With its sonic punch, fluid playability, and classic “tuxedo” appointments, the Les Paul Custom is equal parts elegance and brute strength. Fitted with a matched 490/498 humbucker set that takes you from mellow jazz tones to full shred with a pinky twist, this majestic beast is ultra-responsive to your touch. Its fast-action neck, smooth-as-silk ebony fingerboard, and medium jumbo frets facilitate the speedy, dexterous fretwork we’ve heard across prog, fusion, and hard rock genres from guitar virtuosos like Robert Fripp, Al Di Meola, and Zakk Wylde. Gibson’s Custom Shop luthiers selected premium mahogany for the body and capped it with a 2-piece carved maple top — a classic recipe for rich, sustaining, articulate tone that’ll slice right through the mix.

A tradition of effortless playability 

The Gibson Les Paul Custom is well known for its playability; many guitarists use the word “effortless” to describe it. Soon after its 1954 introduction, players (and Gibson literature) started referring to it as the “Fretless Wonder.” It wasn’t fretless, of course, but Gibson had fitted the Custom with flat, low-profile frets, which allowed your fingers to fly over the fingerboard. Today’s LP Custom is equipped with medium jumbo frets more suited to contemporary playing styles, but ultra-playability remains a hallmark of this iconic solidbody electric guitar.

A classic tonewood recipe for sustain and articulation 

Although the original Les Paul Custom had an all-mahogany body, today’s Custom features a mahogany body with a carved 2-piece maple top. This combination serves up the density needed for massive sustain and precise note articulation. The result is a highly playable instrument that looks and sounds incredible. Gold hardware provides a crowning finishing touch for the Les Paul Custom.

Matched humbucker set delivers a universe of tone 

This Les Paul Custom is spec’d with a matched pair of 490/498 humbuckers. Naturally, these pickups really shine when pumping out the classic fat, snarling tone that is the Les Paul’s stock-in-trade. They are delightfully responsive, though — simply roll back the volume, and they clean up beautifully. Music Experience guitarists love this pickup combo, and so will you. Whether you’re delivering your musical message with mellow jazz tones, bone-rattling crunch, or a blistering liquid inferno — the Les Paul Custom rewards your touch with world-class responsiveness. Gibson voiced the pickups on the Les Paul Custom for tonal characteristics similar to their ’57 Classics, but with a slight increase in the upper mids for a more contemporary humbucker sound. The neck-position 490R gives you the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, albeit with a slight upper-mid bump, which delivers clarity and definition that complement the wonderfully warm sound of this pickup: great for tasty, chimey rhythm work. Gibson’s 498T alnico humbucker is the ideal bridge pickup if your playing requires an emphasis on mids and highs. A high-output version of the 490T, this pickup combines a slightly hotter Alnico V magnet with a specially wound coil combination. The result is increased crunch and sustain — a potent sonic elixir for heavier music styles. Each pickup’s pole pieces are aligned to match the string spacing at the neck and bridge, respectively.

Nitro finish, for the look and feel of a classic  

This Les Paul Custom wears a gorgeous nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Nitro finishes — standard back in the day — are significantly thinner than today’s polyurethane finishes, allowing the guitar to “breathe.” Nitro finishes not only look amazing, but they also enhance the instrument’s tonal qualities. This guitar has the look and feel of a lovingly cared-for classic — one that will only improve with ages

What Gibson Says...

Gibson Custom Shop is the pinnacle of craftsmanship, quality, and sound excellence. Each instrument celebrates Gibson's legacy through accuracy, authenticity and attention to detail. As the flagship model from Gibson Custom, the Les Paul Custom lives up to the high standards set by its 1950s archetype while evolving to a level of tone and performance more suited to today's musical demands. Beneath the layers of its "tuxedo" appointments lies the crisp, edgy voice of a matched 490/498 humbucker set, a solid Ebony fingerboard, a long neck tenon for maximum sustain and a two-piece maple top over a solid mahogany body which adds the perfect amount of sonic bite to everything from jazz to hard rock. It sounds as good as it looks, and it looks as good as it sounds!