Gibson Les Pauls - The Les Paul Standard

In 1957, designer Seth Lover created and patented the humbucking pickup, a unique design featuring two coils side-by-side, which reduced noise and gave the Les Paul a warm, distinctive tone. This would form the basis for the Les Paul Standard, introduced in 1958, and produced in various incarnations to this day. Along with the introduction of the Standard was a new look for the Les Paul top, using elaborate wood patterns such as tiger striped, flamed, and figured woods, and a burst lacquer finish. Ironically, as Gibson Les Pauls continued to evolve - many would say improve - interest in the instrument would wane throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was not until the mid to late 1960s, when rock legends such as Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton rediscovered the late 50s Les Paul Standards that this guitar would see a resurgence in popularity. The Les Paul Standard remains popular to this day, with a new version introduced in 2008.

The Les Paul Custom, Junior, and Special

The next major revision in Les Paul guitars came with the introduction of the Les Paul Custom in 1954. This Les Paul model featured alnico pickups designed by Seth Lover. The Les Paul Jr., a budget version, was also introduced in this year. In 1955, the Les Paul Special, a two-pickup version of the Junior, would be introduced.

The Les Paul Goldtop

The first version of the Les Paul electric guitar, which would become known as the goldtop Les Paul, was introduced in 1952. It was originally known simply as the “Les Paul” - the goldtop designation would come later, as guitars of this era became associated with their gold finish. It was an archtop guitar with a mahogany body, and featured the classic P-90 pickups.

Les Paul's Design Contributions

Other sources suggest a much more hands-on design role for Les Paul. He agreed that the guitar should be an expensive, well-made instrument in the Gibson tradition. Some say that he made at least two significant contributions to the design of the Gibson Les Pauls. One was that the colors should be “classy” - that is, an expensive-looking gold version, and a black, “tuxedo-like” version should be produced. The other contribution widely credited to Les Paul was the trapese tailpiece design.