Gibson Gear PRPC-015 pickup cover - chrome / bridge spacing

Gibson Gear PRPC-015 pickup cover - chrome / bridge spacing Review

Gibson Gear PRPC-015 pickup cover - chrome / bridge spacing Feature

• Authentic Gibson Replacement Part
• Bridge position
• Chrome
• Authentic Gibson Replacement Part, Chrome

Gibson Bridge Positioned Humbucker Cover - Chrome

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar Satin Ebony Chrome Hardware

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar Satin Ebony Chrome Hardware Review

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar Satin Ebony Chrome Hardware Feature

• Carved Maple top
• Mahogany body
• Alnico magnet humbuckers

The arrival of the Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar in 1983 offered guitarists all the essential elements of a Les Paul Standard, including a carved top and humbucking pickups. Its simple yet elegant design quickly helped it become the most popular model in the Les Paul Series. Cutting-yet-rich tone—the hallmark of the Les Paul—pours out of the 490R and 498T Alnico II magnet humbucker pickups, which are mounted on a carved maple top with a mahogany back. The faded finish models are equipped with BurstBucker Pro pickups and a mahogany top. The Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar includes a Gibson hardshell case (Faded and satin finish models come with a gig bag) and a limited lifetime warranty. Body and Finish A solid, carved maple top and chambered mahogany body give the Les Paul Studio the same tonewood combination that has been helping Les Paul Standards rock for nearly 60 years. And each of its four available nitrocellulose finishes makes for a stunning looking guitar, even while its no-frills approach eliminates body binding and pickguard. Mahogany is a medium-dense wood with excellent resonance and superior sustain, and it offers a rich, round, warm tone, but with plenty of high-end sheen and good mid-range presence. Add a solid maple top, and the guitar's tone is enhanced with added clarity, sustain and definition. The body's chambering also enhances its mellow acoustic resonance, and adds further air to the midrange content. Pickups Gibson's 498T and 490R pickups ("T" for treble, and "R" for rhythm) have the traditional characteristics of the original "Patent Applied For" pickups of the late 1950s, with a few upgrades. These pickups take advantage of wax potting, which does away with any air space inside the pickup, therefore lessening the chances of microphonic feedback. The result is a humbucker with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490R's ide

Gibson Melody Maker Electric Guitar, Worn White - Chrome Hardware

Gibson Melody Maker Electric Guitar, Worn White - Chrome Hardware Review

Gibson Melody Maker Electric Guitar, Worn White - Chrome Hardware Feature

• Mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard and acrylic dot inlays
• Melody Maker single-coil pickup with tone and volume control
• Gibson wraparound tailpiece/bridge
• Vintage-style white button tuning machines
• Slim, solid mahogany body with set-neck construction

Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Gibson's best-selling guitar was the legendary Melody Maker, and today's nicely affordable version is a loving tribute to the style and spirit of the 1959 edition.

The Gibson Melody Maker in white. Click here for a larger image.

Key Features

Slim, Solid Mahogany Body

The most central of all the Melody Maker's features is its slim, solid mahogany body. The mahogany goes through the same rigorous selection process as all of Gibson's woods, and is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before it enters the factories.

Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This ensures all woods are dried to a level of "equilibrium," where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, and controls the shrinkage and warping of the woods, in addition to reducing the weight. It also improves the woods' machinability and finishing properties. Consistent moisture content means that a Melody Maker will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.

Click here for a larger image.

 

Click here for a larger image.

Gibson's Special Design Singlecoil Pickup

The legendary Melody Makers of the late 1950s and early 1960s were the best-selling models of Gibson's famed "Golden Era," and with good reason--they were lightweight, equipped with a comfortable neck, and capable of exceptional tone courtesy of Gibson's own singlecoil pickup. Today's Melody Maker sports a special-design singlecoil pickup that delivers that same vintage tone and performance. A stellar combination of high output and sweet treble response, this multi-ceramic magnet pickup provides plenty of punchy bite when needed, as well as incredible sustain and cutting power.

Compensated Wraparound Bridge/Tailpiece

A classic piece of hardware first used on the Les Paul Junior, the compensated wraparound bridge/tailpiece on the Melody Maker offers a simplicity and functionality that is hard to match. It provides a firm seating for the strings, and allows the player to adjust intonation and string height as needed. It also yields a great union between the strings and body, which results in excellent tone and sustain.

50s Rounded Neck Profile

No guitar neck profiles are more distinguishable than the neck profiles employed on the Gibson models of today. The more traditional '50s neck profile is the thicker, rounder profile, emulating the neck shapes of the iconic 1958 and 1959 Les Paul Standards. The neck is machined in Gibson's rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest--including the final sanding--is done by hand. That means there are no two necks with the exact same dimensions. So while it still has the basic characteristics of its respective profile, each neck will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.

Nitrocellulose Finish

This guitar features a nitrocellulose finish--one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process--which dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, meaning there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone.

A nitro finish is also a softer finish, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can't do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not "seal" wood in an airtight shell--as a poly finish does--and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.

What's in the Box

Gibson Melody Maker electric guitar, vintage style Melody Maker Box, and owner's manual.

Gibson’s “Golden Era”—the late 1950s and early 1960s—is best known for the emergence of the company’s iconic Les Paul Standard. But the Les Paul wasn’t the company’s best-selling guitar during this historic period. That title belongs to the legendary Melody Maker. Today’s Melody Maker is a loving tribute to the style and spirit of the 1959 edition of that beloved guitar. It is also remains one of Gibson’s most popular models, as well as its most affordable USA-made guitar.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar, Wine Red, Chrome Hardware

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar, Wine Red, Chrome Hardware Review

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar, Wine Red, Chrome Hardware Feature

• Traditional Rounded Neck Profile
• BurstBucker Pro Pickups
• Traditional Mahogany Back and Maple Top
• 22-Fret Rosewood Fingerboards
• Chambered Body for Perfect Tone Balance and Weight

Gibson's Les Paul Studio offers traditional Les Paul performance with a modern, no-frills attitude. Introduced as a guitar mainly for studio musicians, the Les Paul Studio has become one of the most desired--and popular--Les Pauls for its tremendous harmonic and sonic qualities. All of the essential elements of a Les Paul Standard are there, including a carved maple top, solid mahogany back and genuine Gibson humbucker pickups. What the Les Paul Studio lacks in extras, it makes up for in performance. Ask any one of the thousands of musicians who call it their No. 1 axe.

Traditional Les Paul Performance Meets Modern Tone and Playability

Available Finishes
Take your pick between four gorgeous finishes--Ebony, Wine Red, Classic White and Fireburst--all of which are applied by hand in a process that demands several coats and many hours. Unlike a lot of our competitors, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time. That way your guitar's wood can breathe and age beautifully, like it's supposed to.

Fast & Comfortable Rounded Neck Profile
Gibson's traditional rounded neck profile, which graces the neck of each Les Paul Studio, is a thicker, rounder profile, emulating the neck shapes of the iconic Les Paul Standards of the late 1950s. Each neck is machined in Gibson's rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest--including the final sanding--is done by hand. That means each neck ends up with ever-so-subtle differences that make each one as exceptional--and unique--as the next.

A thicker, rounder neck profile emulates the neck shapes of the iconic Les Paul Standards of the late 1950s.

Gibson pickups crank out modern tone with a vintage edge.

Gibson's 490R and 498T Pickups
The mid to late 1960s saw the emergence of a very different type of music coming from the clubs of England. This new genre's players were demanding more powerful amplifiers with increased volume outputs to satisfy their sonic explorations. This led to a call for a more versatile pickup, and Gibson answered the call with the 490T and 490R pickups ("T" for treble, and "R" for rhythm), humbuckers with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, but with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490's ideal complement. Taking the 490 one step further, the 498 swaps the Alnico II magnet to an Alnico V, thus making it slightly hotter with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs. The pole pieces on the 498T are also aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge, which is different than the spacing of the strings at the neck.

Mahogany Back and Maple Top
There isn't anything more critical than the marriage of the Les Paul's mahogany back with a maple cap, as well as the regimen involved in selecting the right wood and the formula to dry it out. First, the wood is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before it enters the Gibson factories. These onsite inspectors also ensure that the plain maple comes from corporations adhering to the forest-saving standards of the Rainforest Alliance, of which Gibson is a proud member and sponsor. Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This ensures all woods are dried to a level of "equilibrium," where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, and controls the shrinkage and warping of the woods, in addition to reducing the weight. It also improves the woods' machinability and finishing properties, and adherence to glue. Consistent moisture content means that a Gibson guitar will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.

Chambered Body
There's something about playing a guitar with perfect tone, balance, and weight. One of the ways the expert craftsmen at Gibson USA achieve this equilibrium is by carving carefully mapped-out chambers in the Les Paul's solid mahogany back using a Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) router before the maple top is glued on. The positioning of the routes was established after careful examination of the resonant characteristics of the Les Paul. Gibson approached this process with the awareness that every change to the formula would have repercussions on the instrument's sound. So, in addition to relieving the stress on a player's back and shoulder, these lighter Gibson guitars also enhance the tone palette in a manner unique only to these guitars. The results are comfortable, lightweight guitars that are acoustically louder, with increased sustain and resonance.

Ebony or Rosewood Fingerboard
The fingerboards on Gibson's Les Paul Studios are constructed from the highest grade rosewood and ebony on the planet. Both are personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before they enter the factories to be fitted onto the neck of the Les Paul Studio. The resilience of these dense and durable woods makes these fingerboards extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The 12-inch radius of the fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates "dead" or "choked out" notes. The ebony fingerboard is only available on the Classic White Les Paul Studio, and the rosewood fingerboard is available on the Ebony, Wine Red, and Fireburst models.

Enjoy Enhanced Tone With Gibson's Lightweight, Chambered Body
The expert craftsmen at Gibson USA carve carefully mapped-out chambers in the Les Paul Studio's solid mahogany back using a Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) router before the maple top is glued on. The positioning of the routes was established after careful examination of the resonant characteristics of the Les Paul. Gibson approached this process with the awareness that every change to the formula would have repercussions on the instrument's sound. So, in addition to relieving the stress on a player's back and shoulder, these lighter Gibson guitars also enhance the tone palette in a manner unique only to these guitars. The results are comfortable, lightweight guitars that are acoustically louder, with increased sustain and resonance.

Tune-O-Matic Bridge
The Tune-o-matic bridge was the brainchild of legendary Gibson president Ted McCarty in 1954. At the time, it was a true revelation in intonation, and set a standard for simplicity and functionality that has never been bettered. This pioneering piece of hardware provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields a great union between the strings and body, which results in excellent tone and sustain. It is combined with a separate "stopbar" tailpiece, essentially a modified version of the earlier wraparound bridge. To this day, the Tune-o-matic remains the industry standard. It is the epitome of form and function in electric guitar bridge design, and is one of the most revered and copied pieces of guitar hardware ever developed. The arrival of the Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar in 1983 offered guitarists all the essential elements of a Les Paul Standard, including a carved top and humbucking pickups. Its simple yet elegant design quickly helped it become the most popular model in the Les Paul Series. Cutting-yet-rich tone—the hallmark of the Les Paul—pours out of the 490R and 498T Alnico II magnet humbucker pickups, which are mounted on a carved maple top with a mahogany back. The faded finish models are equipped with BurstBucker Pro pickups and a mahogany top. The Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar includes a Gibson hardshell case (Faded and satin finish models come with a gig bag) and a limited lifetime warranty. Body and Finish A solid, carved maple top and chambered mahogany body give the Les Paul Studio the same tonewood combination that has been helping Les Paul Standards rock for nearly 60 years. And each of its four available nitrocellulose finishes makes for a stunning looking guitar, even while its no-frills approach eliminates body binding and pickguard. Mahogany is a medium-dense wood with excellent resonance and superior sustain, and it offers a rich, round, warm tone, but with plenty of high-end sheen and good mid-range presence. Add a solid maple top, and the guitar's tone is enhanced with added clarity, sustain and definition. The body's chambering also enhances its mellow acoustic resonance, and adds further air to the midrange content. Pickups Gibson's 498T and 490R pickups ("T" for treble, and "R" for rhythm) have the traditional characteristics of the original "Patent Applied For" pickups of the late 1950s, with a few upgrades. These pickups take advantage of wax potting, which does away with any air space inside the pickup, therefore lessening the chances of microphonic feedback. The result is a humbucker with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490R side.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Silverburst Electric Guitar Silverburst Chrome Hardware

Gibson Les Paul Studio Silverburst Electric Guitar Silverburst Chrome Hardware Review

Gibson Les Paul Studio Silverburst Electric Guitar Silverburst Chrome Hardware Feature

• Features Gibson's new "weight relieved" body
• Sports a truly intense teardrop shaped burst pattern
• Features usual bells and whistles you'd expect from an LP Standard
• Has new "weight relieved" body (read: strategically chambered,)
• Features dual Volume and Tone controls

The Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar has become one of the most desired Les Paul guitars for its tremendous harmonic and sonic capacities. The studio guitar is coveted by musicians from all genres of music and offers Les Paul performance with a modern, no-frills attitude. This Silverburst edition is lighter weight and offers a distinct look and modern features. The Les Paul Studio guitar marries a lightweight chambered mahogany back to a maple top. The mahogany set neck has a 22-fret fingerboard that is constructed from high-grade rosewood. The flatter 12" fingerboard radius promotes smooth note bending and eliminates dead or choked out notes—a common occurrence on rounder, smaller radius fingerboards. The Les Paul Studio guitar's '60s neck profile is slim tapered emulating the neck shapes of the 1960 Les Paul Standard. The Les Paul Studio Guitar shares the same quality electronics as some of its more expensive siblings. The Gibson 490R pickup has the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, but with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490 pickup's ideal complement. Taking the 490 one step further, the 498 swaps the Alnico II magnet with an Alnico V, thus making it a slightly hotter pickup with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs. The pole pieces on the 498T are also aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge. Both pickups can be split via push/pull volume controls.

Bigsby B3 Vibrato Tailpiece, Solid Body Arch Top, Chrome

Bigsby B3 Vibrato Tailpiece, Solid Body Arch Top, Chrome Review

Everything you need to fit a Bigsby True Vibrato to your archtop hollowbody-style guitar. The Bigsby B3 fits the Sheraton IIand ES-335 and other similar Models. Also fits archtop solidbody guitars. Kit includes: Bigsby Tailpiece, screws, tension spring, plastic washer, alignment string,and installation Instructions. Los Angeles. Late 1940s. A love of motorcycles brings together genius engineer Paul Bigsby and music legend Merle Travis. Their friendship inspired Paul to create the first Bigsby True Vibrato Tailpiece. He went on to design a series of Vibratos that rocked the music world. Still the original. Hand Crafted. Sand Cast. Hand Polished. The same way Paul did. Sheraton IIand ES-335 are trademarks of Gibson Guitar Corp., which is not associated with Bigsby.

Gibson SG Standard Bass , Worn Ebony - Chrome Hardware

Gibson SG Standard Bass , Worn Ebony - Chrome Hardware Review

Gibson SG Standard Bass , Worn Ebony - Chrome Hardware Feature

• Recreates the classic, dual-pickup Gibson EB0 bass guitar, staying true to the design and specs of the original
• Three-way adjustable bridge allows you to fine-tune the height of the strings in all directions
• Set-neck construction for better tone and sustain as well as no misalignment
• 2 volume and 2 tone controls plus 3-way toggle; rosewood fingerboard with acrylic dotted inlays
• Worn ebony finish with chrome hardware; comes with Gibson Deluxe Gig Bag

Today's SG Standard Bass recreates the classic, dual-pickup version of Gibson's original bass--the E80--staying true to the design and specs of the original, including the popular 30.5-inch scale length. It's a favorite among player looking for quick action and thunderous response.

The Gibson SG Standard Bass in worn ebony. Click here for a larger image.

Key Features

Three-Way Adjustable Bridge

Gibson's innovative three-way adjustable bridge is the standard for simplicity and functionality. It provides players with the ability to adjust and fine-tune the height of the SG Standard Bass' strings in all directions--front, back, and side-to-side--which gives the bridge a "floating" feature, thus allowing the bass to be equipped with a variety of string gauges and multiple set-up options.

Click here for a larger image (worn cherry finish shown).

 

Click here for a larger image.

The SG Reissue's legendary resonance, tone, and sustain is the result of anchoring the bridge directly into the body at its three adjustable points, which provides a firm seating for the strings and yields a strong union between the strings and body. Readily accessible screws make setting the intonation simple. To this day, Gibson's three-way adjustable bridge remains an industry standard.

Set-Neck Construction

Like all classic Gibson guitars, the necks on the SG Standard Basses are distinguished by one of the more traditional features that have always set them apart--a glued neck joint. Gluing the neck to the body of the guitar insures a "wood-to-wood" contact, no air space in the neck cavity, and maximum contact between the neck and body, allowing the neck and body to function as a single unit. The result? Better tone, better sustain, and no loose or misaligned necks.

Vintage-Style TB and TB Mini Humbuckers

The pickups on the early Gibson basses of the 1960s remained unchanged for many years, undergoing only minor cosmetic modifications from time to time, but staying true to the originals' sonic characteristics. The pickups in today's SG Standard Bass--the vintage-style TB Plus humbucker and TB mini humbucker--are wax-potted and capture and recreate the classic attributes of those early Gibson basses.

The TB plus humbucker in the neck is a traditional hum-cancelling bass pickup with a full frequency, heavy-bottom sound, similar to pickups with a passive EQ. The EB mini humbucker in the bridge is traditionally smaller but packs a sweet punch with exceptional mid-range presence. This combination makes the SG Standard Bass a versatile instrument with a wide range of tonal possibilities.

20-Fret Rosewood Fingerboard

Rosewood has always graced the fingerboards of the world's finest stringed instruments, including many of today's Gibsons. The fingerboard on the Gibson SG Standard Bass is constructed from the highest grade rosewood on the planet. The rosewood is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before it enters the factories to be fitted onto the neck of the SG Standard Bass. The resilience of this dense and durable wood makes these fingerboards extremely balanced and stable, and gives each note unparalleled clarity and bite.

Nitrocellulose Finish

This guitar features a nitrocellulose finish--one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process--which dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, meaning there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone.

A nitro finish is also a softer finish, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can't do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not "seal" wood in an airtight shell--as a poly finish does--and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.

What's in the Box

Gibson SG Special electric guitar, Gibson Deluxe Gig Bag, and owner's manual.

During the height of Gibson’s original “Golden Era,” the company’s only bass guitar at the time — the EB0 — underwent the same radical transformation as the Les Pauls, which were being redesigned as the now classic SG. It was a bold move and it paid off, bringing Gibson basses to the forefront. Today’s SG Standard Bass recreates the classic, dual-pickup version, staying true to the design and specs of the original, including the popular 30.5-inch scale length.

Gibson Les Paul Traditional Electric Guitar, Ebony - Chrome Hardware Left Handed

Gibson Les Paul Traditional Electric Guitar, Ebony - Chrome Hardware Left Handed Review

Gibson Les Paul Traditional Electric Guitar, Ebony - Chrome Hardware Left Handed Feature

• Mahogany neck with bound rosewood fingerboard and figured acrylic trapezoid inlays
• Gibson '57 Classic and '57 Classic Pro humbuckers with three-way toggle, separate tone/volume controls
• Gibson "Nashville" Tune-o-Matic bridge with stop bar tailpiece
• Kluson-style Tone Pros tuning machines with tulip buttons and 16:1 ratio
• Mahogany body with grade AA maple top, single-ply cream binding, and set-neck construction

With all the fat, sweet, snarling Les Paul tone that purists love, the Traditional plays, sounds, and feels like the Les Pauls that today's players grew up loving and lusting after. Taking design and visual cues from the Les Pauls of the '80s and '90s, the Les Paul Traditional starts with a Grade-A mahogany body and adds nine strategically placed traditional weight-relief holes for a beefy tone that maintains the resonance of modern Les Pauls, while losing a large portion of the weight. This is capped with a maple top, giving the Les Paul Traditional the look of the great Les Pauls that helped to bring rock back to the front of the stage in the mid '80s. Capping the Traditional with a maple top not only looks great, but it also brings out presence and definition to the tone. With the look of the great Les Paul Standards that helped to make rock king again, and every ounce of the tone thanks to legendary Gibson construction, classic tonewoods, and two genuine humbucking pickups, the Les Paul Traditional is the guitar to take your music center stage where it belongs.

Mahogany Body With AA Maple Top

Each Les Paul Traditional is made from a figured two-piece Grade-AA maple top attached with ultra-strong Franklin Titebond 50 glue to a solid, one- or two-piece Grade-A mahogany body.

These tone woods nail that legendary Les Paul combination of good clarity, definition and treble bite from the maple, and excellent depth and richness from the mahogany. This is one of the most revered wood combinations of all time, and truly offers a "best of both worlds" design in the way that mahogany and maple complement each other to offer superior resonance, sustain, depth, clarity, and definition.

'57 Classic pickups accurately recreate the tone and performance of original PAF humbuckers with a few tonal enhancements that players appreciate.

Tune Pros vintage-style tuning machines with a 16:1 ratio.

Gibson "Nashville" Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece.

Set Mahogany Neck

The neck of the Les Paul Traditional is constructed from one solid piece of quarter-sawn, lightweight Grade-A mahogany for improved strength and resonance. The luthiers in Gibson's Custom Shop carefully match the grains and weights of these guitars' bodies and necks to optimize tone and sustain.

The neck on the Les Paul Traditional is carved to a comfortably rounded '50s "D" profile. Every detail counts in the effort of bringing authentic '60 Les Paul tone to the Les Paul Traditional, and the angled, classical-style peg head and fuller mahogany neck work together to provide exceptional tonal richness and resonance from the neck, with a good string definition and sustain.

Rosewood Fretboard

The Les Paul Traditional carries a Grade-A rosewood fingerboard, the traditional fingerboard of the original Les Paul Standard. Rosewood is both hardwearing and sonically superlative, adding sweetness and depth to the guitar's overall sound. To enhance the guitar's classic look and feel, this fingerboard is trimmed in antique cream binding.

The fingerboard carries 22 medium-jumbo frets made from traditional nickel-silver wire, along with acrylic trapezoid position-marker inlays, echoing the traditional look of the original Les Paul Standards.

Angled Headstock

Just like the original Les Pauls of '50s, and many classic Gibson models, the Les Paul Traditional headstock is carefully angled at Gibson's traditional 17 degrees. This subtle yet crucial element of the guitar's design increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain.

Classic Series Pickups

The Les Paul Traditional Plust Top is equipped with a pair of pickups from Gibson's popular 57 Classic series. Its 57 Classic (neck) and 57 Classic Plus (bridge) accurately recreate the tone and performance of original PAF humbuckers with a few tonal enhancements that players appreciate. The standard '57 Classic in the neck position is wound to a DC resistance toward the lower range of the original PAF pickups, for a warm, round, rich tone with plenty of definition and clarity. The 57 Classic Plus in the bridge position is wound toward the hotter end of the PAF spectrum to reflect vintage pickups whose coils were wound "until they were full," for an open, clear, punchy vintage voice with plenty of snarl and aggression when you crank up your amp. The coils are wax potted to combat microphony and feedback squeal at high volumes so, while vintage voiced, they are suited to high-gain playing, too. The number of windings in the two coils in each pickup are also equally matched, an enhancement that provides a creamy, balanced performance that many players enjoy.

The Les Paul Traditional boasts an independent volume and tone control for each pickup, along with a three-way toggle.

Tone Pros Tuners

The headstock of the Les Paul Traditional is equipped with Kluson-style Tone Pros tuners with green tulip buttons. These keys have a vintage look that complements the model, while offering an extremely efficient 16:1 turns ratio for precise tuning performance.

Nashville Tune-o-matic Bridge

The Les Paul Traditional carries a "Nashville" Tune-o-matic bridge that is made from zamak and plated in chrome. This bridge provides a firm seating for the strings, while also allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields excellent coupling between strings and body, maximizing resonance, tone and sustain.

Every Tune-o-matic bridge is combined with a separate "stopbar" tailpiece, which is essentially a modified version of the earlier wraparound bridge that's designed to further enhance the connection between the strings and the body. The Les Paul Traditional's stopbar tailpiece is made from zamak and plated in chrome.

Les Paul Traditional Specs

• Body: Mahogany
• Top: Maple
• Hardware: Chrome
• Bridge: Nashville Tune-O-Matic
• Tailpiece: Stop Bar
• Tuners: Kluson-style Tone Pros with Tulip Buttons
• Neck Pickup: '57 Classic
• Bridge Pickup: '57 Classic Plus
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, Three-way Toggle
• Control Knobs: Gold Speed
• Neck: Mahogany
• Nut: Corian
• Nut Width: Standard Gibson (1.695" +/- .050")
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Inlays: Figured Acrylic Trapezoids
• Frets: 22
• Scale Length: 24 - 3/4"

With all the fat, sweet, snarling Les Paul tone that purists love, the Traditional plays, sounds, and feels like the Les Pauls that today’s players grew up loving and lusting after. Taking design and visual cues from the Les Pauls of the ’80s and ’90s, the Les Paul Traditional starts with a Grade-A mahogany body and adds nine strategically placed traditional weight-relief holes for a beefy tone that maintains the resonance of modern Les Pauls, while losing a large portion of the weight. This is capped with a maple top, giving the Les Paul Traditional the look of the great Les Pauls that helped to bring rock back to the front of the stage in the mid ’80s. Capping the Traditional with a maple top not only looks great, but it also brings out presence and definition to the tone.

Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar, Heritage Cherry - Chrome Hardware

Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar, Heritage Cherry - Chrome Hardware Review

Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar, Heritage Cherry - Chrome Hardware Feature

• Mahogany neck with 22-fret rosewood fingerboard and acrylic dot inlays
• Gibson 490R (neck) and 490T (bridge) humbuckers with three-way toggle, independent tone/volume
• Gibson Tune-o-Matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece
• Grover Kluson-style green-key tuning machines
• Solid mahogany body with set-neck construction

Packing the same power and intensity as the SG Standard, but without all the trimmings, the Gibson's SG Special electric guitar retains the heart and soul of the SG--solid mahogany body and '50s rounded neck profile--while adding dot inlays, silk-screened logo, a pair of Gibson’s hot 490 humbuckers and a deluxe gig bag.

The Gibson SG Special in worn red. Click here for a larger image.

Key Features

'50s Rounded Neck Profile

No guitar neck profiles are more distinguishable than the neck profiles employed on the Gibson models of today. The more traditional '50s neck profile on the SG Special is the thicker, rounder profile, emulating the neck shapes found on the iconic 1958 and 1959 Les Paul Standards. The neck is machined in Gibson's rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest--including the final sanding--is done by hand. That means there are no two necks with the exact same dimensions. So while it still has the basic characteristics of its respective profile, each neck will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.

Click here for a larger image (black finish shown).

 

Click here for a larger image.

 

Gibson's 490 (R) Rhythm and (T) Treble Pickup

The mid to late 1960s saw the emergence of a very different type of music coming from the clubs of England. It was an interpretation of the blues that hadn't been heard before, and it was much harder, more rocking, and definitely louder than anything else before it. As such, this new genre's players were demanding more powerful amplifiers with increased volume outputs to satisfy their sonic explorations. This led to a call for a more versatile pickup that could split coils through a push/pull knob, and prevent microphonic feedback from occurring when the volumes were turned up to maximum levels.

Gibson answered this call with the introduction of the revolutionary 490T and 490R pickups ("T" for treble, and "R" for rhythm). The 490R is a humbucker with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The 490T bridge pickup is calibrated to match the 490R, with pole pieces aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge, which is different than the spacing of the strings at the neck.

Solid Mahogany Body

Probably the most central of all the SG Special's features is its solid mahogany body--lightweight, strong, with a thick, warm tone. The mahogany goes through the same rigorous selection process as all of Gibson's woods, and is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before it enters the Gibson factories.

Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This ensures all woods are dried to a level of "equilibrium," where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, in addition to reducing the weight. It also helps with improving the woods' machinability and finishing properties. Consistent moisture content means that a Gibson guitar will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.

Dot Inlays

Over the years, the classic dot inlay has been one of the more traditional features of many Gibson models, including the SG. A figured, swirl acrylic gives these inlays that classic "pearl" look. They are inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn't require the use of fillers.

Nitrocellulose Finish

This guitar features a nitrocellulose finish--one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process--which dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, meaning there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone.

A nitro finish is also a softer finish, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can't do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not "seal" wood in an airtight shell--as a poly finish does--and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.

What's in the Box

Gibson SG Special electric guitar, Gibson Deluxe Gig Bag, and owner's manual.

Packing the same power and intensity as the SG Standard, but without all the trimmings, the SG Special has retained the heart and soul of the SG — the solid mahogany body and ‘50s rounded neck profile — and combined it with dot inlays, silk-screened logo, a pair of Gibson’s hot 490 humbuckers and a deluxe gig bag.

WD Les Paul Style Jackplate, Chrome

WD Les Paul Style Jackplate, Chrome Review

WD Les Paul Style Jackplate, Chrome Feature

• For Les Paul Style Guitar
• Chrome
• 3/8 in. X 1 3/8 in.

This item will directly replace a Les Paul jackplate and can also be used on any guitar with a curved side. Key dimensions - 1 3/8 in. X 1 3/8 in.

MIJ Toggle Swith Chrome with Chrome Knob

MIJ Toggle Swith Chrome with Chrome Knob Review

MIJ Toggle Swith Chrome with Chrome Knob Feature

• Brand New Made in Japan Toggle SwitchFor Les Paul, SG, etc...
• This is a toggle switch. Parfect replacement for Gibson Guitars such as Les Paul, SG etcc
• Metric Size, Diameter: 12mm
• Come with: 1 knob 1 Nut, 1 Washer Ring
• Shipping Time: in general, up to 2 weeks.

Brand New Made in Japan Toggle SwitchFor Les Paul, SG, etc...This is a toggle swith. Parfect replacement for Gibson Guitars such as Les Paul, SG etc...Metric Size.Come with: 1 knob, 1 Nut, 1 Washer RingDiameter: 12mm