TCGAKKI Selection

1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom - THE FRETLESS WONDER

This guitar was kept along with the receipt for a loan taken out by a man named "Forbis," who lived in Columbia, Missouri, USA, in 1957, to purchase the guitar.
The guitar was purchased by a man named "Forbis" from Columbia, Missouri, USA, in 1957, with a loan from a local bank, and was stored with the deed.

Innovative Pickup

Designed around 1952 and developed by Seth Lover.

Solid Mahogany

Mother-of-pearl is used for fingerboard inlays.

Flagship Model

Split diamond inlays, the symbol of high-end models, are shining.

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Made in 1956 - Alnico Pickups

What comes to mind when you think of Missouri? The road that gave rise to Route 66, the birthplace of Budweiser, and St. Louis in the east. The city was vibrant in the 1950s, yet still largely undeveloped.

It makes you want to imagine the dreams of a young American man who buys a guitar and plays it to his heart's content in those times. This instrument carries a variety of messages.TCGAKKII've been chosen to introduce it.

The moment you open the hard case, you're greeted by the jet-black body contrasting sharply with the gleaming silver of the Alnico pickups.
Could the owner from 66 years ago have imagined how excited we are today, the moment we see it?

Gibson Les Paul Buyback and Appraisal

History

Owned by Mr. Forbis

This guitar was kept along with the receipt from 1957, when a man named "Forbis," who lived in Columbia, Missouri, USA, purchased it with a loan from a local bank. It is a genuine one-owner item.

Charlie Parker, the famous saxophonist of modern jazz, hails from Missouri, and St. Louis is home to the National Blues Museum, making it a region with strong ties to music, which evokes a variety of images and scenes.

The guitar has been played quite a lot; the paint on the back of the neck is worn away from friction, and there are clear pick marks next to the front pickup. It appears the guitar was held in a classical style, as there are many buckle marks on the lower back of the body.

Perhaps Mr. Forbis played jazz or blues on this Les Paul Custom in a dimly lit bar in the basement, down a narrow staircase, sipping Budweiser.

The Fretless Wonder

The Les Paul Custom was created with the concept of "a Les Paul that suits a tuxedo." Unlike the flashy brilliance of the gold top, this model boasts a more subdued, sophisticated shine. Targeting jazz guitarists who primarily used archtop guitars, it debuted in July 1954 at the NAMM Show, which was then one of the largest events in the musical instrument industry.

Because this model was designed for jazz guitarists, it prioritizes smooth fingering over extended sustain, and features wider frets and a lower fret height compared to other Les Paul models.

The Les Paul Custom was featured in the catalog at the time under the heading "The Fretless Wonder," a nickname given by Gibson itself, referring to its fretless feel when played. This is how the Les Paul Custom established itself as the top-of-the-line, or highest-end, model among Gibson's Les Paul lineup.

The Les Paul scene in 1956

In 1956, 489 Les Paul Customs were manufactured, making it the year with the highest production volume and the most effort put into the model up to 1955 and 1957. Coincidentally, this was also the year that production of the Les Paul Junior, an entry-level model, began. Considering that the first year's production volume for the Junior was 3,129 units, it's clear just how much time and expense went into making the Les Paul Custom.

There are several theories as to why the Les Paul Custom is made entirely of mahogany, but one theory is that it's because the black finish hides the wood grain on the top.
There's an anecdote that Les Paul initially asked Gibson to reverse the ratio of maple to mahogany, and it's said that he was quite angry when he found out Gibson was selling an all-mahogany guitar.
There were frequent disagreements between Gibson and Les Paul, so it's fascinating to think how these differing opinions led to the creation of so many historical models.

The encounter between Les Paul and Gibson

Les Paul's relationship with Gibson dates back to the 1940s. At the time, while working as a country music guitarist, Les Paul had been researching solid-body guitars since the 1930s. It is astonishing that Les Paul already had the concept of a solid-body guitar in an era before rock music existed and only full acoustic-style guitars were available. Around 1941, he created a prototype called "The Log," which literally meant a log. This consisted of a neck that resembled a log, with a cut-up Epiphone hollow body attached. Then, around 1946, Les Paul brought "The Log" to Gibson, which led to the development of the Les Paul model.

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Gibson Les Paul in stock

1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom: Detailed Specifications and Sound

head
The split diamond inlay, a symbol of higher-end models, shines brightly.
The top coat that was on top of the inlay has peeled off over time, allowing you to see its original shine more clearly.
The laminated binding applied to the outer circumference of the headstockLes Paul CustomOne of its characteristics.

Neck/Fretboard

The neck is1PMahogany, thickness is1Fin22mm、12Fin25.2mm。
The neck shape has a gentle curve.CShape,1957year3PUEquippedCustomIt is thicker than others, allowing for a firmer grip.

Frets were also a target at the time.JazzProposed for guitarists"Fretless Wonder"It has been finished in such a way that there is hardly any overbinding left, making it very low.
Because it directly affects playability, many guitars have had their frets replaced, but this one is in good condition."Fretless Wonder"It holds.

The fretboard is made of ebony, which was used in the higher-end models of the time.Recruit。
The wood used is so dark that it rivals even the blackest paint.
Mother-of-pearl is lavishly used for the block position markers.
The side position markers are not just simple black dots, but tortoiseshell-patterned ones, giving the overall color scheme a unique and appealing look.

body

The body is carved from a single piece of mahogany, and the top features a beautiful, handcrafted curve (arch) design.
This was the general specification for the Les Paul Custom until production ceased in 1961; from the 1968 reissue onwards, it was changed to a maple top/mahogany back.

Similar to the headstock, the body features layered custom binding around its perimeter.
Unlike the standard model, the binding is also wrapped around the back of the body, giving it a luxurious feel befitting a higher-end model.
The arches on both sides are meticulously crafted, and the light reflects beautifully and uniformly, giving it a look truly worthy of being called "Black Beauty."

peg

The tuning pegs are Kluson 501VX (commonly known as the waffleback) with pearloid buttons.
Buttons from this period are often deteriorated, but this particular item is in relatively good condition.
The 501VX reappeared in 1969 after a specification change, but this time the buttons were made of metal.

Bridge & Tailpiece

It features a non-wired ABR-1 bridge (the gold-plated version is also called ABR-2) and an aluminum stop tailpiece.
The bridge and tailpiece remained the same until production ceased in 1961, but when production resumed in 1968, the saddles were made of nylon and the ABR-1, which had wires attached, was installed. The tailpiece remained made of aluminum.

knob
When it was first released in 1954, it was fitted with a barrel knob, but from 1956 onwards, the specifications were changed to the bell knob that is installed on this particular unit.

Potentiometers & Capacitors

There is rust on the side of the potentiometers, and some parts cannot be confirmed, but at least two of them are made by Centra Lab.
The capacitor is a "Bumblebee," which Gibson began using around 1956. The cylindrical base is considered a specification from the mid-period.

Pickup (PU-480)

A pickup that uses a rectangular magnet, which was used in some models such as the Birdland.
Designed around 1952, it was developed by Seth Lover, who is also famous for developing the PAF.
Because it uses Alnico V magnets, it is also referred to as "Alnico V" or "Alnico Magnet."
The structure is similar to the Dynasonic PU developed by De-Armond (see photo on the right below), and the pickup moves up and down by turning a slotted screw located next to the pickup.

Pickup (P-90)

The single-coil pickup was developed by Walter Fuller in 1946. It was used in Les Paul Standards until 1956 and is also a familiar feature in Les Paul Juniors and Specials.
Initially, bar-type pole pieces were used during development, but around 1950, they were changed to adjustable pole pieces.

Sound Impression

The P-90 has a warmth and rich mid/low range that rivals humbuckers, and its smooth high frequencies are something rarely found in current P-90s. It also possesses the tightness of a single-coil pickup, resulting in a truly wonderful sound.

The PU-480, like the P-90, has a tight sound, but it has a stronger midrange presence and a sound character that is even closer to that of a hollow-body guitar compared to the bridge pickup. In a mix, the high frequencies of the P-90 and the midrange presence of the PU-480 are combined in an exquisite way, resulting in a sound that truly takes the best of both worlds.

Turning down the Tone knob will naturally reduce the high frequencies, just like with other electric guitars, but it doesn't lose its tightness. With the P-90, frequencies around 3-4, and with the PU-480, frequencies around 5-6, have their harshness in the high frequencies smoothed out nicely, giving it a natural, resonant sound similar to an acoustic guitar.

The neck shape is slightly thick and has a rounded U-shape.
Many of the Les Paul Custom models with three humbuckers released in later years have relatively thin neck shapes, so compared to those, this one feels instantly more comfortable in the hand when you grip it.
You can especially feel this when you grip the hand tightly in a handshake style.

The body weighs approximately 3.7 kg, which is relatively light for a Les Paul, and the body balance itself is such that the neck and body are in roughly equal proportions, so there is no feeling of neck dive or being pulled towards the body.

I usually play Fender-style guitars like Stratocasters, but even for someone like me, this Les Paul Custom instantly felt natural in terms of both sound and playability.

Summary and Afterword

Until now, I had only ever played Les Paul Customs with PAF pickups, but there were many significant differences, and even though they were both Custom models, I often felt they were completely different instruments. However, despite being from different eras, they share a sonic nuance that is common to all Les Paul Customs, and in that respect, I felt that both models are truly worthy of the Custom name.

Furthermore, the body's weight balance and neck shape are similar to the mid-1950s Les Paul Standard, giving it a sense of unity as part of the Les Paul Series.

In an era where opportunities to experience vintage items are becoming increasingly rare, I was able to touch the "ancestor" of current products, and I understood the value of vintage items and why artists who use them must use this particular piece.

One of the charms of a well-played vintage instrument is that you can speculate about the style and playing style of the previous owner, and it evokes a different feeling than a pristine vintage instrument in mint condition.

[SPEC]
Body: 1P Mahogany
Neck: 1P Mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Pickups: Front PU-490, Bridge: P-90
Weight: 3.7kg
Nut-Width: 42.2mm