Gibson Les Paul Custom Solid Body Electric Guitar (1955)
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Item # 10605
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Gibson Les Paul Custom Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1955), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, black lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
The very striking Les Paul Custom was Gibson's top-of-the-line solid-body throughout the 1950s, a shining "Black Beauty" with gold-plated hardware and deluxe appointments drawn from the company's flagship archtops. This model was introduced in 1954, with direct input from Les Paul himself as to what he wanted his personal instruments to be. Gibson delivered, and Les and Mary Ford performed for the rest of the 1950s on (modified) Customs. This second-year model was made in mid-1955 and shows some typical use but remains true to Les -- and Gibsons -- intentions.
The gleaming black finish was Les' idea -- he called it a "tuxedo effect" and believed it made the player's hands stand out to the audience especially on TV. The guitar has several other features unique to the Custom. One that is hidden is the carved-top solid body is made entirely of mahogany; unlike the Standard model, it has no maple cap. This was not one of Les' specifications, and while he later claimed Gibson had "screwed it up," this does give the Custom a slightly warmer natural sound, which Gibson thought might appeal more to jazz artists. The appointments are high-end; the fretboard is ebony with pearl block inlay, and the elaborate split diamond motif on the headstock came from the Super 400, Gibson's most expensive guitar. There is multiple binding in the body and headstock and all hardware is gold-plated.
The Custom was the first to feature Gibson's then-new adjustable Tune-O-Matic bridge, mated to the stud-mounted stop tailpiece unit that had previously served as the bridge on the Standard and Junior. It was also the only solid-body to carry the new "Alnico V" staple-magnet pickup designed for the company's high-end instruments, again likely with input from Les himself. This is essentially Gibson's take on a DeArmond DynaSonic, which is what Les had mounted in the neck position of in his personal Standard in 1953-4. Combined with the more typical P-90 in the bridge position, this crisp and powerful pickup gives the Custom a wide tonal range unique among Gibson solid-bodies.
Another feature specific to the Les Paul Custom was thin, low and flat "Fretless Wonder" fretwire, again Les' personal preference. This Custom has been neatly refretted with more functional (but very appropriate) wire and is far more friendly to nearly all players as a result.
In 1957 the Les Paul Custom was altered to feature three of the new Humbucking pickups, and the unique Alnico V/P-90 pickup mix was discontinued. Somewhere around 1,000 of these first generation Customs were sold between late 1954 and mid-1957. Several well-known players made extensive use of them at the time including R&B/Jazz specialist Mickey Baker and Bill Haley's Comets' guitarist Frannie Beecher. This fairly early example remains one of the classiest and sharpest looking solid-body guitars ever designed, and a unique sounding one as well.
Overall length is 39 5/8 in. (100.6 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 in. (5.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.)., 9.08 lbs.
This is a nicely preserved guitar overall, showing some typical wear but cleaner than many for its 66+ years on the planet. There are no visible repairs and only couple of minor alterations (notably the almost obligatory refret) overall this Black Beauty appears in played in but not too heavily used. The gleaming ebony finish shows typical checking and a number of scratches, dents and dings, a few going lightly down to the wood below. There one notable deeper scuff on the back of the body but less areas of belt-buckle wear than is often encountered. The face has a number of dings and dents, the largest on the upper armwear spot. Some of these marks show topical touch-up applied but there is no wholesale overspray or finish alteration.
The back of the neck has some small dings and dents, the most notable behind the 6th fret area. The back of the heel shows some heavier scuffing into the finish for reasons lost to history. There is heavier checking on the headstock face; the lacquer overcoat has flaked off some of the pearl inlay. On the headstock rear the original inked-on gold serial number is visible but fairly faint; it appears someone may have tried to touch it up but abandoned the effort after over-painting the last two digits.
There is typical wear to the gold plating, as usual most heavily on the ends of the bridge and stop tailpiece where some is worn away from the players' hands resting there. All hardware remains original except the pickguard is s later (probably 1970's) piece that is correct style but not a perfect fit. The laminated plastic jackplate is also the correct W/b/w style and appears original but may be a later piece as this is so often broken in use.
The electronics appear original including the pickups, switch, pots, wiring and wax caps. Under blacklight inspection one oddity emerges in the control cavities; it appears someone long ago added black paint around the inner ledges under the plates. Why this was done we can't say 9except people used to do weird things to their guitars) but it appears to be the same pigment used to touch up the largest top scrape.
The wire used for the refret is similar in size to Gibson's 1950s standard but taller than the original "Fretless Wonder" frets, and the guitar is an excellent player retaining a vintage feel as a result. They show virtually no wear since installation, the ebony fingerboard is clean and the bone nut is newer as well. The original frets and nut are preserved for posterity in the case.
On the whole this is a very nice player's examples of a 1950s Les Paul Customs, used but not abused and generally well preserved for its age. Both pickups have plenty of sing and the instrument offers a very powerful sound both clean and cranked. It comes in the original yellow-lined black pebbled case, worn but still intact. Overall Excellent - Condition.
The very striking Les Paul Custom was Gibson's top-of-the-line solid-body throughout the 1950s, a shining "Black Beauty" with gold-plated hardware and deluxe appointments drawn from the company's flagship archtops. This model was introduced in 1954, with direct input from Les Paul himself as to what he wanted his personal instruments to be. Gibson delivered, and Les and Mary Ford performed for the rest of the 1950s on (modified) Customs. This second-year model was made in mid-1955 and shows some typical use but remains true to Les -- and Gibsons -- intentions.
The gleaming black finish was Les' idea -- he called it a "tuxedo effect" and believed it made the player's hands stand out to the audience especially on TV. The guitar has several other features unique to the Custom. One that is hidden is the carved-top solid body is made entirely of mahogany; unlike the Standard model, it has no maple cap. This was not one of Les' specifications, and while he later claimed Gibson had "screwed it up," this does give the Custom a slightly warmer natural sound, which Gibson thought might appeal more to jazz artists. The appointments are high-end; the fretboard is ebony with pearl block inlay, and the elaborate split diamond motif on the headstock came from the Super 400, Gibson's most expensive guitar. There is multiple binding in the body and headstock and all hardware is gold-plated.
The Custom was the first to feature Gibson's then-new adjustable Tune-O-Matic bridge, mated to the stud-mounted stop tailpiece unit that had previously served as the bridge on the Standard and Junior. It was also the only solid-body to carry the new "Alnico V" staple-magnet pickup designed for the company's high-end instruments, again likely with input from Les himself. This is essentially Gibson's take on a DeArmond DynaSonic, which is what Les had mounted in the neck position of in his personal Standard in 1953-4. Combined with the more typical P-90 in the bridge position, this crisp and powerful pickup gives the Custom a wide tonal range unique among Gibson solid-bodies.
Another feature specific to the Les Paul Custom was thin, low and flat "Fretless Wonder" fretwire, again Les' personal preference. This Custom has been neatly refretted with more functional (but very appropriate) wire and is far more friendly to nearly all players as a result.
In 1957 the Les Paul Custom was altered to feature three of the new Humbucking pickups, and the unique Alnico V/P-90 pickup mix was discontinued. Somewhere around 1,000 of these first generation Customs were sold between late 1954 and mid-1957. Several well-known players made extensive use of them at the time including R&B/Jazz specialist Mickey Baker and Bill Haley's Comets' guitarist Frannie Beecher. This fairly early example remains one of the classiest and sharpest looking solid-body guitars ever designed, and a unique sounding one as well.
Overall length is 39 5/8 in. (100.6 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 in. (5.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.)., 9.08 lbs.
This is a nicely preserved guitar overall, showing some typical wear but cleaner than many for its 66+ years on the planet. There are no visible repairs and only couple of minor alterations (notably the almost obligatory refret) overall this Black Beauty appears in played in but not too heavily used. The gleaming ebony finish shows typical checking and a number of scratches, dents and dings, a few going lightly down to the wood below. There one notable deeper scuff on the back of the body but less areas of belt-buckle wear than is often encountered. The face has a number of dings and dents, the largest on the upper armwear spot. Some of these marks show topical touch-up applied but there is no wholesale overspray or finish alteration.
The back of the neck has some small dings and dents, the most notable behind the 6th fret area. The back of the heel shows some heavier scuffing into the finish for reasons lost to history. There is heavier checking on the headstock face; the lacquer overcoat has flaked off some of the pearl inlay. On the headstock rear the original inked-on gold serial number is visible but fairly faint; it appears someone may have tried to touch it up but abandoned the effort after over-painting the last two digits.
There is typical wear to the gold plating, as usual most heavily on the ends of the bridge and stop tailpiece where some is worn away from the players' hands resting there. All hardware remains original except the pickguard is s later (probably 1970's) piece that is correct style but not a perfect fit. The laminated plastic jackplate is also the correct W/b/w style and appears original but may be a later piece as this is so often broken in use.
The electronics appear original including the pickups, switch, pots, wiring and wax caps. Under blacklight inspection one oddity emerges in the control cavities; it appears someone long ago added black paint around the inner ledges under the plates. Why this was done we can't say 9except people used to do weird things to their guitars) but it appears to be the same pigment used to touch up the largest top scrape.
The wire used for the refret is similar in size to Gibson's 1950s standard but taller than the original "Fretless Wonder" frets, and the guitar is an excellent player retaining a vintage feel as a result. They show virtually no wear since installation, the ebony fingerboard is clean and the bone nut is newer as well. The original frets and nut are preserved for posterity in the case.
On the whole this is a very nice player's examples of a 1950s Les Paul Customs, used but not abused and generally well preserved for its age. Both pickups have plenty of sing and the instrument offers a very powerful sound both clean and cranked. It comes in the original yellow-lined black pebbled case, worn but still intact. Overall Excellent - Condition.