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1952-3 Gibson Les Paul, '55 Stop Tail Conversion

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

Hardware: Original hardware includes: twin cream P-90 pickups and pickguard, nickel Kluson Deluxe single ring 'no-line' tuners, 1/2" gold barrel volume and tone knobs, 3 way selector switch, brown back cover plates, truss rod cover, and strap buttons. Vintage correct hand-antiqued hardware includes: nickel ABR-1 Tuneomatic bridge, aluminum stop tailpiece, and cream jackplate. Correct recent pots, capacitors, and wiring harness.

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 under 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, plate-free switch, and early flat top case would indicate this guitar was built between late 1952 and early '53. With just a single owner for over 40 years, this gleaming instrument has been meticulously converted to '55 specs, with the correct neck angle, stop tailpiece and Tuneomatic bridge , giving it the specs of the most desirable version of the model. The all-gold bullion finish has been fully restored with true vintage style nitro lacquer, and at barely 8lb, 11oz. the guitar floats sweetly on the lap or the strap.

The original cream P-90 pickups are true '50s wonders: measuring 7.80K, the neck pickup is deeply warm and rich, and at 8.40K, the powerful bridge pickup is brilliantly clear and detailed. Pickups and polepieces are precision adjusted for optimum string balance, and the compensated adjusatble bridge has been strobe tuned for intonation, with plenty of clearance for adjustment up or down. The neck profile is the classic full C, easy in the palm, with a solid older headstock repair. The 12" radius Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is precisely relieved for smooth action, with a freshly adjusted original truss rod, impeccable pro fretwork, and a generous 1 11/16" nut.

A superb player for classic blues, rock, country or slide, this striking guitar comes complete with its rare first-version flat top brown Lifton hardshell case, with pink plush lining. From the dawn of the modern electric guitar, a historic instrument, and an exceptional value for the performance-oriented player: gig-ready for the stage, studio or jam session. True vintage tone, at a fraction of the price. One only, call now.

Setup: Trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation strobe tuned; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished, pickup height adjusted, pickup polepieces balanced, high precision setup with nickel roundwound .010 strings.

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

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