Vintage Guitar Chapter 2
Gibson Les Paul

Gibson Les Paul

Gibson Les Paul

Needless to say, it's no exaggeration to say that without this instrument, modern music wouldn't exist: the Gibson Les Paul, the quintessential electric guitar.Since its creation in 1952, it has been used 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.

Since its release, the Les Paul has undergone numerous specification changes and temporary discontinuations, resulting in variations in characteristics depending on the year of manufacture. However, this time we will focus on the rare gold-top Les Paul from the initial release. Please take your time to admire this exceptional instrument, whose presence is overwhelming even just by looking at it.

Here are some of Gibson's most representative electric guitars.

Gibson ES-175


This electric guitar has reigned supreme in jazz guitar for over 50 years. Known for being a favorite of Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, and others, it's a best-selling model that has never been discontinued since its release around 1949. Incidentally, "ES" stands for "Electric Spanish."

Gibson ES-335TD


The ES-335TD, released in 1958, features an innovative body structure pioneered by Gibson. By incorporating a center block inside the body, it achieves an acoustic warmth and resonance, along with the tightness and sustain of a solid-body guitar, while also preventing feedback. It is known to have been favored by Freddie King, Eric Clapton, Ronnie Montrose, Larry Carlton, and others.

Gibson SG


The SG (short for Solid Guitar) was born in 1961 as a major model change to the Les Paul. Although it has undergone numerous specification changes, its appeal has never waned, and it is one of Gibson's masterpieces that has captivated countless musicians such as Pete Townshend, Angus Young, Tony Iommi, George Harrison, and Eric Clapton.

Gibson Flying V


Designed in 1958 by Gibson's then-president, Ted McCarty, the Flying V was produced in 1958 (81 units) and 1959 (17 units). However, its unconventional design was not well-received at the time, and production was temporarily discontinued two years after its release. In the 1960s, it began to be used by famous artists such as Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, Leslie West, and Ronnie Mac, solidifying its popularity. Adopted by Marc Bolan, Michael Schenker, Lenny Kravitz, and others, it is now renowned as one of Gibson's traditional electric guitars.

Gibson Church


Like the Flying V, the Explorer was designed by Ted McCarty and released in 1958 (originally named Futura). Its unconventional appearance, similar to the Flying V, was initially met with resistance, with only 19 produced in '58 and 3 in '59 before production quickly ceased. Production resumed around 1976. Notable users include Allen Collins, Matthias Jabs, and The Edge. Despite its appearance, it boasts excellent playability and continues to be a beloved electric guitar, embodying Gibson's traditional originality and appeal to musicians of all ages and backgrounds.

Gibson Firebird


The Firebird, introduced in 1963, features a body shape that remains popular today. It was designed by Ray Dietrich, who previously worked for the automobile manufacturer Chrysler and later contributed to the development of many models for Ford and other companies. The guitar is equipped with mini-humbucking pickups, which have a narrow magnetic field and excellent high-frequency characteristics, resulting in a sharp sound with clear, articulate highs. Many famous musicians, such as Johnny Winter and Joe Perry, are fans of this guitar.

The history of Gibson leading up to the birth of the Gold Top Les Paul


October 11, 1902
The Gibson Mandolin Guitar Manufacturing Company was established in Kalamazoo. Although the company was founded with investment from five businessmen, none of them were named after Orville Henry Gibson, after whom the company was named. Orville Gibson only held the right to use his name and a few patents related to mandolins, and had no involvement in the company's management other than visiting the factory as a consultant and giving advice on manufacturing. However, it is an undeniable fact that the Gibson company was founded based on Orville Gibson's small workshop in Kalamazoo in the 1890s where he manufactured musical instruments.

May 24, 1904
Changed to a limited company.
1906
The company changed its name to "Gibson Guitar & Mandolin Company".
1909
Patents for the intonation-adjustable bridge and elevated pickguard have been approved.
April 12, 1915
The company entered into a new contract with Orville Henry Gibson to pay him a monthly royalties, but Orville Gibson passed away on August 21, 1918, due to endocarditis.

June 1915
Lester William Polsfuss, the namesake of "Les Paul," was born in Walkausher, Wisconsin.

1917
In 1909, they built a three-story factory building at 225 West Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, a location they had owned since then. This would become the Kalamazoo factory, Gibson's headquarters until 1984.
1919
Lloyd Lore, who would become one of Gibson's most important figures, joined the company as an acoustic engineer. Lore was responsible for revolutionizing instruments with features such as archtops, F-holes, elevated fingerboards, and tone bars (bracing). He is also credited with laying the foundation for electric instruments, and after leaving Gibson in 1924, he developed the electric double-bar guitar.BassWe are producing a prototype.
February 27, 1923
The patent for the truss rod system was granted. The application was filed in 1921, and it is said to have been designed by Ted McHugh, who was developing it at the very early Gibson company. The catalog at the time claimed that "only Gibson instruments have a truss rod," which speaks to the high precision of the instruments.
1922
Gibson unveils the L-5, their first archtop guitar with F-holes.
1926
Gibson's lineup now includes flat-top guitars. The first models were the L-0 and L-1.
Late 1930s
Gibson introduced two types of classical guitars, the GS-85 and GS-35. By the time World War II began, Gibson was the leader in the flat-top guitar market, and its position was firmly established.
1934
Lester William Polsfuss, a guitarist active primarily in Chicago, commissioned the Chicago guitar manufacturer Larson Brothers to build a guitar with a 1/2-inch maple top and no F-holes. He suggested adding two pickups to this guitar. This idea by Polsfuss led to the popularization of guitars with two pickups.
1935
Gibson unveiled its first electric instrument, a steel-bodied Hawaiian guitar. Later, wooden Hawaiian guitars were also released, but they didn't have official model names at the time.
January 1936
It features a Charlie Christian (pioneer of jazz guitar) style single-coil pickup and a solid curly maple body.RecruitThey then announced the EH-150, an electric Hawaiian lap steel guitar equipped with volume and tone controls. Later, the more affordable EH-100 was also released.
1937
Gibson released its first electric archtop guitar, the ES-150. From the 1930s to the 1950s, they also began manufacturing bodies and necks for the 'National' and 'Valco' brands. The ES-150 and ES-250 electric guitars were favored by Charlie Christian. In the early 1940s, musicians such as Lester William Polsfuss, George Burns, Herb Ellis, and Billy Bauer popularized the electric guitar, accelerating the electrification of musical instruments. However, with the United States entering World War II at the end of 1941, the production of electric instruments had to be halted.
1941
Lester William Polsfuss, who had been researching solid-body guitars since the 1930s, created a guitar by joining a 4-inch square piece of wood to the neck and attaching halved Epiphone hollow bodies to either side. He named this guitar "The Log" and brought it to Gibson around 1946, where it is said to have been described as "a broom handle with a pickup." In the same year, Seth Lover, known as the developer of the humbucking pickup, joined Gibson.
1944
The Chicago Musical Instrument Company (CMI) acquired Gibson. On May 18 of the same year, Maurice H. Berlin, the founder and president of CMI, became an executive at Gibson. General Manager Guy Hart remained, while John Adams, who had served as president since 1902, retired. Production continued to be carried out at the Kalamazoo factory.
late 1945
Following World War II, demand for musical instruments increased, and Gibson was thriving, with over 40 employees working full-time to continue making instruments. A major change in electric archtop guitars was the shift from solid spruce tops and maple backs to laminated maple (plywood with other woods sandwiched between layers of maple).
1948
Ted McCarty joined Gibson. He became president in 1950 after Guy Hart's retirement. Ted McCarty is a man who achieved remarkable success during his tenure, dramatically increasing the number of employees tenfold, sales 12.5 times, and profits 15 times. Models such as the Les Paul, ES-335, Explorer, and Flying V were produced during Ted McCarty's tenure.
1950
Following the release of the Broadcaster (later renamed Telecaster around 1951) by Leo Fender in 1948, Ted McCarty began seriously producing solid-body guitars. He then introduced Lester William Polsfuss to a curved-top solid-body guitar designed by Gibson staff member Walter Fuller and others. Ted McCarty explained that the reason for the curved top was to differentiate the guitar from Fender's, as Fender did not have a carving machine at the time. This finished solid-body guitar was fitted with a combination-type bridge (trapeze bridge/tailpiece) designed by Lester, and Lester agreed not to play any guitars other than Gibson guitars in public, and a consulting contract was signed.
1951
How High The Moon
"How High The Moon," a duet between Lester William Polsfuss and singer Mary Ford, topped the US charts that year, while "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise" reached number two.
1952
The Les Paul Gold Top, Lester William Polsfuss's signature model, was unveiled. It was priced at $210 at the time. The gold finish was chosen at Lester's request, as he stated, "Gold signifies wealth, luxury, and the best." Thus began the history of the Les Paul, a legendary guitar that would take the world by storm.

If you found this article helpful, please show your support!