Description: Gibson Les Paul Junior solidbody guitar
Available: late 1953 to present.
Collectibility Rating: 1953-1957: C, 1957-1960: C+, 1961-1963: C-.

General Comments:
Even though the Les Paul Custom was the top-of-the-line Les Paul model, it has far less value today than it's cheaper cousin, the Les Paul Standard. Players feel the additional pickup, inlays, body binding, and gold plating makes the guitar "more show than go". Also the Les Paul Custom has a more mellow sound doue to the mahogany top (instead of the maple top used on the Les Paul Goldtop). The Les Paul Custom had an ebony fretboard as opposed to the Goldtop's rosewood board. Also the binding on the body and headstock was much fancier. The gold plated hardware and a black finish gave it the nickname 'black beauty' amongst players. The Gibson Les Paul Custom that was the first Gibson fitted with a tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece in late 1953 when it was introduced, with these only being added to the Goldtop later. The Custom was also sometimes called the 'fretless wonder', due to the fret wire which was dress flat and low. The Custom was initially fitted with a P-90 pickup in the bridge position, and a newly designed Alnico single coil pickup in the neck position. The Alnico pickup was visibly different from the P-90 in that the polepieces were rectangular. It was known as an "Alnico pickup" due to its use of aluminum/nickel/cobalt alloy for the magnet.

If you need to figure out the exact year of your Gibson Les Paul Custom, use the Serial Number. See the Gibson Serial Number Info web page for help determining the exact year.

If you have a vintage Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar for sale, please contact me at cfh@provide.net

late 1953 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar intro specs:

carved mahogany top (not maple as used on the Les Paul goldtop), single cutaway, mahogany back and neck, one black P-90 pickup in bridge position, one Alnico V pickup in neck position, both pickups have black covers, Tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece (Bigsby vibrato optional), multiple bound top and back, single bound ebony fingerboard and peghead, "Les Paul Custom" engraved into truss rod cover, block fingerboard inlays, pearl logo, 5-piece diamond peghead inlay, low "fretless wonder" frets, gold plated parts, black finish. Tuners are larger closed-back Kluson ribbed-back gold tuners with pearloid plastic buttons. Early 1954 examples have no serial number. Later 1954 models have a yellow "inked on" serial number. Model was sold in this format for 1954, 1955 and 1956.

Mid-1957 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar specs:

3 Humbucking pickups replace 2 single coil pickups. A few Gibson Les Paul Customs were sold with two humbucking pickups, but this is rare.

1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar specs:

Gold Grover rotomatic tuners replace the classy plastic-tipped gold Klusons.

1961 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar specs:

complete body style change to symmetrical pointed double cutaways, thin mahogany body with beveled edges, white finish (refered to as the "SG" body style) and white pickguard. "Les Paul Custom" engraved on a plastic plate between fingerboard and pickup. Note the Les Paul Custom changed to the SG style body shape later than the Les Paul Standard. In 1961 the Les Paul Custom was made in both body styles.

1962 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar specs:

some Les Paul Customs have pearl inlaid ebony tailpiece.

1963 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar discontinued in name only (now called SG Custom).

1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar re-introduction specs:

In 1968, single cutaway model resumes again with black finish, two Humbucking pickups, 14 degree peghead pitch (instead of 17 degrees), "amp" style volume/tone knobs, wide peghead, and a maple top (the custom generally did not have a maple top in the 1950s). The neck tenion (the part of the neck's tongue seen in the neck pickup route) is long. The control cavity route in 1968 is different too, as it was routed all the way thru the mahogany body *before* the maple top was glued on.

Early 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar specs:

Starting in February 1969 the control cavity was routed like 1950s guitars with the maple top glued in place. This can be seen because the maple is slightly routed with a step, where on January 1969 and 1968 Les Pauls the maple has absolutely no routing marks. Starting in February 1969 the control cavity was routed like 1950s guitars with the maple top glued in place. This can be seen because the maple is slightly routed, where on January 1969 and 1968 Les Pauls the maple has absolutely no routing marks. Also the "cross banded" (pancake) 3-piece Les Paul body started in early 1969, with a thin layer of maple sandwiched between the mahogany body back. The first generation of the pancake body had this thin maple pancake close to the top of the body. By mid-1969 the maple pancake layer moved to the dead middle of the mahogany portion of the Les Paul body. Also the dot in the "Gibson" peghead logo seems to largely disappear on 1969 Les Pauls.

Mid 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar specs:

Beneath serial number say "made in USA" and has a "volute" on the back of the neck in the nut area (a vulute is a ski-jump like bump on the back of the neck). The neck is also laminated with 3-pieces of maple.

Still in production today in several different variations.