Gibson Les Paul – The Most Iconic Electric Guitar

The Gibson Les Paul began as a series of drawing in the 1940's that Les Paul presented to Gibson.  At that time, Gibson was not keen on the idea, and promptly showed Les Paul the door.  About seven years later, in 1952 a change of fate happened when Gibson first released the all hard bodies Gibson Les Paul guitar.  There are numerous different stories about how much input Les Paul had into this iconic guitar, but many of the things that make the guitar unique are characteristic traits said to have come up with by Les Paul.  Obviously the hard bodied construction stands out the most, which produces deep, strong tones that musicians have loved over the decades.  And that has lead to legendary music by musicians worldwide, that have since fallen in love with the Gibson Les Paul guitar. The iconic Gibson Les Paul, took the music world by storm when it debuted in 1952.

One of the things that really stand out and make the Gibson Les Paul, is the pickups and electrical components that make up the guitar along with its quality wood craftsmanship.  While Paul original designed the guitar for jazz guitarists, the guitar has been used by legendary Rock N' Roll artists, country musicians and of course classic jazz guitarists.

The Gibson Les Paul standard has a beautiful solid mahogany top, with dual humbucker pickups and a wide range of customization available. In fact many of the first guitars from the 60's are still used today and sound fantastic.  Decades later, much of the original design remains unchanged and musicians from every genre love the sound quality and craftsmanship of the Gibson Les Paul. 

The Gibson Les Paul, is one of the first and last instruments you might ever purchase. The Les Paul studio is priced affordably for beginner musicians and has much of the same features that make the les paul standard so unique. Obviously the solid body construction allows for the deep rich tones, but the dual pickups and bridge design are equally important. And unlike a lot of beginner guitars where you sacrifice quality, all Gibson guitars are crafted out of the finest woods and hand crafted using the finest components.  Equally important is the wide range of musical styles the Gibson Les Paul can be adjusted to fit, from deep base to mellow tones.  

One thing you should be aware of though, is there are fakes and reproductions of this guitar out on the market.  Also, since Gibson Les Paul guitars can sell for tens of thousands of dollars, some sellers may try to pass the guitar off as an earlier model. While the guitar has not changed a lot over the years, there are subtle differences in the gibson les paul models that you can notice. For example, the knobs and serial numbers have changed over the years.  If you have any doubts about the authenticity or model year of a guitar you can send a picture of the front and back of the guitar to Gibson directly, and they will assist you.  Furthermore, when purchasing a Gibson Les Paul at an online auction site or classified listing, you should be aware of knockoff guitars. These Gibson Les Paul guitars are cheap versions made in china that are made to resemble the guitars but are made with inferior components and  don't capture the same musical tones that a genuine les paul guitar produces.  There are a number of ways to spot a fake Gibson Les Paul, from incorrectly placed screws, to low cost electrical components, to the logo not appearing crisp or not in cursive.