❌SOLD❌ Gibson Les Paul Gold Top, 1953

The Gibson Les Paul Gold Top appeared in 1952 and rapidly began evolving and improving until reaching a fairly stable form in 1954. Initially, the Les Paul was equipped with a Les Paul-designed bridge-trapeze tailpiece combination, but also a very low neck angle. By early 1953, the trapeze was replaced with a stop-bar bridge. Soon after, the new ABR-1 bridge, known as the Tune-O-Matic, was added paired with a stop tailpiece. Later in the year, the neck angle was increased, allowing a higher bridge. This configuration was used until the introduction of the Hum bucking pickup, designed by Seth Lover,  in 1958.  

The Les Paul’s construction has been consistent since 1952, depending on model. The core materials have been a carved Maple cap on a Mahogany slab for the back, with Mahogany also used for the neck. The fingerboard has been Rosewood – until the mid 1960s Brazilian Rosewood, and since then Indian Rosewood. On the Les Paul Custom, the top was not Maple when introduced in 1954, but was carved Mahogany, and Ebony used for the fingerboard. That changed in 1958 to a Maple cap, like the ‘new’ Standard model. Lower-priced Les Paul models such as the Special and Junior did not have any body cap, just the slab body.

Here we’re looking at a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top built during 1953 at the Gibson plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This guitar has its original finish, and was converted long ago to the later 1953 specs, removing the Trapeze tailpiece and adding an ABR-1 bridge and stop tailpiece.   Still, the neck angle is fairly low so the ABR-1 bridge had its bottom shaved to allow for lower action. 

Otherwise, the hardware is original aside from new volume pots; the original pots are included inside the original case. 

This guitar plays very well, and like other early Les Pauls has a fantastic full, rich sound.

The original brown / pink Gibson hard shell case is included.