GIBSON 1958 LES PAUL

　Needless to say, it would be no exaggeration to claim that modern music would not exist without this instrument—the Gibson Les Paul, the very epitome of the electric guitar.

　Since its debut in 1952, it has been cherished by countless legendary musicians—including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Duane Allman, Mike Bloomfield, Gary Moore, Randy Rhoads, Slash, and Tak Matsumoto—and continues to enjoy unwavering popularity and admiration even today.
　While specifications have changed over the years and production has been temporarily suspended at times, resulting in distinct characteristics depending on the era, this time we’d like to focus on the rare Gold Top Les Paul from the very beginning of its release. Please take your time to appreciate this masterpiece, whose sheer presence is overwhelming even just to look at.

1958 Gibson Les Paul


　The 1958 model enjoys enduring popularity thanks to the influence of Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band. It is the definitive version of the so-called Gold Top.While the body back typically comes in a standard natural finish, some models—like the one featured here—feature a dark back, making the dark-back version rarer. Some examples also feature black parts for the toggle switch plate, escutcheon, and jack plate, further enhancing their rarity. The body color is achieved by mixing bronze (a precious metal) powder into the lacquer finish, giving the vintage Gold Top an exceptionally striking hue.

　The headstock veneer is made of Hollywood (Holly), and the logo features mother-of-pearl. The truss rod cover is in excellent condition, and the “roll marks” resulting from the woodworking process at the time are visible, confirming its authenticity as an original from that era. On this particular instrument, the Les Paul model logo is fading.

　Without exception, the body back is a one-piece mahogany body. Both the back of the neck and the body back are finished in dark brown.

The maple top is covered in a matte gold finish, so it’s difficult to determine exactly, but it is typically constructed from 2 to 3 pieces of maple, and in some cases, up to 6 pieces. The gold color appears slightly greenish because the finish from that era was created by mixing bronze powder into lacquer paint; the oxidation of the bronze in the paint produces the deep gold coloring of the top.

　A major feature of Gibson’s original Les Paul model is its sturdy set-neck construction. At the time of its release in 1952, the neck joint angle was 1 degree, but this was changed to 3 degrees starting in 1953.In a typical set-neck construction, the end of the neck that is embedded into the body is tapered to be thinner than the body and then roughened to ensure a tight fit. However, Gibson’s neck is joined to the body while maintaining the same thickness as the neck heel, and this area is not roughened. This allows for a wider contact surface between the body and the neck, eliminating any unnecessary gaps. This design contributes to the instrument’s strength and the excellent sustain that is a hallmark of the Les Paul.

　The headstock angle has remained at 17 degrees since the model’s launch in 1952. Gibson’s neck-cutting method intentionally cuts the wood at an angle; this ensures that the grain runs straight from the headstock—which is prone to breaking—to the area behind the nut, thereby increasing strength.Additionally, the neck features a fine-grained wood pattern, which accelerates moisture evaporation and allows the wood to acclimate to its environment more quickly. This method of wood selection is a luxurious specification that is highly cost-inefficient, as fewer necks can be cut from a single block of wood; however, it reflects Gibson’s commitment to instrument craftsmanship at the time.

　The Gibson Les Paul features a set-neck construction, with the truss rod adjusted from the headstock side. Gibson has been using truss rods since the 1920s; in addition to their original purpose of adjusting the neck, they also serve to maintain the strength of the neck, which has been softened by the wood-cutting process.

　Gold hat knobs. These knobs were used on Les Paul models from around 1955 to 1960. The gold interior is finished with the same paint as the body, and due to the oxidation of the blond powder, it has taken on a greenish hue in places.

　The capacitors are "Sprague" Bumblebee types. The pots are "CTS" brand.The toggle switches are "Switchcraft" brand.

　A Ted McCarty-style Tun-O-Matic bridge. The patent was filed on July 5, 1952, and granted on April 3, 1956; this bridge was developed six months earlier than the previously used stud bridge/tailpiece (filed January 21, 1953; granted August 2, 1955).Originally filed for use on hollow-body guitars, it allows for fine-tuning of octave pitch by adjusting the saddles for each string. It is made of die-cast Bass with brass saddles.

　Although used in the tailpiece, this is the Stud Bridge/Tailpiece originally conceived by Ted McCarty, filed on January 21, 1953, and approved on August 2, 1955. From around 1952 to 1954, this Stud Bridge/Tailpiece was installed on Les Paul guitars. It is made of aluminum.

　The fingerboard is made of Brazilian rosewood (Recruit), a world-renowned premium wood currently designated as an endangered species under the Washington Convention, with its import and export prohibited. Compared to standard rosewood, it is a heavier and harder wood that reinforces the soft neck while also producing a solid, well-defined attack.

　The tuners are Kluson 320VP models. Commonly known as "single-line" tuners, they feature a single row of the Kluson logo on the knob. They are also called "single-knob" tuners because the knob shape resembles the shaft and features a single knob. The plastic has turned brown over time, giving it a more mature look (it is extremely brittle and prone to breaking).

　The set-neck joint uses a deep-insert joint (Recruit), where the neck is inserted more than halfway past the pickups. Naturally, the term “deep-insert joint” did not exist at the time; this was simply the standard specification.By making the contact surface of the joint wide and deep, the design gains strength while allowing the vibrations of the neck and body to be directly reflected in the sound. Although this method is commonplace today, the fact that the system was already established at that time speaks to the high level of refinement of the Les Paul instrument itself.

　The humbucking pickup installed on Les Paul models starting in 1957. Developed by Seth Lover and Walter Fuller, the patent was filed on June 22, 1955, and granted on July 28, 1959. Commonly known as the PAF, this pickup derives its name from the “PATENT APPLIED FOR” decal affixed to it.According to Seth Lover, the wire gauge is AWG #42 (though AWG #32 was reportedly used in some prototypes), the number of coil turns is approximately 4,100 to 4,200, and Alnico V magnets are used (though Alnico II or III were sometimes used in the 1950s due to supply difficulties).The bobbins were originally all black, but color variations arose because he had to use white or black-and-white bobbins when black material was not available in bulk. According to Seth Lover, the pickup cover is crucial, as this pickup was designed with the assumption that it would be fitted with a German silver cover. The pickup cover is made of German silver, which is 80% nickel silver.Many musicians remove the pickup cover to alter the high-frequency response, which is why the bobbin color is also considered important among enthusiasts.

　For solid-body guitars manufactured between 1952 and 1960, the first digit of the serial number corresponds to the last digit of the year, followed by four or five digits indicating the serial number. Since this particular guitar has the serial number “8 1116,” it can be identified as the 1,116th Les Paul produced in 1958.

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