Epiphone Lespaul
Gibson Les Paul Models by Kevin Mike
The 1940s and 1950s were the golden age of Electric Guitar design. During this era, the legendary Gibson Electric Guitars made its debut. Like so many other innovative products throughout history, the development of the line was prompted due to fierce competition – in this case, between the Gibson Guitar Corporation and the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The first Gibson hit the market in 1952; new models are being released to this very day. The innovative and highly customizable nature has made it a crucial component in the evolution of many musical genres; learn more about this fascinating line of guitars below.
How the Gibson Les Paul Came to Be
In the early 1950s, the Gibson Guitar Corporation was thrown for a loop when Fender released the exceedingly popular Telecaster electric guitar. Gibson had long held a reputation for producing high-end instruments – especially electric guitars. Most historians agree that Gibson produced the first commercially successful electric guitar, the ES-150, which debuted in 1936. After enjoying such a successful reputation for so long, there’s no question that the introduction of the trend-setting Telecaster put pressure on Gibson to come up with something new.
Around this same time, Ted McCarty became president of Gibson. Knowing that his company needed something spectacular to go up against Fender, McCarty enlisted the help of inventor, jazz guitarist and innovative musician Les Paul. Paul had been tinkering with guitar design for many years already – in fact, one of his designs was rejected By Gibson between 1945 and 1946. McCarty felt that having such a legendary name on Gibson’s newest line of guitars would help enhance its image. The collaboration between Les Paul, McCarty and Gibson resulted in the Gibson line of guitars.
Characteristics of Gibson Les Paul Guitars
Right from the start, Gibson wanted its newest line of guitars to be well made, expensive and of the utmost quality. With Les Paul’s name tacked on, the company was sure that it would have a winner on its hands. From the get-go, the Gibson boasted a solid body design, a glued-in or set-in neck and a curved body shape that would become signature across the line. Unlike other electric guitars – most notably Fender models – the Les Paul’s strings were mounted on top of The Guitar body, instead of through it.
Customization and innovation were trademarks of the Gibson line from the beginning. Each model came with many different decorative levels and finishes. A wide range of color options was always available; LesPaul himself favored a gold finish, but colors like Classic White, Ebony, Alpine White, Fire Burst and Wine Red were generally offered. A vast array of hardware options was always par for the course with Les Paul models, too. Most significantly, though, a dizzying selection of electric pick-up options was always available. This fact alone is a huge part of the reason for the its enduring popularity – new pick-up options were always being developed.
Many different models have been released through the years; a brief overview of each one is outlined below.
Gibson Les Paul Goldtop
As the first model to be released, the Goldtop is an important part of the history of this electric guitar. The Goldtop was produced between 1952 and 1958. It featured a one-piece tailpiece and bridge that featured a trapeze style and a maple top. Two P-90 single-coil pickups were also signature characteristics of the Goldtop. Furthermore, its strings were fitted under a steel stop-bar. When it was initially produced, the Goldtop didn’t use serial numbers; they were introduced by the end of 1952, though.
The second issue of the Gibson Les Paul lineup, the Custom, was produced from 1954 to 1960. Mahogany replaced maple with this model, which was all black – in fact, it was popularly referred to as the “Black Beauty.” A pickup with an alnico-5 magnet in the neck position was included, and the bridge featured the Tune-o-Matic design. Starting in 1957, humbucker pickups were included with the Les Paul Custom. Three pickups, with a three-way switch that limited the number of possible combinations, were also featured.
Gibson Les Paul Special
From 1955 to 1960, the Special was produced. It boasted a TV Yellow finish, whose name came from the Les Paul TV guitars from the same era. Two soapbar P-90 single-coil pickups were included with the Special. A flaw in its original design, though, caused its neck to break off easily. Starting in 1959, Gibson changed the Special to include a double-cutaway body style. This change weakened the neck-to-body joint. To address the problem, Gibson moved the neck pickup further down the Special’s body, which produced a stronger joint.
Gibson Les Paul Standard
The most significant thing about the Les Paul Standard, which was originally produced between 1958 and 1960, was that it used the Sunburst top finish instead of the gold one. Tweaks in its design prompted a model name change, to SG, in 1960. Like the Goldtop, the Les Paul Standard boasted PAF humbucker pickups. Some models included a Kahler Tremolo system, a Tune-o-Matic bridge or a Bigsby Vibrato tailpiece. The model was brought back in 1968 and is still produced to this day; BurstBucker and BurstBucker Pro pickups are included in modern-day Standard models.
Gibson Les Paul SG
In 1961, the introduction of the wildly popular – significantly lighter – Fender Stratocaster once again prompted Gibson to modify the design of its Les Paul line. The resulting changes produced a thinner, lighter solid body guitar that was dubbed the Les Paul SG, for solid guitar. A vibrato system and two cut-aways were included in the design. Unhappy with the redesign, Les Paul asked that his name be removed. That didn’t happen until 1963, after the surplus of logos that Gibson owned was used up.
Gibson Les Paul Deluxe
The Les Paul Deluxe didn’t prove to be a popular model when it debuted in 1968. Mini-humbuckers, or New York humbuckers, were fitted into the guitar’s pre-carved P-90 pickup cavity with adapter rings. The deluxe initially boasted a one-piece body, three-piece neck with a pancake design – a thin layer of maple over two layers of mahogany. 1969 versions of the Deluxe also had Gibson logos with dots missing from the letter “i.” The “Made in the USA” stamp debuted in 1970; in 1975, the neck was changed to maple. The year after that, the body design was changed to solid mahogany. Flagging popularity prompted the discontinuation of the Deluxe in 1985, but it was brought back in 2005.
Gibson Les Paul Studio
Beginning in 1983, Gibson produced the Studio guitar. As its name implies, this guitar was geared toward studio musicians. Therefore, its features revolved around top-quality sound production; many unnecessary cosmetic touches were left out of the design of the Studio as a result. The carved maple top that was ubiquitous with other Les Pauls was included, but no binding was featured on the body or neck. The Studio is still in production today.
Gibson Epiphone Les Pauls
In an effort to appeal to cost-conscious consumers, Gibson started its subsidiary, Epiphone, to produce less expensive copies of Les Paul guitars in 1988. Epiphone Les Pauls are made outside of the United States and use more commonly available woods than the originals. Approximately twenty different Epiphone models are available, and they have helped open up a whole new customer base to Gibson. With models that cost between $150 and $700, Epiphone are significantly less expensive than originals are.
Gibson Robot Guitar
Since computer technology has become much more affordable and accessible, it’s not surprising that Gibson decided to incorporate it into one of its models. On December 7, 2007, the Gibson Robot Guitar made its debut. The guitar features a built-in computer that can be controlled using a master knob that’s positioned next to the volume knobs. When pressed, turned or pulled out, the knob delivers various commands to the internal computer. For instance, the Gibson Robot Guitar can be tuned to standard tuning by pulling out the master control knob and strumming the guitar; alternative tunings can also be automatically made, as well.
Les Paul Guitars into the Future
Considering the fact that Gibson models have already been around for decades, there’s little doubt that they will continue to have a strong presence in the world of music. Every day, budding guitar players purchase their very first guitars; many times, they’re lucky enough to invest in top-quality Les Pauls. Even those who don’t have a lot of cash at their disposal can enjoy the innovation that’s made the name so popular through the Epiphone line of guitars. In that way, professional studio musicians and beginners alike can share the joy of Gibson Les Pauls.
Kevin Mike is a freelance writer and product reviewer. You can check his blog for toy news, pictures, videos, and reviews, such as calico critters families and disney cars character names.
About the Author
Kevin Mike is a freelance writer and product reviewer. You can check his blog for toy news, pictures, videos, and reviews.
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