Gibson Les Paul Goldtop ( 1952- present )

 The Gibson's  first  Les Paul were the goldtop guitars. Gibson Les Paul Goldtop guitars  were introduced In 1952 and became the first solid body electric guitars. Officially these where called "les paul models" but became popular as "les paul goldtop" as they had gold top finish.

 The trapeze tailpiece  of the 1952 and 1953 models ( strings wrapped under the bar ) were problematic, intonation was not correct and the tune was difficult to maintain.

This model is a great collectible but hardly playable. In 1953 gibson changed the trapeze tailpiece to a stop tailpiece where the strings were wrapped above the tailpiece which helped tuning to an extant.

1952-53 Les paul goldtop in 1952-1953 had a 3 piece carved top , gold top finish , trapeze tail piece bridge , Two soapbar p-90 pickups and cream covers  , nickel plated parts, kluson tuners  , 5/8" knobs , finger board and bound-top. and fingerboard ( unbound fingerboards were part of this early modes ) .


The trapeze tail piece replaced the with stop tail piece and 5/8" Knobs replaced with 1/2" knobs.


During 1955 Tune-o-matic bridge was introduced and top hat shaped knobs replaced barrel shaped ones.


In 1957 2p-90 pickups were replaced with  humbuckers. Goldtop became standard les paul in 1958 which later subdivided to Les paul SG and Les. paul deluxe.
In 1968 model with a tune o matic bridge , goldtop outlook and p 90 pickups was introduced again considered the reissue of 1956 goldtop and had few small changes.

In 1971 gibson started goldtop like 1954 with goldtop finish , 2 soapbar pickups and a stop tailpiece and discontinued in 1975 .

A thirtieth anniversary inlay made on the 19 th fret as a marking of 30 th anniversary, Gibson introduced  it in 1882 -1883 which did have 2 hambuckers like 1958 gold top.

In 1983 gibson reissue named " 56 gibson les paul gold top" was introduced as comeback of les paul gold. It had 2 p100 pickups the " official les paul goldtop reissue " with two p 100 pickups. In 1993 goldtop with 2 hambuckers was introduced which was a reissue of  1957 Gibson goldtop.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Guitar (1958–1960, 1968–2008)

In 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard was started which became the flag ship model, industry standard and an icon of rock music.The Les Paul Standard even today is still considered as having superb sustaining power, brilliance and clear penetrating tone. This guitar features full, ballsy, versatile sonic characteristics, good looks and always growing list of players.Slash, Sheryl Crow, Santana, Gary Rossington, , Pete Townshend, John Fogerty, Ace Frehley, David Grohl, Warren Haynes, Mick Taylor, Mick Jones of the Clash, Free’s Paul Kossof, Lenny Kravitz, Ted Nugent,  Rush’s Alex Lifeson, Joe Perry, Joe Bonamassa and Bad Company’s Mick Ralphs have all used the Les Paul Standard.

The aesthetic quality was given the same importance to fine detail as the tonal quality. Carved maple tops, neck binding and other luxury features are found on almost any Les Paul Standard.“’Burst” — the seductively hued version of the Les Paul gave a new look to Les Paul.

The ’Burst had been in production for at least a year before the appellation “Standard” slipped into the vernacular. Both musicians and dealers began using the term to differentiate the ’Burst with ’buckers model from the Gold Top, and soon the name made its way into Gibson’s catalog.

In 1959, the Les Paul Standard made a change to wider, fatter jumbo frets which made it a more facile guitar. The significance of this change wouldn't be felt until the late '60s when Clapton, Bloomfield, Peter Green, and other emerging guitarists discovered its warm, thick BurstBucker voice and fast, smooth and easy-playing neck.

1959 Les Paul Standard is considered to be the ‘Holy Grail’ of electric guitars.Jimmy Page, Duane Allman, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Peter Green, among others, played this guitar.

Beginning with model year 1961, the Les Paul SG Standard was introduced as a replacement for the conventional Les Paul Standard, and that changed everything. The new guitar still had the Les Paul name, but it eventually was given a new name, the SG Standard (which stands for "Solid Guitar"), and it eventually came to earn its own place in guitar history.

Les Paul Standard is were made only between 1958 and ’60. They were not big sellers, so production ceased from ’60 until 1968, when they began to be seen in the hands of British and American rock and blues stars and became widely coveted.And while the solid-bodied sunburst classic remains the definitive Les Paul Standard, particular the historically accurate versions produced by the Gibson Custom Shop, Gibson U.S.A.’s production models have varied and experimented with the guitar’s design in recent years. In 2008 a new Les Paul Standard was created with a longer neck tenon, more ergonomic neck profile, Grover locking tuners, and a chambered body to reduce the guitars’ overall weight.

  

Gibson's Digital Les Paul Guitar

Gibson has finally announced the availability of the Gibson HD.6X-Pro Guitar System, the result of years of research and development, the HD.6X-Pro Guitar System, nicknamed the HD LP, uses the latest, groundbreaking digital technology. The result may look like an electric guitar, but the Gibson HD LP is a complete digital audio system that is poised to usher in a new era of music making. Guitar legend and father of the electric guitar, Les Paul, spent time in New York last week to personally autograph 100 limited-edition HD LP guitars which are being sold online at US$8000 each or you can buy one without the signature for US$5000.

The HD.6X-Pro features a hand-oiled mahogany neck, smooth frets and a comfortable profile for effortless playability, and classic Gibson humbuckers for incredible, traditional tone. Media-accelerated Global Information Carrier (MaGIC), an Ethernet with patented Gibson technology, carries bi-directional signals with low latency and no signal degradation over miles of cable. The HD.6X-Pro’s Hex pickup is composed of six small, patent-pending humbuckers positioned under each string at the bridge.

The high-technology pickups send six individual signals to studio grade preamps, allowing the six signals to be immediately digitized. The incredible sensitivity of the Hex pickup and the high-definition signal stream offers dynamic range and sonic possibilities never before imagined. The Breakout Box, known as “BoB,” routes any combination of the six Hex signals to any assigned destination automatically detecting outputs and designations for ease of use and playability.

The HD.6X-Pro Guitar System comes with all the equipment and software needed to explore the limitless sonic possibilities it affords today’s players. Each instrument comes standard with a complete version of Cakewalk SONAR software, and all the plug-ins needed to instantly interface with a computer. This revolutionary new guitar will open up a whole new world to musicians everywhere.

Gibson Les Paul Guitar

The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar originally developed in the early 1950s.



Goldtop (1952–1958) ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

Goldtop's are the first Gibson Les pauls  to be sold. It had golden colored tops to make it look grand and valuable.1952 mode had 2 P-90 sigle coiled pickups and one piece trapeze style bridge and tail piece. The strings where under the steel top bar. These features made Gold tops less popular and not good for playing. Gold tops have got good looks and collectors go for it, as Goldtops where the first in the generation of Les Paul's to come.  For more click here ....

Custom (1954–1960) ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

This next Les Paul version was a fully Black body guitar with mahogany top unlike goldtops. It had tun-o-matic bridge and alnico 5 magnet pick up. It had 3 way switching which gave less options to combine different pick ups. In 1957 is got a hambucker pickup and had 3 pickups to it.

Junior (1954–1960) and TV (1955–1960) ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

This was specially ment for beginner guitarists. It had flat top mahogany body, single P - 90 pick up, simple volume and tone controls and dot marks to position fingers.  

Special (1955–1960) ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

It had 2 soap bar single coil P-90 pick ups, double cutaway shape. It had problems in pick up position making joints week which was later rectified.

Standard (1958–1960, 1968–2008) ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

Les Paul Standard is the industry standard and an icon of rock music.The Les Paul Standard today is still unequalled for their superb sustaining power brilliance and clear penetrating tone. The regular goldtops where changed to sun burst finish in 1958 and called Les Paul Standard. It was same in hard ware as 1957 Goldtop. Only 2000 models where made. For more click here...

2008 Standard (2008–) ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

This is the most improvised Les Paul Standard with sunburst out look.Features included a chambered build, bigger neck tenon, TonePros locking bridge and tailpiece, Bourns pots, Neutrick locking output jack, an asymmetrical neck shape, straplocks and a Plek guitar setup.

1961 Les Paul SG ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

This 1961 SG was introduced with thin body and lighter build also had transformed to a new shape with two sharply pointed cut aways and vibrato. Les Paul was unhappy as it was done with out his knowledge. He made Gibson to remove his name and he distanced himself from the company. 

Les Paul models in the Norlin era ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

The neck volute was the week point of les paul guitars. So in Norlin era, the neck woods were replaced to three-piece maple  design from mahogany. Top was changed to multiple mahogany slabs and multi pieces of maple tops.












Deluxe ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar
 Deluxe model was started in 1968 with one piece body and 3 piece neck. The pan cake model came in 1969. Deluxe first featured minihambucker pickups. The logo and body changed with different years and finally was stopped. In 2005 it was reintroduced because of the influence of Pete Townshend  and Thin Lizzy.






Studio ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

This model was exclusively for studio guitarists to produce most optimal sounds. It had retained the tone,playability of les paul and the electronic components. It is still in production . The current body is mahogany chambered body and maple or mahogany cap.




























Les Paul's Guitar

He mostly preferred 1972 Gibson Recording model with one piece mahogany and some electronics. He had modified his guitar to his own likings as an inventor himself. He used small device called "Les Paulverizer" to multiply the sounds and lately he had used Bigsby-style vibrato.










Epiphone ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

Epiphone a branch of Gibson offers the quality of the most famous US models at competitive prices. Epiphone once a comparator of Gibson was taken over by Gibson. It has many famous models of its own like Emperor, Casino, Excellente (and many more) and also has many signature models which include everything from the Nick Valensi Riviera to the Zakk Wylde Les Paul Customs.  





























Robot ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

True to the spirit of innovation that inspired Gibson to invent the legendary Tune-o-matic bridge, the powerful humbucker, and the revolutionary Digital Les Paul, Gibson proudly presents the Gibson Robot Guitar—the world's first guitar with robotic technology.




























Dark Fire ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

Its the upgraded Les Paul with all Digital features in it. It has two pickups, P-90H in the neck position and a BurstBucker 3 in the bridge position.










Dusk Tiger ~ Gibson Les Paul Guitar

This is considered a marvel in its design in terms of controls, pick guard and possibility of playing multitudes of tones. This expands your sonic range to unlimited extent. It has got flat top and unique pick guard.

Epiphone Les Paul Plain Top

Les Paul Joe Perry

Epiphone Les Paul 100 Ebony