A Custom Shop reissue of a refinished edition of the Les Paul Goldtop.
Underappreciated during its original run from 1958-'60, the Les Paul Standard with sunburst finish caught
fire from the mid '60s to the early '70s, when players like Eric Clapton, Michael Bloomfield, Jimmy Page and Paul Kossoff
carried it to the heights of wailing virtuosity. As the original item became more and more expensive and harder to come by,
players in search of the 'Burst look began modifying the more plentiful 1952-'56 Les Paul Goldtops. When done right—this
meant sending the guitar back to Gibson for a full factory refinish. The Custom Shop "Refin" 1955 Les Paul Wraptail embodies
just such a modification done perfectly, and it even exhibits the only obvious tell-tale sign of such alterations: the slightly
off-center seam in the two-piece maple top, which would originally have been hidden beneath an opaque goldtop finish.
The
original '55 Les Paul embodied the guitar as co-designers Les Paul and Ted McCarty had envisioned it: the most playable, toneful
solid body electric guitar available to the professional musician. Looking toward the future, its solid mahogany back and
maple top addressed rockers' needs for tonal depths, clarity, sustain, and richness while squelching the feedback that was
problematic for hollow body electrics. Benefiting from the past, its carved-arched top, perfectly back-angled set neck with
long-tenon joint, and bound body and fingerboard offered elements of longstanding Gibson tradition and quality that discerning
players were still demanding in their instruments.
The 1955 "Refin" Les Paul Wraptail begins with the template of a
1955 Les Paul with solid one-piece lightweight mahogany back and carved maple top, adds the "Refin" element of rich nitrocellulose
Atlanta burst finish, while retaining its early '55 "wraptail" bridge, represented by a TonePros wraparound bridge with locking
studs and long steel anchors. This is an extremely efficient resonant coupling between strings and body and helps thicken
and warm up the overall tonal brew. This beauty also retains Gibson's legendary P-90 pickups that present more meat and midrange
aggression than thinner single-coil pickups, yet have plenty of high-end clarity with a slightly grainy edge that really helps
cut through the mix.
To give all this tone the most playable spin possible, the Refin 1955 Les Paul Wraptail is fitted
with a quarter-sawn mahogany neck that features Gibson Custom's"Soft Shoulder" '55 profile, created after intensive study
of an original '55 Les Paul with a "magical feeling" neck. With a similar front-to-back depth as standard rounded mid-'50s
necks, it differs in its gently sloping sides, a feature that makes it sit incredibly comfortably in the hand. Comes with
a Gibson Custom hardshell case and a "Year of 1955 Innovation" certificate.
Gibson Custom 1955 Les Paul Wraptail Electric Guitar Features:
- Model Name: 1955 "Refin" Les Paul Wraptail
- Model number: HB191C
- Top: carved maple
- Body: mahogany
- Finish: nitrocellulose lacquer
- Color: Atlanta burst
- Binding: cream
- Neck: set mahogany
- Neck profile: soft shoulder '55 neck profile
- Peghead pitch: 17 degrees
- Neck joint location: 16th fret
- Fingerboard: rosewood
- Fingerboard inlays: trapezoid
- Headstock inlays: Gibson logo
- Hardware: nickel
- Fingerboard inlay: antique
- Bridge/tailpiece: TonePros "Wraptail" one-piece wrapover bridge/tailpiece
- Knobs: gold tophats
- Tuners: Kluson
- Pickups: P-90 single-coil
- Controls: two volume, two tone, 3-way toggle pickup selector
- Case: hardshell
- Includes: Year of 1955 Innovation Certificate
Gibson Custom 1955 Les Paul Wraptail Electric Guitar Includes:
Don't miss out on this amazing reissue!
Gibson Custom 1955 Les Paul Wraptail Electric Guitar Specifications:
- Scale length: 24-3/4"
- No. of frets: 22
- Nut Width: 1.69"
- Radius: 12"
