Les' original design, masterfully recreated.

The passing of the incomparable Gibson Les Paul in August 2009 broke the hearts of guitar enthusiasts around the world. What can never be broken, though, is the legacy of innovation and creativity that he built during 94 years of constant musicianship. Though the original guitar he designed in 1952 has informed every Gibson guitar since, our engineers were inspired anew to handcraft a guitar just the way Les demanded it nearly 60 years ago. Never before has a Gibson Les Paul guitar been so completely designed to Les' original specifications—until now. Anchored by a golden mahogany body, maple top and rosewood fingerboard, the Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1952 guitar is equipped with an all-new bridge that's an exact replica of Les' original 1952 patent. Gibson luthiers have also added historical interest with details like stamping "prototype" into the back of the peg head and staying true to Les' preference for P-90 pickups.

Body
Each Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1952 guitar is topped with a two-piece maple top that fits snugly onto a two-piece mahogany body. The maple top is Grade C and its mahogany body is Grade A. This wood combination yields not only a gorgeous exterior but also a specific yet versatile tone that many guitarists have come to demand. The mahogany body of the Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1952 cranks out tone that is somewhat soft, but extremely well-balanced, with good grind and bite. It has the potential for good depth, with full (though not super-tight) lows, velvety highs and a slightly compressed response. Its maple cap adds snap, sizzle and sustain. The electric guitar's resonance also benefits from not having any bridge or stopbar holes. The gleaming gold finish of the Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1952 guitar is complemented with stunning antique binding, done painstakingly by hand in Gibson's Nashville, TN shop.

Finish
The top of the Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1952 guitar comes in a classically beautiful Gold finish, just as Les's first Les Paul guitars did. The rim, back and neck showcase the beautiful grain patterns of Grade A mahogany and are treated to many coats of high-gloss lacquer. This lacquer accentuates the beautiful wood grain patterns of the mahogany body and protects its maple top. The 90-sheen lacquer finish gives the guitar a sleek surface that's smooth to the touch. Unlike many other manufacturers who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the Les Paul guitar for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time. That way your electric guitar's wood can breathe and age beautifully.

Neck and Headstock
This Les Paul is fitted with Gibson's classic '50s neck profile, which is a thicker, rounder profile than the necks that followed in the '60s. The neck is constructed from a solid piece of Grade-A mahogany, the hands-down best choice for guitarists who demand a strong but lightweight neck. Before becoming "putty" in the hands of Gibson's skilled craftsmen, the mahogany is milled and cut to a highly desirable "quarter sawn" wood-grain orientation and then kiln-dried until it has reached optimum moisture levels. The traditional truss rod, found in most Gibson guitars, is highly responsive to the individual adjustments you'll want to make to personalize and optimize string action and sustain. The truss rod cover on the Gibson Les Paul Tribute guitar is chrome. The headstock is carefully angled at a tried-and-true 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain. The Gibson logo—one of the most globally recognized logos of all time—is inlaid in mother-of-pearl onto the headstock. The "Les Paul Model" signature is silkscreened in gold just below the logo. To offer historical interest, the word "prototype" is stamped into the back of the peg head.

Neck Fit
Gibson uses what is known as the Mortise & Tenon neck joint to bind neck to body so that the two pieces form one solid unit. This time-tested joint style has been used in all the great woodworking arts—from shipbuilding to cabinetry—and has been proven to yield a stronger neck and body than if the Les Paul guitar was made from a single piece of wood. The adhesive used to join neck and body is Franklin Titebond 50, one of the strongest glues on the market today. When fitting the neck and body together, Gibson uses precise measuring equipment so that all angles, pitches and alignments maintain a tolerance within .005 of an inch. Not only does this help to keep your Gibson Les Paul guitar in tune but it also maintains proper string alignment relative to the fingerboard.

Fingerboard
The Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1952 is equipped with a Grade-A rosewood fingerboard, loved by guitarists the world over for its comfortable playability and mellow tone. The 12" radius of the Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1952 fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates "dead" or "choked out" notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with lesser radiuses. The acrylic trapezoid inlays that decorate the fingerboard are made of white ABS plastic, giving these classic inlays the look you lust for. The Gibson guitar's neck is also accented by gorgeous antique binding.

Nut
The nut on the Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1952 is made from Corian, which is mainly composed of acrylic polymer. It's a very durable material, delivers enhanced sustain, and holds the tolerances of the precision cuts made by Gibson's PLEK machine. It is installed into the top surface of the neck, butting up to the end of the fingerboard to ensure proper tone and sustain transfer.

Pickups
Both the neck and bridge position pickups are equipped with cream-colored screaming single-coil P-90 pickups. The P-90 was the standard pickup on all Gibson models in the late 1940s and into the 1950s and because of its crisp, bright tone it has experienced resurgence in popularity with many of today's modern rockers. These classic Gibson pickups deliver sizzling, slightly gritty midrange roar. You'll find that the P-90s' high output and biting treble has more nuanced harmonic coloring than the typical Fender single coil pickup.

Electronics
This Gibson Les Paul features two Gold Speedvolume controls with potentiometers made by CTS. The pots (short for potentiometer) have an Ohm reading of 300k, which allows for a smooth variation from soft to loud. It also features two Gold Speedtone control knobs with a pot Ohm reading of 500k, the highest value for a panel pot, and provides a very smooth transition between highs and lows. The Gibson guitar features a three-way toggle switch made of stainless steel and adorned with a crème cap and a crème washer. This switch acts as the instrument's pickup selector. The 1/4" output jack made by Switchcraft is super heavy-duty construction, holding your guitar cable securely in place. The jack is offset by a plastic crème jack plate.

Hardware
The headstock is equipped with vintage-style tuning keys with press-in bushings. Plated in nickel and sealed with a special lubricant, these keys are designed to withstand a lifetime of tunings. The bridge is a tribute to Les. Gibson engineers designed it after the original Les Paul patent of 1952. The story goes that Les and Gibson had a difference of opinion on the string wrap direction. Gibson wanted it to wrap underneath and Les wanted to be able to palm mute the strings so he needed it to wrap over the top of the bar. When Gibson's didn't see it his way, Les designed and patented one himself in 1952. So here it is, Les, just for you...

Plastics
The control knobs are Gibson's Gold Speed knobs, found on many vintage and modern Gibson guitars. The pickguard is made of cream-colored ABS plastic and is designed specially to fit around P-90 pickups.

Accessories
Your Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1952 Plain Top comes protected in one of Gibson's durable hardshell cases. In addition, each Les Paul Tribute 1952 comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, which carries an Les Paul photo insert and the details of your guitar.

Gibson 2009 Les Paul Tribute Electric Guitar Features:

• Mahogany body
• Maple top
• 24-3/4" scale
• Set neck joint
• Mahogany neck
• Rosewood fretboard
• 50s neck profile
• 22 frets
• 1-11/16" nut width
• 12" fretboard radius
• Les Paul Trapeze bridge
• Gibson P-90 bridge and neck pickups
• Two volume, two tone controls
• Kluson-style tuners
• Chrome hardware
• 3-way pickup selector
• Lacquer gold top finish
• Includes Gibson hardshell case

Gibson 2009 Les Paul Tribute Electric Guitar Includes:

• Gibson hardshell case

Own this loving tribute one of the original guitar heroes. Order today.