(taget från www.gibson.com) The Les Paul Collection Les Paul had been developing the concept of the solid body guitar since the 1930's. In 1941, he split an arch-top Epiphone in half lengthwise and bolted both sides to a 4" x 4" solid block. This two pickup monster (Les called it "The Log") was not a pretty sight, but it established Les' idea that solid body instruments had a unique sound and musical future. The President of Gibson at that time, Ted McCarty, found Les and Gibson's Les Paul guitar made its debut in 1952. For the first time, two woods - maple for the top and mahogany for the back - were combined on a solid instrument for a musical purpose, balancing the bright attack of maple with the warmth and richness of mahogany. The tune-o-matic bridge appeared on the Les Paul in 1954, and the humbuckers followed in 1957. When the LP was offered with a cherry sunburst top in 1958, one of the greatest electric guitar designs ever was firmly established. Les Paul Classic Premium Plus The 1960 Les Paul Standard was the first Gibson to feature the modern "slim taper" neck. With a thickness graduation of only about a tenth of an inch from the first fret to the twelfth while maintaining a precisely controlled width to thickness ratio, the "slim taper" neck promotes speed while reducing player fatigue. For this reason, many players consider the 1960 Standard the best version of the Les Paul ever made. The Les Paul Classic Premium Plus features the 1960 neck pattern and blends it with a select Grade AAA two piece flamed maple top. The Classic Premium Plus puts its elegant flamed maple top on a solid mahogany back for the ultimate combination of warmth and sustain. Sound matters as much as stage apperance, so Gibson engineers consulted with top touring pros and tested dozens of pickups before developing a new matched pickup set for the Classic series. Designed to shred the cones on a 100-watt stack, the 496-R rhythm humbucker and 500-T treble humbucker have solid lows, crunchy mids, and blistering trebles at any playing volume, from clubs to stadiums. With its Select Grade AAA Maple Top, slim taper neck, and aggressive, muscular tone, the Classic Premium Plus brings history and modern technology together. Features & Benefits Slim-taper '60 neck specs for great playing feel and reduced fatigue for increased speed. Hot ceramic magnet and Gibson pickups for great power and killer tone at any playing volume. Premium Grade AAA bookmatched Maple top for outstanding looks and style. Specs Pickups Rhythm: 496R ceramic magnet HB Treble: 500T ceramic magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Nickel Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay Rosewood 22 frets "Aged" Trapezoid inlay Neck Shape 1960 Slim taper LP Binding Body / Neck Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic/Stop bar Materials Two-piece Grade AAA figured maple top, Mahogany back, Mahogany neck Finish Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Honey Burst, Translucent Amber, Translucent Red, Translucent Purple, Vintage Sunburst Les Paul Classic Premium Birdseye For the guitarist who wants to really stand out in a crowd, the Les Paul Classic Premium Birdseye is the instrument of choice. Gibson's engineers hand pick the Premium Birdseye Maple for the top of theis guitar and great care is applied to carving it. This time consuming process is necessary due to the hard qualities of Premium Birdseye Maple. The Classic Premium Birdseye features the modern "slim taper" neck. With a thickness graduation of only about a tenth of an inch from the first fret to the twelfth while maintaining a precisely controlled width to thickness ratio, the "slim taper" neck promotes speed and reduces player fatigue. Gibson engineers consulted with top touring pros and tested dozens of pickups before developing a new, matched pickup set for the Classic Premium Birdseye. Designed to reduce the need for gain boosters in the stage set-up, the 496-R rhythm humbucker and 400-T treble humbucker have solid lows, crunchy mids, and blistering trebles at any playing volume, from clubs to stadiums. With elegant looks, a slim-taper neck, and an aggressive, muscular tone, it's no wonder the Classic Premium Birdseye is the premier rock guitar! Features & Benefits Slim-taper '60 neck specs for great playing feel and reduced fatigue for increased speed. Hot ceramic magnet and Gibson pickups for great power and killer tone at any playing volume. Elegant Premium Birdseye maple top for a Unique "One of a kind" appearance. Specs Pickups Rhythm:496-R ceramic magnet HB Treble:400T ceramic magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Nickel Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay Rosewood 22 frets/ "Aged" Trapezoid inlay Neck Shape 1960 Slim taper LP Binding Body / Neck Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic/Stop bar Materials Grade AAA Premium Birdseye Maple top Mahogany back, Mahogany neck Finish Vintage Cherry Sunburst, Translucent Amber, Translucent Purple, Translucent Red, Vintage Sunburst Les Paul Standard Birdseye The Gibson Les Paul has set the standard for electric guitar performance since its introduction in 1952. The unique laminated body, an original Gibson innovation, contributes to the Les Paul Standard's legendary tonality. Gibson now introduces an enhanced version of this trend setting guitar -- a laminated top using Select Birdseye Maple! The Standard Birdseye top is cawed from Birdseye Maple, a very hard, dense wood, with a unique kind of brilliance and sustain. The back is mahogany, a softer, more porous wood with a harmonic spectrum and an especially sweet tone. Laminated into a solid body, this unique marriage of Birdseye Maple and Mahogany yields a powerful, centered sound that is both beautiful to hear and a sight to behold. The throaty midrange, crisp highs and crunching lows cut through, even at head-bangin' volume levels. The Standard Birdseye's neck is a single piece of quarter-sawn mahogany, chosen for stability and full, rich tone. Since the neck meets the body at the 16th fret, the Standard Birdseye, like all single cutaway LP's, has excellent mechanical sustain - very little string energy is lost into the neck. Today's Standard Birdseye features the same neck profile found on the vintage 1959 Standards - a gentle rounded shape that's been proven to be fast and comfortable for over 30 years. In combination with a set of perfectly matched Gibson humbuckers, the Les Paul Standard Birdseye is an incomparable music machine. Guitarists all over the world can now own an enhanced version of the rock guitar - the Les Paul Standard Birdseye! Features & Benefits Carved three-piece Birdseye maple top and mahogany neck for the ultimate combination of maple's bright attack, mahogany's warmth and Birdseye Maple's beauty. Rosewood fingerboard for traditional rich tone. Gibson Alnico magnet humbuckers for unbeatable tone in any performance setting. Specs Pickups Rhythm: 490-R ceramic magnet HB Treble: 498-T ceramic magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Chrome Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay Rosewood 22 frets/ Trapezoid Neck Shape 1959 rounded LP Binding Body / Neck Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic/Stop bar Materials Carved Three-piece Birdseye Maple Top, Mahogany Back, One-piece Mahogany neck Finish Vintage Sunburst, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst Les Paul Studio Lite For almost a century, Gibson's been a leader in musical instrument innovation. From guitars with carved tops, to the truss rod, the humbucking pickup and dozens of other inventions. Gibson has led the field by creating new instruments that were always expressive and musically valid. The Les Paul Studio Lite takes that one step farther, and blends traditional Gibson designs with new technology in materials. By replacing a controlled amount of mahogany in the back with South American Chromyte, Gibsons engineers have successfully reduced the guitars weight, preserved that classic Les Paul tone, and added a distinctive treble harmonic range. Like the Les Paul Studio, the Lite features an unbound body and neck with maximum emphasis on performance. Available in a wide range of translucent and sunburst finishes, you can count on the Lite to make a great impression whenever you play. The Lite also features the famous "slim taper" neck and ceramic magnet humbuckers of the Les Paul Classic for incredible playing action and outstanding tone. Features & Benefits Reduced weight w/LP design offers traditional tone with less weight. Translucent finishes only on LP except the Classic Plus. Slim taper LP Classic neck for great feel all the way up. Hot pickups the same pickups as the LP Classic and Classic Plus. Specs Pickups Rhythm: 496-R ceramic magnet HB Treble: 400 T ceramic magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Black chrome or gold Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay 22 fret ebony / Trapezoid Neck Shape 1960 Slim taper LP Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic/Stop Bar Materials Maple Top, Mahogany neck, Mahogany Back w/Chromeyte insert Finish Translucent Blue, Black, and Red; (black chrome hardware only) Heritage Cherry Sunburst; (gold hardware only) Les Paul Custom Plus With it's traditional gold-plated parts and multiple binding, Gibson's Les Paul Custom has defined style, grace, and elegance in electric guitar design since 1954. For the"Plus" series, Gibson adds the visual beauty of a figured maple top for a musical investment that looks just as hot as it sounds. The ebony fingerboard on the Custom Series provides a brighter attack than the Standard's rosewood fingerboard, as well as classic black framing for the traditional genuine mother-of-pearl block inlays. Except for the fingerboard, the Custom shares the structural specs of the Les Paul Standard, with the same same maple/mahogany body construction and one piece mahogany neck carved to the rounded 1959 specs. As with the Standard, this combination of materials is a perfect marriage between the warmth of mahogany and the solid attack of maple. As a visual statement and a performing instrument, the Les Paul Custom has no rivals! Features & Benefits Figured two-piece maple top and solid mahogany back for power, tone, and great visual appeal. Ebony fingerboard with large pearl block inlays for brighter attack, classic inlay pattern. Matched Gibson humbucking pickups for perfect balance of warm rhythm and hot, solid lead sounds. Specs Pickups Rhythm: 490 R Alnico magnet HB Treble: 498 T Alnico magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Gold Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay 22 fret ebony / Pearl Block Neck Shape 1959 rounded Les Paul Binding Body/Neck/Head Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic/Stop Bar Materials Carved Figured Maple Top, Mahogany Back, One-Piece Mahogany Neck Finish Dark Wineburst, Honey Burst, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst Les Paul Classic The 1960 Les Paul Standard was the first Gibson to feature the modern "slim taper" neck. Changing in thickness only about a tenth of an inch from the first fret to the twelfth and maintaining a precisely controlled width to thickness ratio, the "slim taper" neck promotes speed while reducing player fatigue. For this reason, many players consider the 1960 Standard the best version of the Les Paul ever made. The Les Paul Classic brings this 1960 neck pattern back for the first time in 30 years and combines it with other vintage specs like "aged" inlay, a smaller hand-shaped peghead, and vintage nickel hardware. Like the legendary Les Paul Standard, the Classic features Gibson's famous maple/mahogany body for the ultimate combination of warmth and sutain. Gibson engineers consulted with top touring pros and tested dozens of pickups before developing a new matched pickup set for the Classic. Designed to reduce the need for gain boosters in the stage set-up, the 496-R rhythm humbucker and 400-T treble humbucker have solid lows, crunchy mids, and blistering trebles at any playing volume, from clubs to stadiums. With vintage looks, a slim-taper neck, and an aggressive, muscular tone, it's no wonder the Classic is one of the best new rock guitars around! Features & Benefits Slim-taper '60 neck specs for great playing feel and reduced fatigue for increased speed Hot ceramic magnet and Gibson pickups for great power and killer tone at any playing volume. Vintage peghead shaping and "aged" inlay for Classic '60 looks. Specs Pickups Rhythm: 496-R ceramic magnet HB Treble: 400T ceramic magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Nickel Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay Rosewood, 22 frets/ "Aged" Trapezoid inlay Neck shape 1960 Slim taper LP Binding Body / Neck Bridge/tailpiece Tune-o-matic / Stop Bar Materials Maple top, Mahogany back, Mahogany neck Finish Bullion Gold, Ebony Les Paul Classic Plus The 1960 Les Paul Standard was the first Gibson to feature the modern "slim taper" neck. Changing in thickness only about a tenth of an inch from the first fret to the twelfth and maintaining a precisely controlled width to thickness ratio, the "slim taper" neck promotes speed while reducing player fatigue. For this reason, many players consider the 1960 Standard the best version of the Les Paul ever made. The Les Paul Classic Plus features this 1960 neck pattern and blends it with other vintage specs like a two-piece figured maple top, "aged" inlay, and a fabulous faded sunburst finish. Like the legendary Les Paul Standard, the Classic puts its eye-popping top on a solid mahogany back for the ultimate combination of warmth and sustain. Sound matters as much on stage as appearance so Gibson engineers consulted with top touring pros and tested dozens of pickups before developing a new matched pickup set for the Classic series. Designed to shred the cones on a 100-watt stack, the 496-R rhythm humbucker and 400-T treble humbucker have solid lows, crunchy mids, and blistering trebles at any playing volume, from clubs to stadiums. With curly-topped vintage looks, a slim-taper neck, and an aggressive, muscular tone, the Classic Plus brings history and modern technology together. Features & Benefits Slim-taper '60 neck specs for great playing feel and reduced fatigue for increased speed. Hot ceramic magnet and Gibson pickups for great power and killer tone at any playing volume. Figured, bookmatched maple top for 1960's looks and style. Specs Pickups Rhythm: 496-R ceramic magnet HB Treble: 400T ceramic magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Nickel Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay Rosewood, 22 frets/ "Aged" Trapezoid inlay Neck shape 1960 Slim taper LP Binding Body / Neck Materials Two-piece figured maple top, Mahogany Back, Mahogany Neck Finish Translucent Amber, Red, Purple; Honey Burst, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst Les Paul Custom With it's traditional gold-plated parts and sumptuous multiple binding, Gibson's Les Paul Custom defines style, grace, and elegance in electric guitar design. But looks are only part of the story:the Les Paul Custom is also one of the best sounding electric guitars ever made! The ebony fingerboard on the Custom Series provides a brighter attack than the Standard's rosewood fingerboard, as well as classic black framing for the traditional genuine mother-of-pearl block inlays. Except for the fingerboard, the Custom shares the structural specs of the Les Paul Standard, with the same same one-piece mahogany neck, carved maple top and mahogany body. As with the Standard, this combination of materials is a perfect marriage between the warmth of mahogany and the solid attack of maple. As a visual statement and a performing instrument, the Les Paul Custom has no rivals! Features & Benefits Traditional mahogany and maple construction for the ultimate combination of maple's crunch and mahogany's warm tone. Ebony fingerboard with large pearl block inlays for brighter attack, classic inlay pattern. Matched Gibson humbucking pickups for perfect balance of warm rhythm and hot, solid lead sounds. Specs Pickups Rhythm: 490R Alnico magnet HB Treble: 498T Alnico magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Gold Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay 22 fret ebony / Pearl Block Neck Shape 1959 rounded Les Paul Binding Body/Neck/Head Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic/Stop Bar Materials Maple Top, Mahogany Back and Neck Finish Alpine White, Wine Red Les Paul Studio Lite with MKIII electronics The Les Paul was the first electric guitar to employ two hardwoods on the body for a specific musical purpose, combining the bright attack of maple with the warmth of mahogany to create one of the greatest electric sounds ever heard. The Studio Lite Series takes one step farther and blends traditional Gibson designs with new technology in materials. By replacing a controlled amount of mahogany in the back with South American Chromyte, Gibson engineers have successfully reduced the guitar's weight, preserved that classic Les Paul tone, and added a distinctive treble harmonic range. The Lite Series also features the famous "slim taper" neck shape and ceramic magnet humbuckers of the Les Paul Classic for incredible playing action and outstanding tone. For added performance versatility, this special Lite model includes and NSX single coil pickup in the middle position and the patented pickup switching system of the M-III. You get all the Lite's distinctive humbucking sounds along with the M-III's five hot single coil tones and its great "sobbing" blues tone, in the order you orginally learned them. The combination of the Studio Lite's distinctive tone and great sustain and the M-III's electronics make this a guitar that's easy to pick up and hard to put down! Features & Benefits LP design offers tradtional tone with less weight. M-III electronics for the best humbucking and single coils sounds, in the order you learned them. Les Paul Classic neck specifications for great "slim taper" neck feel. Specs Pickups Rhythm:496R ceramic magnet HB Middle: NSX Single coil Bridge:400T ceramic magnet HB Controls Volume, tone, 5-way switch, Two position mini toggle Hardware Black chrome Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay 22 fret ebony / Pearl Block Neck Shape 1960 Slim taper LP Binding None Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic / Stop Bar Materials Maple Top, Mahogany Back, w/Chromyte insert, Mahogany Neck Finish Translucent Black, Translucent Blue, Translucent Red Les Paul Standard The Gibson Les Paul has set the standard for electric guitar performance since its introduction in 1952. The unique laminated body - an original Gibson innovation - contributes to the Les Paul Standard's legendary tonality. The Standard's top is carved from maple, a very hard, dense tone wood, with a special kind of brilliance and sustain. The back is mahogany, s softer, more porous wood, with a warm harmonic spectrum and an especially sweet tone. Laminated into a solid body, this unique marriage of maple and mahogany yields a powerful, centered sound. The throaty midrange, crisp highs and crunching lows cut through, even at head-banging volume levels - listen to Slash, Joe Perry, or the Kentucky Headhunter's Gregg Martin for proof! The Standard's neck meets the body at the 16th fret, the Standard, like all other single-cutaway LP's, has excellent mechanical sustain - very little string energy is lost into the neck. Today's standard features the same neck profile found on the vintage 1959 Standards - a gentle rounded shape that's been proven to be fast and comfortable for over 30 years. In combination with a set of perfectly matched Gibson humbuckers, the Les Paul Standard is an incomparable music machine - a legend that can prove its worth any time, on any stage in the world. Features & Benefits Carved maple top and mahogany back for the ultimate combination of maple's bright attack and mahogany's warmth. Rosewood fingerboard for traditional rich tone. Gibson Alnico magnet humbuckers provide unbeatable tone in any performance setting. Specs Pickups Rhythm: 490-R Alnico magnet HB Treble: 498-T Alnico magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Chrome Scale/Nut width 24¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay Rosewood, 22 fret ebony / Trapezoid Neck Shape 1959 rounded LP Binding Body / Neck Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic / Stop Bar Materials Carved Maple Top, Mahogany Back, One-Piece Mahogany Neck Finish Ebony, Honey Burst, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst Gibson Guitars Raises the Standard Gibson Guitars Raises the Standard Les Paul Standard Plus Offers Figured Maple Top Gibson USA proudly introduces a new twist on the "Industry Standard"i Les Paul Standard guitar. The Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus features a figured maple top, beautifully finished in either Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Honey Burst, or Vintage Sunburst. In the late the 1950's and early 1960's, Gibson produced what would later become arguably the most sought after model of vintage guitar - the Les Paul Standard. Much of the appeal of these instruments is centered on the figured maple top. Terms like zebra striped and quilt top are used to describe what in actuality is a random act of nature. In the 50's and 60's, no effort was made to specifically use figured maple. The Gibson Craftsmen used what materials were available and even guitars with consecutive serial numbers from those days will differ greatly. With the introduction of the Les Paul Standard Plus, Gibson now offers a figured maple top carefully selected and graded by our factory experts. Each top will be distinctly different with figuring ranging from fine stripes to wide flame to gorgeous quilt, all glossed to a beautiful lacquer shine. The famous Les Paul sound remains intact with dual humbuckers offering tones from clean jazz to blistering rock. Watch for the Les Paul Standard Plus on tour with Joe Walsh (Eagles) and Slash, now fronting his own group, Slash's Snakepit. Les Paul Special Gibson has always recognized that today's aspiring young musicians are tomorrow's working pros. Superb Gibson quality at an attractive price made the Les Paul Special a popular choice when it was first introduced back in 1954. To this day, the Les Paul Special is still a great value and a great guitar for any player! With its solid mahogany body and neck, the Special has the same classic stability and playability as other LP's, but the all mahogany construction gives it a fat, smooth character that's unbeatable for blues, crunchy rock, and wicked slide tones. Another component of the Special's distinctive tone is a matched set of Gibson's new P-100 stacked humbucking pickups. A modern successor to Gibson's legendary P-90, the P100 has that fat, nasty single-coil tone without the hum associated with the originals. Features & Benefits All-mahogany neck and body construction Exclusive Gibson P-100 pickups Tune-o-matic / Stop bar tailpiece Smooth, solid tone with great sustain Great full single-coil tone with no hum Dependable intonation and string tension control Specs Pickups Rhythm: P-100 Stacked HB Treble: P-100 Stacked HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Nickel Scale/Nut width 24 ¾" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay Rosewood, 22 frets / Dot Neck Shape 1959 rounded LP Binding Neck Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic/Stop Bar Materials Mahogany Body, One-Piece Mahogany Neck Finish Ebony, Heritage Cherry, Tobacco Sunburst, TV Yellow Les Paul Studio For nearly a century, Gibsons have represented many things to players, and one key concept has always been value. Whether a Gibson is plain or fancy, it's been carefully designed to sound and play great. And that's as true today as it was in 1894. A perfect example is the Les Paul Studio. The Studio delivers all the musical performance guitarists have come to expect from the Les Paul Standard, in a functional, affordable package. Without compromising the traditional Les Paul sound, this simple but elegant guitar features a carved maple top, mahogany body, matched Gibson Alnico-magnet humbucking pickups, and performance-tested Gibson hardware - the Studio proves Gibson's commitment to provide the best possible value for every player. Features & Benefits Carved maple top/ solid mahogany back The ultimate combination of maple's bright attack and mahogany's warmth Ebony fingerboard Smooth, fast feel for years of performance Choice of chrome or gold hardware The clean functional look of chrome, or the richness of gold Specs Pickups Rhythm: 490-RAlnico magnet HB Treble: 498-T Alnico magnet HB Controls Two volume, two tone, 3-way switch Hardware Chrome or Gold Scale /Nut width 24 3/4" / 1.6875" Fingerboard/Inlay Ebony, 22 frets / Trapezoid Neck shape 1959 rounded LP Binding None Bridge/Tailpiece Tune-o-matic / Stop Bar Materials Carved Maple Top, Mahogany Back One-Piece Mahogany Neck Finish Ebony, Wine Red Alpine White (gold hardware only) .