of the influence of Freddie King
Freddie King
Freddie King , thought to have been born as Frederick Christian, originally recording as Freddy King, and nicknamed "the Texas Cannonball", was an influential African-American blues guitarist and singer. He is often mentioned as one of "the Three Kings" of electric blues guitar, along with Albert...
and Hubert Sumlin
Hubert Sumlin
Hubert Sumlin is an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist and singer, best known for his celebrated work, from 1955, as guitarist in Howlin' Wolf's band. His singular playing is characterized by "wrenched, shattering bursts of notes, sudden cliff-hanger silences and daring rhythmic...
, and played a 1960 Standard on his groundbreaking album Blues Breakers - John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
- With Eric Clapton. At the same time, Mike Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield
Michael Bernard "Mike" Bloomfield was an American musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, who became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrumental prowess, since he rarely sang before 1969–70...
began using a 1954 Les Paul goldtop he apparently purchased in Boston while touring with the Paul Butterfield
Paul Butterfield
Paul Butterfield was an American blues vocalist and harmonica player, who founded the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the early 1960s and performed at the original Woodstock Festival...
Blues Band, and recorded most of his work on the band's East-West album with that guitar. A year later, he traded it to guitarist/luthier Dan Erlewine for the 1959 Standard with which he became most identified. Concurrently, such artists such as Peter Green
Peter Green (musician)
Peter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac...
, Mick Taylor
Mick Taylor
Michael Kevin "Mick" Taylor is an English musician, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and The Rolling Stones...
, Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
and Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
began using the late-1950s Les Paul Standards. These 1950s models featured the thicker, more sustaining tone of Gibson's humbucker
Humbucker
A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...
pickups with the original units known as "Patent Applied For" (PAF
PAF (pickup)
P.A.F. or just PAF is the world's first humbucker guitar pickup, invented by Seth Lover in 1955 as an engineer for Gibson and began use in mass production guitars in 1956 or 1957. However Rickenbacker and Gretsch had developed humbucking pickups also...
) pickups. These PAFs were designed by Seth Lover
Seth Lover
Seth Lover is most famous for inventing the humbucker or hum-cancelling electric stringed instrument pickup, most often used on the electric guitar....
while working for Gibson in 1955 , and debuted on Les Pauls in 1957. This innovation became a standard pick up design for Gibson, and subsequently, many other guitar companies followed suit, outfitting their electrics with copycat versions of the humbucking pickup altered to avoid infringing Gibson's patent. Gretsch had their Filtertron pickups, and when Fender entered the humbucker market in 1972, it was with the radically different Fender Wide Range
Fender Wide Range
The Fender Wide Range Humbucker is a humbucker guitar pickup, designed by Seth Lover for Fender in the early 1970s. This pickup was intended to break Fender's image as a "single coil guitar company", and to gain a foothold in the humbucker guitar market dominated by Gibson.The pickups enjoyed some...
pickup. "Standard" humbuckers from other guitar manufacturers and third party replacement pickups from the likes of DiMarzio
DiMarzio
DiMarzio, Inc. is an United States manufacturer best known for its revolutionary direct-replacement guitar pickups. The company also produces miscellaneous guitar accessories, such as cables, straps and hardware.DiMarzio became known for its Super Distortion model, which was the first after...
and Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
were only offered after Gibson's patent had expired.
Over the years, authentic 1950s Les Pauls have become some of the most desirable and expensive electric guitars in the world. Only 1700 were made between 1958 and 1960 today, a 1959 Les Paul Standard in good condition can be easily priced between $US200,000 and $US750,000, making it the most valuable production model electric guitar ever built. (However, Gibson Custom Shop reissue versions of the 1950s and 1960 Les Paul can be purchased for less, between $US3,000-$US6,000; certain artist signature model versions of the guitars, however, are considerably more expensive.) Jimmy Page has been offered 1 million pounds (1.6 million USD) for his "number 1" 1959 Les Paul should he ever decide to sell it.
Thanks to the work and influence of Richards, Clapton, Bloomfield, Green, Taylor, Beck, and Page in the mid-1960s, demand for Les Paul guitars had begun to increase. Responding to that influence and increased pressure from the public, Gibson re-introduced the single cutaway Les Paul in July 1968.
Les Paul models in the Norlin era (1969–1985)
Subsequent years brought new company ownership to the Gibson Guitar Company. During the "Norlin Era", Gibson Les Paul body designs were greatly altered, most notably, the change to the neck volute. Because the Les Paul had the reputation of having an easily broken neck joint, the volute strengthened the neck where it joined the headstock to avert breakage. To further increase the strength, the neck woods were changed from mahogany to a three-piece maple design. The LP body was changed from a one-piece mahogany with a maple top into multiple slabs of mahogany with multiple pieced maple tops. This is referred to as "multipiece" construction, and sometimes incorrectly referred to as a "pancake" body. The expression "pancake body" actually refers to a body made of a thin layer of maple sandwiched between two slabs of mahogany, with a maple cap. The grain of the maple was placed at 90 degrees to that of the mahogany. The "pancake"-like layers are clearly visible when looking at the edge of the guitar. This process is also known as "crossbanding", and was done for strength and resistance to cupping\warping. Crossbanding was phased out by 1977.In this era, as well, Gibson began experimenting with new models such as the Les Paul Recording. This model is often eschewed by guitar purists: considered "too full of gadgetry". The Recording featured low-impedance pickups, many switches and buttons, and a highly specialized cable for impedance-matching to the amplifier. Less noticeable changes included, but were not limited to, maple fingerboards (1976), pickup cavity shielding, and the crossover of the ABR1 Tune-o-matic bridge into the modern day Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge. During the 1970s, the Les Paul body shape was incorporated into other Gibson models, including the S-1
Gibson S-1
The Gibson S-1 is an electric guitar, made by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.Gibson started producing the S-1 in mid-1975, but released it on the market in 1976. Its production lifespan was 1975-1980. Like the Gibson Marauder, the S-1 was an attempt to break through into the single-coil guitar...
, the Sonex
Gibson Sonex
The Sonex guitars were a range of budget Gibsons launched in 1980. They were made from a material called Resonwood, and manufactured with Multi-phonic body construction. There were four models: Deluxe, Standard, Custom and Artist....
, the L6-S
Gibson L6-S
The Gibson L6-S was the working musician's descendant of the L5S jazz solid body electric guitar. It was the same shape - very much like a wide Gibson Les Paul, but with a 24 fret two-octave neck - the first Gibson guitar to have this.-Model history:...
, and other models that did not follow the classic Les Paul layout.
Deluxe
The Deluxe was among the "new" 1968 Les Pauls. This model featured "mini-humbuckers", also known as "New York" humbuckers, and did not initially prove popular. The mini-humbucker pickup fit into the pre-carved P-90 pickup cavity using an adaptor ring developed by Gibson (actually just a cut-out P90 pickup cover) in order to use a supply of EpiphoneEpiphone
The Epiphone Company is a musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos. Epiphone was bought by Chicago Musical Instrument Company, which also owned Gibson Guitar Corporation, in 1957. Epiphone was Gibson's main rival in the archtop market...
mini-humbuckers left over from when Gibson moved Epiphone production to Japan. The DeLuxe was introduced in late 1968 and helped to standardize production among Gibson's USA-built Les Pauls. The first incarnation of the Deluxe featured a one-piece body and slim three-piece neck in late 1968. The "pancake" body (thin layer of maple on top of two layers of Honduran mahogany) came later in 1969. In late 1969, a small "volute" was added. 1969 Deluxes feature the Gibson logo devoid of the dot over the "i" in Gibson. By late 1969/early 1970, the dot over the "i" had returned, plus a "Made In USA" stamp on the back of the headstock. By 1975, the neck construction was changed from mahogany to maple, until the early 1980s, when the construction was returned to mahogany. The body changed back to solid mahogany from the pancake design in late 1976 or early 1977. Interest in this particular Les Paul model was so low that in 1985, Gibson canceled the line. However, in 2005, the Deluxe was reintroduced with more popularity due to its association with Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/equip-signature.htm and Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
.
In 1978 the Les Paul Pro Deluxe was introduced. This guitar featured P-90 pickups instead of the "mini-humbuckers" of the Deluxe model, an ebony fingerboard, maple neck, mahogany body and chrome hardware. It came in Ebony, Cherry Sunburst, Tobacco Sunburst or Gold finishes. Interestingly, it was first launched in Europe, rather than the USA. It was discontinued in 1982.
Studio
The "Studio" model was introduced in 1983, and is still in production. The intended market for this guitar was the studio musician; therefore, the design features of the "Les Paul Studio" were centered on optimal sound output. This model retained only the elements of the Gibson Les Paul that contributed to tone and playability, including the carved maple top and standard mechanical and electronic hardware. However, the Studio design omitted several stock Gibson ornamentations that did not affect sound quality, including the binding on the body and neck. The two notable exceptions to this are the Studio Standard and the Studio Custom. Both models were produced in the mid 1980s, and included body and neck binding, though with dot fingerboard inlays instead of more ornate trapezoids. Currently, the only Les Paul Studio with a classic neck binding and trapezoid inlays is the Les Paul Studio Classic '60s model, a limited edition made for the Sam Ash stores http://www.samash.com/p/Gibson_Les%20Paul%20Studio%20Classic%2060s%20Electric%20Guitar%20with%20Hardshell%20Case_-49946528. The first Studios from 83 to 86, except for Studio Standard and Studio Custom, were made with alder bodies rather than mahogany/maple. The current Studios come with a chambered mahogany body with either a maple or mahogany cap. The entry level Les Paul Studio "faded" has a chambered mahogany body and top and a satin finish and is the lowest priced Gibson USA Les Paul.Custom Shop models
With a growing popularity of the Les Paul guitars, hundreds of unendorsed imitations and copycat versions had appeared on the markets. However, due to the lack of U.S. legislation to address patent infringements and restrict the import sales, oversea imitations caused legal and financial problems to the Gibson Guitar Corporation. An also troublesome thing was the existence of high quality imitations of vintage Les Paul (and vintage Stratocaster) produced by oversea manufacturers.For instance, during 1970s and early 1980s, Japanese manufacturer Tokai Gakki produced superb replicas of 1957–59 vintage Les Pauls, and replicas themselves were gradually highly regarded. In the 1980s, to respond to the high demand for vintage models, Gibson itself began to offer a line of "Custom Shop models", accurate reproductions of early Les Paul crafted by the Gibson Guitar Custom Shops.
Modern Les Pauls
In January 1986, Gibson changed ownership and began manufacturing a range of varied Les Paul models to suit different user needs. The 1980s also saw the end to several design characteristics that were classic to the Les Paul, including the volute and maple neck. However, due to consumer demand, the Gibson Les Paul guitar is available today in an array of choices, ranging from guitars equipped with modern digital electronics to classic re-issue models built to match the look and specifications of the guitar's earliest production runs from 1952 to 1960.
Les Paul's guitar
Until his death in August 2009, Les Paul himself played his personal Les Paul Guitar onstage, weekly, in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Paul preferred his 1972 Gibson "Recording" model guitar, with different electronics and a one-piece mahogany body, and which, as an inveterate tinkerer and bona fide inventor, he had modified heavily to his liking over the years. A Bigsby-style vibrato was of late the most visible change although his guitars were formerly fitted with his "Les Paulverizer" effects.
Per a statement made by Les Paul himself in the "Chasing Sound" bio-pic, the "Les Paulverizer" was a hoax with the actual effect being provided via multitrack recording
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
. Les Paul was also a pioneer of stereo and multitrack recording.
Epiphone Les Pauls
The Gibson-owned EpiphoneEpiphone
The Epiphone Company is a musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos. Epiphone was bought by Chicago Musical Instrument Company, which also owned Gibson Guitar Corporation, in 1957. Epiphone was Gibson's main rival in the archtop market...
Company makes around 20 models of the Les Paul, most are close copies of Gibson-made models. Made in places outside the U.S., the Epiphone Les Pauls are made from more commonly-available woods and have less hand detailing than the Gibson models, and, as a result, sell for a lower price. Epiphone Guitar Co. has been owned by Gibson Guitars since the 1950s. Once Gibson purchased Epiphone they quickly began making lower-quality guitars based on Gibson designs.
Epiphone currently produces several models of the Les Paul including The entry level "Les Paul Special II", which is generally made of a basswood body and a veneered top, a bolt-on neck (with dot inlays instead of the usual trapezoid inlays), lacks a binding, and has simplified electronics.
The next model up is the "Les Paul 100", which costs approximately $US300, has similar features but it has the standard Les Paul wiring, mahogany body and a higher-quality paint job. The standard models are the "Les Paul Standard Plain Top" and the "Les Paul Standard Plus Top". They cost $US550 and $US650 respectively. They both feature a solid mahogany body with a maple veneer and carved top.
Epiphone also makes several less common models of the Les Paul such as the "Les Paul Goth", "Les Paul Goldtop", "Les Paul Ultra" and "Les Paul Ultra II", "Les Paul Custom", "Les Paul Black Beauty", "Les Paul Prophecy Series", "Zakk Wylde Custom Les Paul Model", "Slash signature Les Paul Models" and the "Les Paul Studio", and the most current, "Joe Bonamassa '59 Gold Top Les Paul".
Gibson Robot Guitar
In 2007, Gibson announced an idea to create a computerized Les Paul, dubbed the "Robot Guitar". It was released on December 7, 2007. The guitar has a computer integrated into the body with a "master control" knob next to the volume knobs, which can be pulled out, turned, or pressed to issue different commands to the guitar. One of the more notable features is the ability to tune the guitar to standard tuning
Standard tuning
In music, standard tuning refers to the typical tuning of a string instrument. This notion is contrary to that of scordatura, i.e. an alternate tuning designated to modify either the timbre or technical capabilities of the desired instrument.-Bowed strings:...
simply by pulling out on the master control knob and strumming the guitar, while the tuning pegs adjust themselves to standard tuning. Another use of the master control knob is to be able to tune the guitar to alternative tunings, such as drop D, by pressing on the control knob to fit the setting. The new Les Paul has a new custom silverburst blue finish. While the product was advertised in the American popular press as a "world's first", similar systems, some external, have been in use for decades.
Gibson Dark Fire
Gibson announced a new interactive computerized Les Paul that produces more sounds, named the Dark Fire. It was released on December 15, 2007. The guitar has a computer integrated into the body and controlled by the "Master Control Knob" (MCK) The MCK allows players the ability to change the pickups and coils, adjust each tone and tunings automatically and simultaneously, even during a song being played. Like the Robot, the Dark Fire features the ability to tune the guitar; however, in an improvement over the Robot, the player can tune it up to 500 times per battery charge, allowing the tuning pegs to adjust themselves to different tuning styles. Using the "Chameleon Tone Technology" Gibson claims this guitar will produce every imaginable guitar sound. In addition to the improved and advanced tuning features, the guitar has three various types of pickups, which includes: Burstbucker (humbucker), a P-90 single-coil and a bridge-mounted piezo acoustic―all of which contribute to organic blends of original sounds.Gibson Dusk Tiger
Gibson has made another guitar in the robot series: The Dusk Tiger. This third robot guitar has lightweight 45 gram tuners and chameleon tone editor support (which means you can make your own sounds by modeling in chameleon tone).Les Paul Ukulele
In Early 2011, Epiphone released information about a Ukulele veration of the Les Paul, which would feature a semi acoustic solid mahogany body in cherry sunburst, concert sized ukulele, which was made available in June 2011 at a retail price of $179 a piece.Slash
SlashSlash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
has collaborated with Gibson on eleven signature Les Paul models—three through Gibson USA; four through the Gibson Custom Shop; and four through the Gibson subsidiary Epiphone.
The first of these guitars was the Slash "Snakepit" Les Paul Standard, which was introduced by the Gibson Custom Shop in 1997. It has a transparent cranberry red finish over a flame maple top, a carving of the smoking snake graphic off the cover of Slash's Snakepit
Slash's Snakepit
Slash's Snakepit were an American rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed by then-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash in 1993. Though often described as a solo or side project, Slash stated that Snakepit was a band, with equal contributions by all members...
's debut album, It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (album)
-Personnel:Slash's Snakepit*Slash – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, production*Eric Dover – lead vocals*Gilby Clarke – rhythm guitar, backing vocals*Mike Inez – bass, backing vocals*Matt Sorum – drums...
, and a mother of pearl inlay of a cobra wrapped up the length of the ebony fretboard. Production was limited to 75, with Slash receiving the first four including the prototype. In 1999, Epiphone released a more affordable version of the "Snakepit" Les Paul, featuring a decal of the smoking snake logo and standard fretboard inlay. Production was limited to 150.
In 2004, the Gibson Custom Shop introduced the Slash Signature Les Paul Standard. This guitar was designed to focus on utility over aesthetic elegance; it is classically tailored and features a plain maple top with a Dark Tobacco Sunburst finish. In 2008, Epiphone issued the Slash Signature Les Paul Standard Plus Top, which was modeled after the Gibson Custom Shop model. It has a solid mahogany body, flame maple top, and a Dark Tobacco Burst finish.
In 2008, Gibson USA released the Slash Signature Les Paul Standard, an authentic replica of one of two Les Pauls Slash received from Gibson in 1988. It has an Antique Vintage Sunburst finish over a solid mahogany body with a maple top, and features Slash's skull and crossbones, top hat logo, and signature. Production was limited to 1600. The Gibson Custom Shop introduced the Slash "Inspired By" Les Paul Standard. It is also a replica of the 1988 Les Paul Standard, and features a carved maple top, one-piece mahogany back, and rosewood fingerboard, with a Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish. Two versions were made available—the "Aged by Tom Murphy," aged to resemble the original guitar as it is today, and the "Vintage Original Spec," created to resemble the guitar as it was when Slash first received it.
Two more models were introduced in 2008. Gibson USA issued the Slash Signature Les Paul Goldtop, modeled after a 1991 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop that was stolen from Slash's collection in 1999 and never recovered. It features a mahogany body and a hand-carved maple top with Gibson's classic Bullion Gold finish. Production was limited to 1000. Epiphone again introduced a more affordable version of the Gibson model, featuring a traditional Les Paul body with a maple top, a mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, and Epiphone's classic Goldtop finish. Production was limited to 2000.
In 2010, Gibson USA released the Slash "Appetite" Les Paul Standard as a tribute to Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
' debut album, Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
. It resembles the original Les Paul Standards of the late '50s, including the 1959 Les Paul replica Slash used for the recording of the album. It has a maple top with a nitrocellulose Unburst finish, rosewood fingerboard with mother of pearl inlay, and a Slash headstock graphic. It also features Slash's signature Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
pickups. The Gibson Custom Shop introduced the Slash "Appetite" Les Paul Standard. Production was limited to 400, with 100 guitars hand-aged and signed by Slash himself, and another 300 finished with the Custom Shop's VOS process. Epiphone issued a more affordable version of the "Appetite" Les Paul, production of which was limited to 3000.
Gary Moore
The late Northern Irish blues/rock guitarist Gary MooreGary Moore
Robert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
also created his own signature Gibson Les Paul in the early 1990s. Characterised by a yellow flame top, no binding and a Gary Moore truss rod cover. It featured two open-topped humbucking pick-ups, one with "zebra coils" (one white and one black bobbin). Gary formerly owned Peter Green
Peter Green (musician)
Peter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac...
's vintage Les Paul Standard with the accidentally reversed pick-up magnet that gives it its unique sound.
In 2009, Gibson released another Gary Moore signature guitar, the Gibson Gary Moore BFG Les Paul. The Gary Moore BFG is much like their previous Les Paul BFG series, while having the style of Moore's 1950s Les Paul Standards.
Peter Frampton
Guitar CenterGuitar Center
Guitar Center is the largest chain of musical instrument retailers in the world with 223 locations throughout the United States. Its headquarters is in Westlake Village, California....
added a replica of the "Black Beauty" Les Paul Custom, with three pickups, that Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
used as his main guitar from his days in Humble Pie
Humble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
through his early solo career, photographed playing the instrument on the front jackets of his albums Frampton and Frampton Comes Alive. It has all the same qualities such as the three uncovered humbucking pickups and missing pickguard. The Black Beauty was not issued until 1957; however, the one given to Frampton by a fan named Mark Mariana original was a '54 that had been routed out for a middle pickup.
Michael Bloomfield
Blues guitar star Michael BloomfieldMike Bloomfield
Michael Bernard "Mike" Bloomfield was an American musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, who became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrumental prowess, since he rarely sang before 1969–70...
may not have been the first to make the then-out-of-production Les Paul Standard his own in the mid-1960s, but his popularity and influence with the Butterfield Blues Band are often credited with helping seed the renewed interest which compelled Gibson to return the original Les Paul to full production later in the decade. Bloomfield first played a 1954 Les Paul goldtop (with the strings wrapped around the tailpiece rather than suspended and intonated over a bridge) while with Butterfield in 1966, but he swapped the guitar (plus $100) to noted guitar technician Dan Erlewine in exchange for a 1959 Les Paul Standard. This guitar was characterised by a mismatched volume control knob, a missing cover on the rhythm/treble toggle switch, and a crack in the wood behind the tailpiece. Because the guitar was lost in the 1970s (Bloomfield scholars believe a Canadian venue owner claimed it as compensation after Bloomfield missed a scheduled performance and never reclaimed the instrument), Gibson used hundreds of photographs of the late blues guitarist's instrument (and consulted with Bloomfield's family) to produce the limited-edition Bloomfield signature. The company produced one hundred Bloomfield models with custom-aged finishes and one hundred more with the company's Vintage Original Specifications finishing in 2009. They reproduced the tailpiece crack and the mismatched volume control knob but included a toggle switch cover. The headstock was characterised by the kidney-shaped Grover tuning keys installed on the guitar before Bloomfield traded for it, and the pickups were Gibson Burstbucker 1 (at the neck) and Burstbucker 2 (at the bridge).
Pete Townshend
In 2005, Gibson issued three Pete TownshendPete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
signature edition Les Paul Deluxe guitars, based on Townshend's heavily customised "#1" Wine Red 1976 Les Paul Deluxe, "#3" Gold top 1976, and "#9" Cherry Sunburst 1976. These guitars were modified by Alan Rogan and used extensively on stage and in the studio with The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. In addition to the two mini-humbuckers the guitar carried, Rogan modified Townshend's originals with a DiMarzio humbucker in the middle. Toggle switches located behind the guitar's tailpiece turned the pickup on and off and added volume boost. The control knobs were wired for volume, one for each pickup and a master volume. The reissues differed from Townshend's originals in that the reissues had an inlay at the first fret while the originals did not.
Jimmy Page
Gibson has produced three Jimmy Page signature modelsJimmy Page Signature Les Paul
Jimmy Page Signature Les Paul is a replica of Jimmy Page's main instrument. It features push/pull controls for phasing, coil splitting and series/parallel wiring and Jimmy Page Custom humbucker pickups. The neck is Jimmy Page's custom elliptical neck and the comes in Page Burst finish.Jimmy Page...
. The first was issued in the mid-1990s. It was based on a stock Les Paul Standard of the time (rather than the more prestigious and historically correct 1958/1959 re-issues issued by the Gibson Custom Shop). The modifications were based on Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
's "#2" 1959 Les Paul, which had been modified with push-pull potentiometers on all four control knobs, as well as mini push-pull switches under the pickguard. This first version of the Jimmy Page Signature did not have the mini-switches under the pickguard, nor did it replicate the custom-shaved neck profile of Jimmy Page's guitar, but it did include the four push-pull pots. With all four pots pushed down, the guitar operated as normal. Pulling up the tone pot for the Bridge or Neck pickup turned the respective pickup into a single coil, rather than humbucking pickup. Pulling up the volume pot for either pickup changed it from series (stock) to parallel. The first iteration of the Jimmy Page Signature utilized Gibson's then-current high-output humbuckers: a 496R in the neck position and a 498T at the bridge.
In 2005, after 2 years of research and development utilizing Jimmy Page's actual guitar, Gibson Custom Shop issued a limited run of Jimmy Page Signature guitars based on Jimmy Page's #1 1959. This time, Gibson worked directly from Jimmy Page's actual guitar, which he lent to Gibson for the project. The guitar featured just one push-pull pot, just like Page's #1, which reversed the phase of the pickups in the up position, which in Page's own words gave "a close approximation to the Peter Green sound." Gibson also went to great lengths to replicate the accuracy of the pickups, creating two custom pickups, which were available only in this guitar. The pickups were based on the Burstbucker vintage-style pickups, but featured stronger Alnico magnets and slightly higher output than the other Burstbuckers, as well as slightly higher treble response, which accurately reproduced the sound of the pickups in Page's guitar. Gibson also replicated the neck profile, which was heavily modified prior to Page acquiring the guitar, and the Grover tuners that Page favored.
Several years later, Gibson issued its third Jimmy Page Signature guitar, this one based closely on Jimmy Page's #2. Put out by the Gibson Custom Shop in an extremely limited run of 325 guitars, this guitar more accurately reproduced Page's heavily modified #2 than the original Signature model of the 1990s, and featured the 4 push-pull pots, the two mini-switches under the pick guard, accurate tuners and sound-accurate pickups (the same pickups that were used in the 2005 Jimmy Page #1 Signature), as well as an accurate neck profile. As in the original Signature model of the 1990s, pulling up the neck or bridge volume pots switched the respective pickups' coils from series to parallel, and pulling up the tone pots switched the respective pickups from humbucking to single coil. The two push-button DPDT switches mounted beneath the pickguard provide universal switching functions, regardless of the positions of the push-pull pots. With the switch mounted toward the bridge-end of the pickguard in the out position, the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. With the switch mounted toward the neck-end of the pickguard in the out position, both pickups are wired in series and out of phase. With both switches out, both pickups are in series and in phase. The Jimmy Page "Number Two" Les Paul is finished in the Gibson Custom Shop's painstakingly devised "Page Burst Version Two", a sunburst finish that accurately replicates the deep, rich, reddish-brown to amber appearance of the original guitar, and which has been approved by Page himself. With a total production number of 325 units, these are some of the most expensive guitars Gibson has ever issued. The initial 25, autographed by Jimmy Page, priced at as much as $25,000 new, with prices rising in the collector market. Although gibson made 100 more with the same level of quality only the 25 remain signed.
Ace Frehley
The Ace FrehleyAce Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
(KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
) signature model, released in 1997, has three humbucking DiMarzio pick-ups, a cherry sunburst finish (AAAA), a color image of Frehley's face in his Kiss make-up on the headstock, and mother-of-pearl lightning bolt inlays, and Ace's simulated signature on the 12th fret. There was a limited edition, Gibson Custom Shop run of only 300 guitars that were built with Dimarzio PAF, Super Distortion, and Dual Sound pickups. The production run model was only built with Dimarzio Super Distortion pickups. This was one of Gibson's best selling artist runs. These guitars now value between 4000-12000 USD.
Billy Gibbons
Billy GibbonsBilly Gibbons
William Frederick "Billy" Gibbons is an American musician, actor and car customizer, best known as the guitarist of the Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs. Gibbons is known for playing his Gretsch Billy Bo guitar and his famous 1959...
of ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
has a signature model and pick-up based on his favorite "Pearly Gates
Pearly Gates (guitar)
Pearly Gates, also known as "Miss Pearly Gates" or simply "Pearly," is the 1959 Gibson Les Paul owned by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.On the television series Bones, the character of Angela Pearly-Gates Montenegro is partly named after this guitar....
" Les Paul.
Buckethead
BucketheadBuckethead
Brian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
's signature model has an oversized chambered mahagony body, alpine white maple top, a 27" scale length, and a push/pull switch on the tone knob to enable coil splitting in the bridge and neck pickups. Despite having a scale length 2 1/4" longer than a standard Les Paul it is still set up at the factory for standard EADGBe tuning. It has Gibson's contemporary-voiced Ceramic series humbucking pickups (496R in the neck, 500T in the bridge). The electronics are also re-wired to make use of the two arcade-style "killswitch" buttons on the guitar. This guitar is identical to the Les Paul that Buckethead toured with in 2009.
Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar's signature Les Paul model is equipped with dual "zebra-striped" humbuckers on a red flame maple top. The headstock is inlayed with the logo of Sammy's new supergroup, Chickenfoot.Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe'sBillie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
signature guitar is a Les Paul Junior, based on the vintage Junior he uses that is named 'Floyd.'
It has one Billie Joe Armstrong signature pickup, the H-90, a humbucking version of the famous P-90 pickup. Used mainly through 2004-present
Zakk Wylde
Features Zakk's trademark bullseye graphics, EMG 81EMG 81
The EMG 81 is a popular active humbucker guitar pickup manufactured by EMG, Inc.. It is usually considered a lead pickup for use in bridge position, paired with EMG 85 as a rhythm pickup in neck position...
and EMG 85
EMG 85
The EMG 85 is a popular active humbucker guitar pickup manufactured by EMG, Inc.. It is usually installed in a guitar's neck position and often paired with the EMG 81 in the bridge position, but can be used in the bridge position for a different result....
humbucking pickups and raw, unfinished necks.
Perhaps due to fact that only 50 of these guitars were made by Gibson, Aged edition Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
s Bullseye Les Paul guitars are extremely sought out by metal musicians and collectors alike. The custom design crew at Gibson conducted the redesign of Zakk Wylde's guitar seriously as it mirrors every chip and dent you'd find on Zakk's legendary #1 Les Paul custom.
Neal Schon
The Neal SchonNeal Schon
Neal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
Signature Les Paul model has a carved mahogany top, mahogany back, multi-ply black/white binding on top, chrome-plated hardware and a Floyd Rose tremolo. The one-piece mahogany neck has a scarfed heel joint a "Schon custom" slim-taper neck profile. The 22-fret ebony fingerboard features pearl split-diamond inlays and single-ply white binding. The pickups are a DiMarzio Fast Track/Fernandes Sustainer in the neck position and a Gibson BurstBucker Pro in the bridge position. In addition to the standard Les Paul electronics (individual pickup volume and tone controls, plus three-way selector switch), the Schon Signature features two mini-toggles — an on/off for the Sustainer and an octave effect — along with a push/pull pot for midrange cut. Only 60 of these guitars made it to production and sold out in days upon release.
Eric Clapton
When Eric ClaptonEric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
plugged his 1960 Les Paul into a Marshall amplifier in the mid 60's he created a new classic rock tone that has been revered and copied by countless guitarists since, thus playing a major part in renewed interest of the guitar that moved Gibson to return the original Les Paul to full and permanent production. Clapton played a 1960 Standard as a member of John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
's Blues Breakers and in the early days of Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
. The guitar was said to have been stolen while Clapton was preparing for the first Cream tour in 1966, following the recording of Fresh Cream
Fresh Cream
Fresh Cream is the debut studio album by British supergroup Cream. It was the first LP release of producer Robert Stigwood's new "Independent" Reaction Records label, released in the United Kingdom as both a mono and stereo version on 9 December 1966, the same time as the single release of "I Feel...
, and was long considered an iconic instrument by Clapton's fans and Les Paul guitar admirers. Gibson announced production of the Clapton 1960 Standard — popularly known as the "Beano Burst," in honour of the British comic book Clapton is seen reading on the jacket photograph of Blues Breakers - John Mayall - With Eric Clapton — in mid-to-late 2010. The company had Clapton's own direct cooperation and consultation on the project, which was based on the few available photographs of the musician with the guitar and on Clapton's own recollection of the instrument. Gibson says the instrument "accurately represents what Eric Clapton personally feels his 1960 Les Paul should be", with Clapton consulting on the design of the guitar. Production is limited to 55 hand-aged instruments signed by Clapton (who was allowed to keep the first five of these instruments), another 95 hand-aged instruments, and 350 Vintage Original Spec instruments, but all five hundred instruments feature period-correct hardware, two Gibson reproduction PAF humbucking pickups, and subtly figured "antiquity burst" maple tops.
Marc Bolan
British glam-rock star Marc BolanMarc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
's unusual Les Paul was reproduced as a signature model. It was a 1950s Standard body with a 1970s Custom neck; the guitar was known to have gone through three necks in Bolan's lifetime.
The prototype was introduced at the 2011 NAMM exhibition. As with the Eric Clapton "Beano Burst," Gibson was probably forced to refer to photographs of the instrument to reproduce it. (Bolan is seen holding the instrument on the outer gatefold jacket of T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
, his first album after shortening the band name from "Tyrannosaurus Rex".) The actual guitar was among the possessions stolen by ardent fans from Bolan's home, within weeks of his premature 1977 death in a road accident. Gibson announced the availability of the Marc Bolan signature Les Paul in February 2011.
Lou Pallo
Lou Pallo, a longtime member of Les Paul's performing trio until the virtuoso's death in 2009, earned a signature Les Paul model in late 2010. Known as "The Man of a Thousand Inversions" thanks to his much-admired rhythm guitar work as well as his capable soloing, Pallo played a Les Paul Custom in the Les Paul Trio. However, the Les Paul on which he consulted for its design features a Standard headstock and body but Custom fretboard block inlays including at the first fret. The body wood is natural-coloured mahogany while the top is ebony-painted maple and bound in single-ply binding like the production Standard. The guitar features, unusually, a black-covered P-90 single-coil pickup at the neck---the same pickup that was standard on the Les Paul from 1952 to 56---and a double-coil Dirty Fingers pickup without a cover but with a black pickup frame at the bridge. The familiar "rhythm/treble" poker chip around the toggle switch is also black, and the guitar features no pickguard. (Interviewed for the guitar's introduction, Pallo himself said he had actually wanted the guitar to feature a cream-coloured pickguard, cream-coloured Dirty Fingers frame, cream-coloured P-90 cover, and cream-coloured poker chip.) The Lou Pallo model also features a small reproduction of Pallo's signature in the twelfth-fret inlay; Gibson was said to have wanted Pallo's signature (which has a resemblance to Les Paul's) on the headstock in place of the familiar Les Paul signature decal, but Pallo rejected the idea out of respect to his longtime friend and partner and suggested the inlay signature instead. Four hundred Lou Pallo models have been made, with the guitar hitting the market in December 2010. Pallo himself introduced the guitar at New York's Iridium club, where the Les Paul Trio played for many years, and performed the big-band classic "Begin the Beguine" on the instrument after giving the crowd an introduction to the instrument.Les Paul imitations
Gibson Les Paul specifications during 1958–60 varied from year to year and also from guitar to guitar. Typical 1958 Les Paul Standard necks had a thicker "club-shaped" neck, thinner frets and lower fret height, which changed during the course of 1959 to develop into typical 1960 necks with a thinner cross-section and wider, higher frets. On the other hand, Les Paul Customs from the same period had totally different frets and were referred to as "The Fretless Wonder", which were designed for jazz guitarists of the day with thick flat-wound strings and they are generally unsuitable for modern blues-based playing. Coupled with a luxurious use of selected, naturally seasoned, quality tone wood, with its timbreTimbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
and tendency to cause notes to sustain
Sustain
In music, sustain is a parameter of musical sound over time. As its name implies, it denotes the period of time during which the sound remains before it becomes inaudible, or silent.Additionally, sustain is the third of the four segments in an ADSR envelope...
, and the hand-wound "PAF
PAF (pickup)
P.A.F. or just PAF is the world's first humbucker guitar pickup, invented by Seth Lover in 1955 as an engineer for Gibson and began use in mass production guitars in 1956 or 1957. However Rickenbacker and Gretsch had developed humbucking pickups also...
" humbucking pickups, the original Les Paul Standard became the most desirable electric guitar in history, matching the status of Stradivarius
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
. The huge premium it commanded, starting in the late 1960s following Eric Clapton's recording with Bluesbreakers
Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton
Blues Breakers is a 1966 electric blues album credited to John Mayall with Eric Clapton.The band name John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers that was used by the band consequently is derived from the title of this album; no original issues mention the Bluesbreakers as band name...
, began inspiring replicas and imitations.
Although early Les Paul imitations in the 1960s and 1970s, such as those made by Höfner
Höfner
Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, with one division that manufactures guitars and basses, and another that manufactures other string instruments....
, Hagström
Hagström
Hagström is a musical instrument manufacturer in Älvdalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. Their original products were accordions that they initially imported from Germany and then Italy before opening their own facility in 1932. During the sixties, the company started making electric guitars and later...
, Harmony Company
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and Greco Guitars
Greco
Greco may refer to:* Greco , a list of people with this surname* El Greco , a Greek-Spanish painter, sculptor and architect* El Greco , a composition by Vangelis...
differed visibly from Gibson's design, with different electronics, and even bolt-on necks, in the late 1970s some Japanese companies came very close to perfecting copies of the original 1958–60 Standards. It is considered among vintage guitar experts that the early and mid-1970s marked a low point in the quality of guitars from the major manufacturers including Gibson, which helped contribute to the popularity of the Japanese-made vintage replicas. These guitars later became known as "lawsuit" guitars. The actual lawsuit referred to, was brought by the Norlin Corporation, the parent company of Gibson guitars, in 1977, and was based on an Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
headstock design that had been discontinued by 1976. Ibanez settled out of court, and by 1978 had begun making guitars from their own designs.
ESP Guitars
ESP Guitars
, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...
makes seven types, the Eclipse
ESP Eclipse
ESP Eclipse is an electric guitar model distributed by ESP.There are many different variations of the Eclipse, including the Eclipse-I, Eclipse-I CTM, Eclipse-I CTM , Eclipse-II, Eclipse-II, and Eclipse Custom. ESP also makes several models under its LTD brand that are based on the Eclipse...
series, James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
Truckster, and Kirk Hammett
Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
KH-3 from ESP, the LTD EC series and Truckster, the Edwards E-LP series, and the Navigator N-LP series, which are based on the Les Paul design. Certain EC models have 24-fret necks and active electronics using EMG pickups instead of the standard passive pickups and 22 frets found in the traditional Les Paul. The Edwards and Navigator lines are made in Japan, and available retail only on the Japanese market; they come standard with Gotoh hardware and Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
pickups (EMG pickups in a few models), and unlike the EC and Eclipse series guitars, which are updated variants on the Les Paul, these are made to be as close to the Gibson 1959 Les Paul design as possible, in the vein of the late 1970s and 1980s "Lawsuit" model guitars from Tokai
Tokai
Tōkai in Japanese may refer to:* Tōkai region, a subregion of Chūbu* Tōkai, Ibaraki, a village, also nown as "Tokaimura" * Tōkai, Aichi, a city* Tōkai University, a private university in Tokyo...
, Burny
Burny
Burny is a range of Gibson replica guitars produced by Fernandes Guitars.-History:Fernandes was established in 1969 in Japan. The Burny brand was used for the Gibson replicas and the Fernandes brand was used for the Fender replicas. Fernandes initially made acoustic guitars and started making...
, and Greco, complete with Gibson style headstocks.
Heritage Guitars
Heritage Guitars
Heritage Guitars is a guitar manufacturer in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States.-History:Heritage Guitars was founded in 1985 by former employees of the Gibson guitar factory...
, founded in 1985 by four long-time Gibson employees when Gibson relocated to Nashville, continues to build high-quality guitars in the original factory at 225 Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. Many of their models evoke memories of Gibson's late-1950s/early-1960s "golden years." The H-150 and H-157, for instance, are reminiscent of the original Les Paul and Les Paul Custom, while the H-535 is a modern version of the Gibson ES-335
Gibson ES-335
The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
. Because Heritage guitars are built in the original factory, some do not consider them imitators at all, but a continuation of the Kalamazoo legacy.
In 2006 Gibson lost a lawsuit against PRS Guitars
PRS Guitars
PRS Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland. PRS Guitars was founded by guitarist and luthier Paul Reed Smith in 1985. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of high-end electric guitars.-Materials:...
, Gibson claiming PRS was stealing the Les Paul shape and design.
Gibson lost
Trademark dilution
Trademark dilution is a trademark law concept giving the owner of a famous trademark standing to forbid others from using that mark in a way that would lessen its uniqueness. In most cases, trademark dilution involves an unauthorized use of another's trademark on products that do not compete with,...
the trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
for Les Paul in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. According to the court, "Les Paul" has become a common noun for guitars of a certain type. The lawsuit began when Gibson sued Musamaailma, which imports Tokai guitars, for trademark violation. However, several witnesses testified that the term "Les Paul" denotes character in a guitar rather than a particular guitar model. The court also found it aggravating that Gibson had used Les Paul in the plural form and that the importer of Gibson guitars had used Les Paul as a common noun. The court decision will become effective, as Gibson is not going to appeal.
Further reading
- Electric Guitar Man: The Genius of Les Paul (Library Binding). Edwin Brit Wyckoff. Enslow Elementary (April 2008). ISBN 978 0766028470
- 50 Years of the Gibson Les Paul: Half a Century of the Greatest Electric Guitars (Paperback). Tony Bacon. Backbeat Books 1st edition (April 26, 2002). ISBN 0-87930-711-0
- Million Dollar Les Paul: In Search of the Most Valuable Guitar in the World (Paperback). Tony Bacon. Jawbone Press 1st edition (2008). ISBN 978-1-906002-14-5