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1952-3 Gibson Les Paul Model

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Materials: Solid maple top; one-piece Honduras mahogany body and neck; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard; cream body and fingerboard binding.

Hardware: Original hardware includes twin cream P-90 pickups, pickguard, and jackplate; nickel Kluson Deluxe single ring 'no-line' tuners; 1/2" gold barrel volume and tone knobs; original 3 way selector switch, pots, capacitors, and wiring harness. Period nickel Gibson combination trapeze tailpiece/bridge.

Notes: Introduced in 1952, the Gibson Les Paul Model was the debut version of the world's most iconic solid body guitar. Gibson's elegant answer to the upstart California builders, the Les Paul boasted a gently arched top, which required tooling no other maker could match. Beneath its eye-catching metallic gold finish lay a solid maple top as well: hidden from competitors undeer the opaque lacquer, the maple cap enhanced the natural detail and sustain of the legendary P-90 single coil pickups.

The earliest Les Pauls lacked serial numbers, but the combination of the bound fingerboard, low profile knobs, and trapeze tailpiece/bridge suggest that this guitar was built between late 1952 and early '53. Kept by a single owner for almost half a century, this remarkable instrument sports a lovely gold top, handsomely aged over six decades. At barely over 8lb. the guitar is wonderfully lightweight, and the original cream P-90 pickups (at 7.33 and 7.34K respectively) show magnificent depth and resonance.

The neck profile is the classic full C, solid and comfortable, and the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard offers smooth low action, with fine original fretwork and a generous 1 11/16" nut. All knobs, pots, caps and wiring are original, as is the lovely cream pickguard, pickup covers and jackplate.

The gold top shows a patch of arm wear at the lower bass bout, and some typical buckle wear is visible in the brown mahogany finish on the back. A genuine period Gibson nickel trapeze tailpiece/bridge has been reinstalled, and the neck has a seamless, rock-solid repair at the peghead. Some overspray has been added there, with just a bit applied around the bridge foot and switch area as well.

A superb player for classic blues, rock, country or slide, this striking guitar is an excellent candidate for conversion as well, complete with its handsome original deluxe brown hardshell case. From the dawn of the modern electric guitar, a historic instrument, and an exceptional value. One only, call now.

Setup: Trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.

Case: Original Gibson deluxe brown arched hardshell case with pink plush lining.

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