The Gibson Les Paul is a solid
body electric guitar that was first sold in 1952.
The Les Paul was designed by Ted
McCarty in collaboration with popular guitarist Les Paul,
whom Gibson enlisted to endorse the new model. It is one of the most
well-known electric guitar types in the world, along with the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster.
ORIGINS
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist 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").
Les Paul logo on
headstock
Flame maple
(tiger stripe) sample
(tiger stripe) sample
Quilted maple sample
Models and variations
The Les Paul guitar line was originally conceived to include two models: the regular model (nicknamed the Goldtop), and the Custom model, 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 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 (PAF), which revolutionized the sound of the electric guitar, and eliminated the mains hum, which had previously plagued guitars with single coil magnetic pickups.
Goldtop (1952–1958)
The 1952 Les Paul featured two P-90 single coil pickups, and a one-piece, 'trapeze'-style bridge and tailpiece, with strings that were fitted under (instead of over) a steel stop-bar.[note 2] The weight and the tonal characteristics of the Les Paul were largely due to the mahogany and maple construction: maple is a hard and quite heavy wood, but was restricted to a cap over somewhat lighter mahogany, to keep weight under control.[note 3] 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 cream-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.[note 4]
Custom (1954–1961, 1968–present)
Main article: Gibson Les Paul Custom
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-Matic bridge design and a pickup with an alnico-5
magnet, P-480, in the neck position. In addition, since 1957, the Custom
was fitted with Gibson's new humbucker pickups, PAF,
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)
Main article: Gibson Les Paul Junior
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)
Main articles: Gibson Les Paul Special and Gibson Les Paul Doublecut
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.
Gibson released a series of Les Paul Special Faded guitars in the 2000's. The fretboards were rosewood with dot inlays. The bodies were made from Honduran mahogany. They were equipped with 490R and 496T humbuckers and were sold at a much cheaper price.
Standard (1958–1960, 1968–2008)
In 1958, Gibson updated the Les Paul yet again. The new model retained most of the specifications of the 1957 Goldtop, including PAF humbucker pickups, maple top, tune-o-matic 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 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.[note 5] 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.
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 routing "chambers" in specific areas of the 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.2012 Standard
Gibson announced the new 2012 Les Paul Standard at Winter NAMM 2012. The new Standard features two Burstbucker Pro humbuckers with coil splitting, and Pure Bypass. Pure Bypass gives the option of bypassing the volume and tone potentiometers, sending the signal directly from the bridge pickup to the output jack. The 2012 Standard also features Gibson's "modern weight relief" as opposed to the chambered body of previous Standards. Other changes include a phase switch and compound fretboard radius.Les Paul SG (1961–present)
Main article: Gibson
SG
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. Although pleased with the sound, he asked Gibson to remove
his name from the instrument until they fixed a design issue with the
neck.
Although this separation occurred in 1960, Gibson had a surplus stock
of "Les Paul" logos and truss rod 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", 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, 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
In 1964, The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards 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 1965, Eric Clapton 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 and Hubert Sumlin, and played a 1960 Standard on his groundbreaking album Blues Breakers – John Mayall – With Eric Clapton. At the same time, Mike Bloomfield began using a 1954 Les Paul goldtop he apparently purchased in Boston while touring with the Paul Butterfield 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, Mick Taylor, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page began using the late-1950s Les Paul Standards.These 1950s models featured the thicker, more sustaining tone of Gibson's humbucker pickups with the original units known as "Patent Applied For" (PAF) pickups. These PAFs were designed by Seth Lover while working for Gibson in 1955 (U.S. Patent 2,896,491), 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 pickup. "Standard" humbuckers from other guitar manufacturers and third party replacement pickups from the likes of DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan 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[citation needed] 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.[20]
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.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 Epiphone 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 and Thin Lizzy.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
See also: Gibson Les Paul 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.
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
Gibson Les Paul Custom Florentine
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", almost 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 City. Paul preferred his 1971 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. Les Paul was also a pioneer of stereo and multitrack recording.
Epiphone Les Pauls
Main article: Epiphone Les Paul
The Gibson-owned Epiphone Company makes around 20 models of the Les
Paul, most are similar copies of Gibson-made models, although when
inspected closely both visually and aurally, the Gibson originals are
most often superior in tone, craftsmanship and materials. Made in places
outside the U.S., the Epiphone Les Pauls are made from more commonly
available woods using less expensive foreign labor 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 Epiphone Les Paul Studio is the least expensive Les Paul model to have a carved top and a set neck (features considered central to the feel and sound of more expensive Les Paul models), and is between $350-$400 depending on features and finish. 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; the "Plus" model includes a "flamed" maple finish while the "plain" top is unfigured.
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
Main article: 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 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
Main article: 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.
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