Gibson Les Paul

Guitars
www.gibson-accoustic-guitar.com

The Gibson Les Paul is a solidbody electric
guitar originally developed in the early
1950s. The Les Paul was originally designed
by Ted c!arty and endorsed" named and
used by then popular #a$$%pop guitarist Les
Paul.

Gibson Guitar president Ted c!arty
brought guitarist Les Paul into the company
as a consultant. Les Paul was a respected
innovator who had been e&perimenting with
guitar design 'or years to bene'it his own
music.

The Les Paul guitar line was originally
conceived to include two models( the
regular model )nic*named the Goldtop+" and
the !ustom model" which o''ered upgraded
hardware and a more 'ormal blac* 'inish.
Les Paul is o'ten credited with inventing the
solid body electric guitar" and his
involvement with the Gibson models was
more or less #ust a happy accident.

,hen he was a teenage per'ormer he tried
ampli'ying an ordinary acoustic guitar so that
he could be heard by the audience. The
'eedbac* that resulted was 'inally eliminated
by attaching the nec* o' an -piphone guitar
onto a bloc* o' wood. This was so strange
loo*ing that Les. musical talents were not
ta*en seriously so he attached wings to the
side o' the wood so that it resembled a
conventional guitar shape.

The moving 'orce behind the 'inancial and
artistic success o' the Les Paul guitar was
the desire o' the Gibson Guitar !orporation
to mar*et a solid body model electric guitar
under the name o' an established guitarist.
/y this time" the early 1950.s" Les Paul was
the most popular electric guitar player o'
the time.

0t would be a great triumph 'or Gibson to
snare the endorsement o' this guitarist who
had conceived and made his own electric
guitar which had become the basis 'or a
solid electric guitar sold by his 'riend" Leo
1ender. -ventually" a'ter recommending
some changes to the appearance o' the new
Gibson guitar" Les Paul allowed it to be
released under his name.

There are a couple o' design elements that
stand out in the Les Paul range o' guitars.
The strings on a Les Paul guitar are
mounted 2hollow body style2 on top o' the
guitar instead o' passing through the body
as is common with other brands o' solid
body guitars. This is merely a stylistic
distinction" not a''ecting the sound o' the
guitar.

The characteristic warm tone o' the Les Paul
guitars is due to the types o' wood chosen
by Gibson 'or these models. 3s we should
e&pect 'rom a guitar endorsed by the man
whose own guitar design was nic*named
2the log2" Les Paul guitars are also heavier
and thic*er than other solid body guitars.

/oth Les Paul and the Gibson corporation
were 'ans o' starting with substance and
piling on heaps o' style" so most Les Paul
model guitars 'eature 'lashy inlays on the
nec* and headstoc*.

The original Les Pauls had two single coil
pic*ups. 0n 1954 a second-generation Les
Paul was introduced that had the tune-o-
matic bridge. 3nd in 1955 the pic*ups were
changed to double coil 2humbuc*ing2
pic*ups. The Les Paul had a three position
selector switch 'or the pic*ups.

Later a third double coil 2humbuc*ing2
pic*up was added. The Gibson Les Paul has
been o''ered in a wide range o' ornamental
variants" customi$able hardware and
several electric pic*ups. The si&ty cycle
humming that was a problem with older
guitars was completely removed by the
humbuc*ing pic*up available 'or the Les
Paul.

Les Paul.s contributions to the guitar line
bearing his name were stated to be
cosmetic. 1or e&ample" ever the showman"
Paul had speci'ied that the guitar be o''ered
in a gold 'inish" not only 'or 'lashiness" but
to emphasi$e the high 6uality o' the Les
Paul instrument" as well.

The later-issue Les Paul models included
2'lame2 and 26uilted2 )tiger+ maple 'inishes"
and once again contrasted the competing
1ender line.s range o' car-li*e color 'inishes.

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