Gibson Les Paul Traditional with P-90s and Bigsby

Here’s a Gibson Les Paul Traditional with P-90s and Bigsby – and its’ a very interesting factory Bigsby installation.

The Gibson Les Paul Traditional is based on late 1950’s Les Paul models. Using the traditional Les Paul construction, the top is carved maple, the back is a 2-piece mahogany slab with only the original wiring routing; the neck is also mahogany, using the late 1950’s profile, with bound rosewood fingerboard and the classic trapezoidal markers. It has Kluson Deluxe tuners with plastic keystone buttons and a wireless ABR bridge made by TonePros.

The Gibson Les Paul Traditional with P-90s and Bigsby adds to this a gold top, P-90s, and a B7 Bigsby.

Bigsbys have been enjoying a resurgence in popularity, but on guitars like the Les Paul, installation can be a problem. Enter companies like Vibramate and Towner, who make parts that can make these installations significantly easier and less invasive.

On this guitar, Gibson chose to use a Vibramate V7-LP kit, which is basically an adapter plate that bolts into the original stop tailpiece collars. An original Bigsby B-7 is then bolted to to the adapter plate, and the hinge screws are added – and you’re done, without putting holes in the top.

An extra advantage of this installation is that it raises the forward Bigsby down tension bar, which reduces the downward string angle and makes the arm tension a bit lighter. This angle is actually critical to balancing feel and sustain.

As well – this model has the binding over the fret ends, as has traditionally been Gibson’s practice. They are now moving away from this, in a change in production techniques; on many very new models, you’ll see that the fret extends to the edge of the binding.

Serial Number: Varies as new, this example is 104140357; this dates to February 10, 2014 as production number 57 at Gibson’s Nashville, Tennessee plant.

Pricing: $2,499.00 with Gibson hardshell case.