Gibson Les Paul Model Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1954), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 4-2753, gold lacquer finish, mahogany body with maple cap, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown hard shell case.
This guitar is a rare "All Gold" variation of Gibson's classic solid-body, the original (usually just gold-topped) Les Paul model. This 1954 example has gold lacquer on the back, sides and neck as well as the top. It also carries the much more player-friendly stop tailpiece which replaced the earlier "Les Paul" trapeze the model was introduced with. Les Paul himself was unhappy with the initial version, constructed so the strings wrapped UNDER the bar of the trapeze unit instead of over as intended. Gibson president Ted McCarty personally designed the stud-mounted bridge/tailpiece unit used here to correct that and eliminate the trapeze altogether, and most players agree the result is a much superior instrument.
There were just over 1,500 of these early Gibson solidbodies sold in 1954, and most did not sport the flashy all-gold livery of this one. The very rare "all gold" finish is a non-catalog variation that inexplicably appears on occasional guitars from this period but is much less common then the standard gold top over natural mahogany finished back and sides. This example appears to have been sprayed at the factory twice, gold over gold; we have only seen this a few times over the years but it is fully authentic. The most likely explanation is a flaw was found during the finish inspection and the guitar was simple sent back to the spray room to rectify it.
The typical 1954 features include the bound rosewood fingerboard and pearloid trapezoid inlays, two P-90 pickups with original cream colored covers and center-mount screws, and Kluson tuners with keystone-shaped buttons. The round-backed neck profile is not as deep or rounded as some later models, with more material dressed away along the sides. The silkscreened logo on the headstock reads "Les Paul Model"; in an idiosyncratic touch, the pearl Gibson logo is set lower down on the peghead face than later '50s models.
The first solid-bodies with the class of a Gibson, these revolutionary guitars convinced many players to lay down their electrified arch-tops and enter the new world of higher volume. Later developments of the Les Paul line included the upscale Custom, down-market Special and Junior, and reworked Standard in gold and sunburst, but this is the guitar that started it all. To this day many players feel these stud-bridge, P-90 Les Pauls are as flat-out bad-ass a solidbody guitar as has ever been made.
Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 15/16 in. (4.9 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 all-gold beauty remains in original condition with some typical play wear but no major repairs or alterations. There is light checking to the finish overall, some minor chipping to the body and headstock edges and small dings and dents here and there. The obvious noticeable wear is to the back of neck, which (as typical of all-gold Gibsons) shows some fairly heavy loss and greening to the gold lacquer from contact with the player's hand. In this case the outer gold layer is worn down to a lower gold layer, with some spots down to the wood, mostly along the edges. There was a *very* thin clear overcoat added some time ago, likely in an attempt to slow the greening; some of this has worn off again. The gold color overall is very strong without much fade and no other greening except on the back of the neck and in a few small chips.
The two P-90 pickups and all wiring rig components are original including the pots and waxy Grey Tiger capacitor. The plating on top of the tailpiece is in good shape as well; the studs show more wear. The original Kluson Deluxe machines still work well and show no shrinkage to tuner buttons. The guitar is still fitted with the '50s small fret wire, the frets have been polished out just a bit but still have plenty of meat left on them. This is a fantastic-sounding guitar, a great example of why players fell in love with Gibson's original solid-body in the first place. Includes the original brown HSC, which is solid with average wear. Overall Very Good + Condition.
