Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar, Ebony
Near Perfect Recreation
Today’s Les Paul Custom is based on the model from the mid-1950s, but with several modern appointments. The body of the guitar is crafted with a hand-carved maple top, which is then fitted to a body made from a solid piece of mahogany with strategically routed holes to lessen the weight of the guitar, resulting in a Les Paul with enhanced acoustic qualities and improved resonance. The 24-3/4 inch scale length neck is made from one solid piece of mahogany topped by a 22-fret ebony fingerboard outfitted with figured acrylic block inlays, and given Gibson’s traditional rounded profile. The pickups are Gibson’s 490R in the neck position, which offers the tonal characteristics of the original PAFs, and the 498T in the bridge position, which swaps the 490R’s Alnico II magnet for an Alnico V, thus making it slightly hotter with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs.
Nitrocellulose Finish
Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson guitar is one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process. A properly applied nitro finish requires extensive man hours, several evenly applied coats, and an exorbitant amount of drying time. But this fact has never swayed Gibson into changing this time-tested method, employed ever since the first Gibson guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894. Why? For starters, a nitro finish dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, which means there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. A nitro finish is also a softer finish, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can’t do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not “seal” wood in an airtight shell–as a poly finish does–and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.
This guitar has been a trademark of world famous rockstars for generations and is the ultimate high end guitar. The painstakingly applied ebony finish and hand carved guitar body mean that not only does this guitar look great, it also sounds great and more than justifies its price tag.
