Countless players have found the Gibson Les Paul Special, with its lightweight design and unique tonal response, to be easy to pick up yet impossible to put down. So it is with today’s Les Paul Special; its easy-gigging weight and P-90 chunk ’n’ chime will earn this guitar a special place in any serious guitarist’s collection. A breathable nitrocellulose lacquer finish, handwired electronics, and a vintage ’50s mahogany neck make this single-cut a dead ringer for yesterday’s sought-after classics. Yet modern performance options, which include a factory fret Plek treatment, make today’s Gibson Les Paul Special a force to be reckoned with.

Lightweight mahogany body

Originally released in 1955 as a lighter alternative to the back-breaking Les Paul Standard, the solid-mahogany Gibson Les Paul Special has given players a tone, response, and comfort all its own. Today’s Les Paul Special packs all the appeal of the timeless design in a great-playing and well-equipped modern form.

Nitro lacquer finish

Like the original, this Les Paul Special comes finished in a lightweight nitrocellulose lacquer. Nitro finishes are significantly thinner than modern polyurethane finishes. Not only is this approach period-correct, but some also suggest that this allows the guitar to “breathe” for improved sonics and, over time, to take on the look of a lovingly cared-for classic.

P-90 pickups with Orange Drop caps

If you consider yourself among the ranks of the many fiercely loyal P-90 fans, as so many of us here at Music Experience do, you already know the unique tonal palette this pickup pairing brings to the iconic Les Paul Special. It’s an amazingly versatile sound with its own brand of grit — a bit brighter, leaner, and less refined than a humbucker, though almost as hot. Hit your amp hard, and the Les Paul Special’s P-90s really wail. Plugged into a proper tube amp, you can elicit grind, sizzle, and bark that would be impossible to achieve with other more common pickup types. Handwired controls complete with classic-era Orange Drop capacitors round out the GIbson Les Paul Special’s choice electronics.

Plek’d for precision playability 

The Gibson Les Paul Special plays fast and precise right out of the case, thanks in large part to its Plek fret treatment. Typically reserved for top-dollar custom guitars, this computer-guided process levels frets with pinpoint precision, providing one of the most consistent fingerboards you’ll ever own. Each note rings loud and clear, and the fret edges feel as smooth as silk. With today’s Les Paul Special playing and sounding as great as it does, it’ll be hard to justify spending money on a vintage model.

What Gibson Says...

The Les Paul Special returns to the classic design that made it relevant, played, and loved–shaping sound across generations and genres of music. It pays tribute to Gibson's Golden Era of Innovation and brings authenticity back to life. Originally introduced in 1955, the Les Paul Special has been embraced by musicians for over 60 years. It is based on the Les Paul Junior with a slab mahogany body, fat 50s-style mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, wraparound bridge, an additional rhythm P-90 pickup, binding on the neck, a 3-way toggle switch, and additional controls for the rhythm pickup. Available in the always classic TV Yellow and Vintage Cherry.