Making its first appearance for 1954 , the Gibson Les Paul Custom has long been the top of the line for many electric guitarists. During the 1950’s, the Custom differed from the rest of the Les Paul line in an invisible way. Unlike the other models with a Maple cap, the Custom had a carved Mahogany top.   In 1961, the original Les Paul design was radically changed to what we now call an SG. When the original design was re-issued in 1968, the Custom received the Maple cap.

Dating to the second day of December 2002, this Gibson Les Paul Custom is in overall good condition aside from a few relatively deep pick scratches on the top, where the pick guard would have been.  As an older model,  this example does not have the 9-hole weight relief mentioned in the specifications below.  The frets are in good shape with only minor wear.  The gold plating on the metal hardware is also in quite good shape – this normally wears fairly quickly in areas that get a lot of contact.   It plays well, and has the unmistakable sound of a Les Paul, with the added attack of the Ebony fingerboard.

Here’s the builder on the current Gibson Les Paul Custom model:

“As the flagship model from Gibson Custom Shop, the Les Paul Custom lives up to the high standards set by its 1950s archetype while evolving to a level of tone and performance more suited to today’s musical demands. Beneath the layers of its “tuxedo” appointments lies the crisp, edgy voice of a matched 490/498 humbucker set, a solid Ebony fingerboard, a long neck tenon for maximum sustain and a two-piece maple top over a solid mahogany body which adds the perfect amount of sonic bite to everything from jazz to hard rock. It sounds as good as it looks, and it looks as good as it sounds! “

This Gibson Les Paul Custom is sold with its original Gibson branded hard shell case.

Current Gibson Les Paul Custom Specifications: