Gibson | Les Paul Custom

“Here is the ultimate in a solid body guitar … The Incomparable Les Paul Custom Guitar,” — Gibson catalog, circa mid-1950s.

Today’s Les Paul Custom is based on the model from the mid-1950s, but with several modern appointments. The body is crafted with a hand-carved maple top, which is fitted to a body made from a solid piece of mahogany with strategically routed holes to lessen the weight of the guitar, resulting in a Les Paul with enhanced acoustic qualities and improved resonance. The 24 ¾-inch scale length neck is also made from one solid piece of mahogany then topped by a 22-fret Richlite® fingerboard outfitted with pearl block inlays and given Gibson’s traditional rounded profile. The pickups are Gibson’s 490R in the neck position, which offers the tonal characteristics of the original PAFs, and the 498T in the bridge position, which swaps the 490R’s Alnico II magnet for an Alnico V, thus making it slightly hotter with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs. Other appointments include Gibson’s legendary Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, metal tulip tuners, multi-ply white and black binding on both the top and back, gold hardware and a 1 11/16” nut width. The Les Paul Custom is available in Antique White, Ebony, Heritage Cherry Sun Burst, Wine Red and Silver Burst, and each guitar comes with the standard Gibson Custom case and certificate of authenticity.