Overview :- I love the simplicity of the LP Special and LP Junior models – Plug in and play with no fancy trimmings attached – Whilst the ‘raw’ nature of such guitars lend themselves towards punk, indie, new wave and the early days of Chess Records , it can also be soft and tender, thanks to a smooth sounding neck pick-up which will allow you to try out some jazz and Steely Dan etc – So certainly not a one trick pony – I don’t think that Gibson ever made a black LP Junior or Special back in the 50’s – As such the Custom Shop team have taken on board some poetic licence when they produced a 1960 replica with a black finish – You normally see TV Yellow, the classic faded cherry or sunburst – But black does look in keeping with the simplistic nature of the LP Special – So for further details with regards to this used Gibson Custom Shop 1960 Les Paul Special, from 2014, then please read below
- Whole guitar weighs 7lbs and 12oz
- One piece mahogany body + neck with a nitro gloss black finish
- Complete with gold warranty tag, that shows 2014 as the date of birth, various tags and the Custom Shop certificate/wallet
- Spare plain/black switch cover is also in the case – the 1894-2014 special cover is still fitted on the guitar
- 50’s flavoured neck profile – measures .935″ around the top nut end and fattens out to 1.018″ around the 12th fret – Chunky historic feel – Full C profile, almost D like
- Inked serial number starting 0 to indicate 1960
- Silk screen LP Special gold decal + Gibson inlay
- 22 medium jumbo frets
- Smooth + even grained rosewood fingerboard
- ‘Shell’ dot markers on single ply ‘cream’ fingerboard binding
- Black bonnet control knobs with pointer rings
- Smokey amber switch tip
- Bumble bee caps with 500K pots
- Plus a pair of P90 pick-ups that both kick out around 7.68K
- 3 on a plate ‘vintage’ machine heads with simple oval buttons – Push in vintage style ferrules/bushings
- Vintage style wrap over bridge/tailpiece
- Re-strung with 10-46 gauge strings and set-up with a comfortable easy action that will respond to a light touch
- Includes black ‘regular’ Gibson LP case – Not the historic collection style case
Condition :- Overall this LP is in very good condition – We all know black is probably the worse colour to show any blemish – But a tour of the nitro gloss black finish will reveal no ding or dint – As such any surface graze is minimal and not obvious when you first glance over the finish – You’ll find the usual pick marks on the scratch plate – The frets are fine – For a guitar that is now around 12 years old then it is either been well cared for or used sparingly – So clean without attracting that mint, showroom condition tag
Tonal character :- There is a Jekyll and Hyde character about LP Special’s – Raw or smooth as required – You have to remember that before 1957 and the birth of the humbucker , the P90 was the chosen pick up for many players – As such a host of jazz players played P90 equipped guitars – Ditto early rock n roll players like T Bone Walker – The opposite end of the journey and the simple raw nature of a P90 bridge pick-up suits the styles of Green Day, The Ramones etc, all those early black chess record artist – And don’t forget that the Brick In The Wall solo was played by Dave on a LP with P90’s – The bridge pick-up is the shin kicker – Tight and focussed, with clear lows and enough mids to add depth but not muddy at all – The neck pick-up can be lush, smooth and warm with excellent clarity – But for me the test is to set up the amp with some gain, plug in the guitar and control all the emotional needs and overdrive from the guitar itself – Just use the guitar’s volume pots accordingly – For your base camp then leave the vol pots around the 6/7 mark for a more subtle approach – Then wind it back up towards 10. as and when required, for more gain and bite – ie a turbo boost when required – This approach delivers far more emotional control – In short a versatile guitar that can enjoy working in many different genres
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Guitars4You is not another corporate high street guitar store - My selection of premium grade guitars is about quality not quantity. Every guitar has been selected, inspected and approved by me, with particular attention to the set-up and playing performance. Every sale, phone call, email and mail order transaction is handled by me. A journey that is now over 50 years old, has fuelled my knowledge, experience, love, devotion and passion for exceptionally fine guitars.