Gibson Les Paul Special Solid Body Electric Guitar (1960)
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Item #9789
Gibson Les Paul Special Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1960), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 0-8844, cherry lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This double-cutaway 1960 Les Paul Special has apparently lived a pretty hard life, but retains its badass cool factor and remains a great playing and sounding instrument. It has had a number of very well done structural repairs but has been expertly restored to make a very fine "player grade" example of this classic Gibson solid body. With twin P-90 pickups on the mahogany body the rip-roaring original sound is fully intact, mated to a very playable flat/thin profile 1960 neck that still fills the hand most agreeably!
This is the last variant of the original 1950's Les Paul Special, which had been chanced from a single to double cutaway format in late 1958. In the next year the neck pickup was moved farther away from the fingerboard to allow for a stronger neck joint and the selector switch relocated farther forward on the body, near the bridge. The realization that these new double cutaway bodies left a lot less attachment area for the neck caused Gibson to alter the design in less than a year. In 1961 they evolved into the more sculpted SG series, so had a relatively short shelf life originally.
This Special features two powerful black-covered "soapbar" P-90 pickups, controlled by a 3-way toggle and individual tone and volume controls. It sports a multi-ply beveled-edge black celluloid pickguard and nickel-plated solid bar bridge/tailpiece assembly. The headstock carries the pearl Gibson logo and "Les Paul Model" designation, with strip Kluson deluxe tuners. The neck has the flatter 1960 profile but retains a fairly substantial feel, chunkier than some of this year's output from Kalamazoo.
This is a great all-around player's guitar suitable for the rampaging rock and roll these are often prized for or many other genres (Years ago Frank Reckard used this model to great effect for straight country pickin' with Emmylou Harris). As Gibson solidbodies from the 1950s and early '60s become ever rarer, the two-pickup Special represents perhaps the best value in a "Golden Era" Gibson solid. This one is not what we would call a "collector-grade" piece but would make an excellent gigging and/or recording example of this cherry Gibson classic.
Overall length is 39 1/8 in. (99.4 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm.) deep. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This Special must have suffered a traumatic incident long ago, or perhaps several. That said, it is superbly well restored to fine playing condition and remains more original than many and. There are major repairs at the neck heel, headstock and control area of the body, all very well done with only localized finish touch up applied. The bulk of the lacquer on the instrument remains original and shows some play wear with small dings, dents and scrapes but no large areas of loss. There is a spot of what looks like sticker removal damage just under the upper strap button. The cherry color is well preserved with very little fade.
Repair details are as follows: the heel was split across the lower center, about 1/4" up from the back edge. The neck was set back into the body at an excellent angle, which helps make this a fine playing guitar with as low an action as one could desire. There is only localized finish touch up over this repair. The headstock has a lateral crack through the bass side tuners down to the throat area, again very neatly sealed. It appears there was also some cracking to the treble side, but it is more difficult to see exactly. There is heavier overfinish over much of the headstock, the cherry color is well blended and this is primarily noticeable under blacklight inspection. The area of the finish with the serial number is intact and the number is decently preserved, sometimes difficult wit these inked-on digits. The face appears completely refinished and the Les Paul markings are a reproduction.
The area of the top where the knobs are mounted has long lengthwise cracks along the grain through the pot shaft holes, extending to the back edge of the body. There is localized finish touch up in this area but again the bulk of the body finish remains original. Original hardware includes the all-important P-90 pickups, pickguard, Kluson Deluxe tuners, and the stop tailpiece/bridge. The truss rod cover is original with just the upper tip broken off. The entire wiring rig including the pots, switch and knobs is a modern replacement. The jackplate and rear cavity cover are replaced as well with repro pieces.
The neck remains in fine playing condition, the frets are original with a bit of crowning work in the lower positions and some very light wear. The back of the neck also shows only light wear with some tiny dings and dents. It appears that while this guitar was seriously damaged at some point it has not actually been played as much as many have. Whatever its history, this Special is now a truly excellent players guitar, battered but unbowed and actually looking extremely fine for the amount of damage it once incurred. This is a super road-worthy guitar, an example of how well a fine instrument can survive even extensive trauma and still shine. Very Good + Condition.
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This double-cutaway 1960 Les Paul Special has apparently lived a pretty hard life, but retains its badass cool factor and remains a great playing and sounding instrument. It has had a number of very well done structural repairs but has been expertly restored to make a very fine "player grade" example of this classic Gibson solid body. With twin P-90 pickups on the mahogany body the rip-roaring original sound is fully intact, mated to a very playable flat/thin profile 1960 neck that still fills the hand most agreeably!
This is the last variant of the original 1950's Les Paul Special, which had been chanced from a single to double cutaway format in late 1958. In the next year the neck pickup was moved farther away from the fingerboard to allow for a stronger neck joint and the selector switch relocated farther forward on the body, near the bridge. The realization that these new double cutaway bodies left a lot less attachment area for the neck caused Gibson to alter the design in less than a year. In 1961 they evolved into the more sculpted SG series, so had a relatively short shelf life originally.
This Special features two powerful black-covered "soapbar" P-90 pickups, controlled by a 3-way toggle and individual tone and volume controls. It sports a multi-ply beveled-edge black celluloid pickguard and nickel-plated solid bar bridge/tailpiece assembly. The headstock carries the pearl Gibson logo and "Les Paul Model" designation, with strip Kluson deluxe tuners. The neck has the flatter 1960 profile but retains a fairly substantial feel, chunkier than some of this year's output from Kalamazoo.
This is a great all-around player's guitar suitable for the rampaging rock and roll these are often prized for or many other genres (Years ago Frank Reckard used this model to great effect for straight country pickin' with Emmylou Harris). As Gibson solidbodies from the 1950s and early '60s become ever rarer, the two-pickup Special represents perhaps the best value in a "Golden Era" Gibson solid. This one is not what we would call a "collector-grade" piece but would make an excellent gigging and/or recording example of this cherry Gibson classic.
Overall length is 39 1/8 in. (99.4 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm.) deep. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This Special must have suffered a traumatic incident long ago, or perhaps several. That said, it is superbly well restored to fine playing condition and remains more original than many and. There are major repairs at the neck heel, headstock and control area of the body, all very well done with only localized finish touch up applied. The bulk of the lacquer on the instrument remains original and shows some play wear with small dings, dents and scrapes but no large areas of loss. There is a spot of what looks like sticker removal damage just under the upper strap button. The cherry color is well preserved with very little fade.
Repair details are as follows: the heel was split across the lower center, about 1/4" up from the back edge. The neck was set back into the body at an excellent angle, which helps make this a fine playing guitar with as low an action as one could desire. There is only localized finish touch up over this repair. The headstock has a lateral crack through the bass side tuners down to the throat area, again very neatly sealed. It appears there was also some cracking to the treble side, but it is more difficult to see exactly. There is heavier overfinish over much of the headstock, the cherry color is well blended and this is primarily noticeable under blacklight inspection. The area of the finish with the serial number is intact and the number is decently preserved, sometimes difficult wit these inked-on digits. The face appears completely refinished and the Les Paul markings are a reproduction.
The area of the top where the knobs are mounted has long lengthwise cracks along the grain through the pot shaft holes, extending to the back edge of the body. There is localized finish touch up in this area but again the bulk of the body finish remains original. Original hardware includes the all-important P-90 pickups, pickguard, Kluson Deluxe tuners, and the stop tailpiece/bridge. The truss rod cover is original with just the upper tip broken off. The entire wiring rig including the pots, switch and knobs is a modern replacement. The jackplate and rear cavity cover are replaced as well with repro pieces.
The neck remains in fine playing condition, the frets are original with a bit of crowning work in the lower positions and some very light wear. The back of the neck also shows only light wear with some tiny dings and dents. It appears that while this guitar was seriously damaged at some point it has not actually been played as much as many have. Whatever its history, this Special is now a truly excellent players guitar, battered but unbowed and actually looking extremely fine for the amount of damage it once incurred. This is a super road-worthy guitar, an example of how well a fine instrument can survive even extensive trauma and still shine. Very Good + Condition.
