Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Plain Top Iced Tea

In an effort to jump start the steadily declining sales of the Les Paul model, Gibson decided to abandon the solid gold finish that had been used since the guitar made its debut in 1952. Instead, they went to a translucent Cherry Sunburst finish that was popular on most of its hollowbodies and arch-tops. However, they wisely stuck with the combination of a carved, two-piece maple top (which sometimes had a little or a lot of what we today call flame or figure, though the majority actually had rather plain tops) matched to a solid mahogany back. Also, by 1958 all Les Paul Standards and Customs came with two humbucking pickups (or three in the case of the Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty"). Up until 1957, the guitars had P-90s, which were actually single coil pickups, though their size led to them being called "soapbars." Naturally, those early Les Pauls got gobbled up during the vintage guitar boom of the late 1980s and into the 1990s, so there's no way you or I could afford one (that's assuming you could even locate one for sale). So for us, Gibson created the Vintage Original Spec Series, which just happens to include a beautiful reproduction of the 1958 Les Paul Standard "Plain Top." Folks, this is as close as Gibson has ever come to producing a guitar that might just have popped out of a time machine set to go back to 1958!

Gibson 1958 Les Paul Standard "Plain Top" Features at a Glance:

Historically accurate single cutaway mahogany body in Faded Tobacco

There have been a lot of recreations of the original Les Paul guitars over the decades. However, not all of them were dead-on accurate - indeed, few were. The reason is simple: Gibson had stopped building these guitars for quite a while and the original specs were lost. It has taken the Custom, Art & Historic Division a long time to locate really great examples of those early instruments. Now armed with the most accurate measurements, right down to the smallest detail, Gibson has released what it's calling the Vintage Original Spec (VOS) Series, which includes this gorgeous replica of the '58 Les Paul Standard "Plain Top." Why plain top? Well, some Les Pauls came with figured maple tops, but by far, the greatest proportion of those early sunburst Les Pauls had relatively plain maple tops. If you're looking for vintage vibe in a Les Paul that's as historically accurate as anything Gibson has built over the past few decades, and don't want or need a figured top, then the 1958 Les Paul Standard Plain Top is just what you're looking for. It has the deep, elegant top carve with cream single-ply binding on the top. Another aspect of the sunburst finish is the way it has aged. Some '58s still have the cherry sunburst color, while others faded to different degrees (in part because of variations in the stains used). These colors have been given names by collectors and they've stuck. These include Faded Tobacco (which had a bit of blue in the red part of the "burst") and Iced Tea, both of which are very attractive, so Gibson decided to use them in these reissues and the result is simply stunning!



Two BurstBucker pickups with three-way selector switch

In the beginning there were just two pickup options for guitar players: Single coils or humbuckers. But early on, most players didn't fully realize the significance of the two designs. It wasn't until Eric Clapton plugged a Les Paul into a Marshall amp that the light went on in many players heads: Aha! Humbuckers equal big, fat tone! But by that time, the Les Paul guitar had been discontinued, leading players to search second-hand music stores for "used" Les Pauls. The 1958 Vintage Original Spec Les Paul Standard "Plain Top" is equipped with two of the best humbucking pickups Gibson has ever produced, the BurstBuckers! With a tight low-end, complex midrange and sweet treble, the sound is everything you'd ever want from a Les Paul. Even the CTS pots and "bumble-bee" capacitors have been faithfully recreated here. A three-way selector switch is used to choose front, rear or both pickups. Just picking this beauty up is enough to give you chills! But wait until you plug it in!



Mahogany neck with early 1950s profile and rosewood fingerboard

When early Les Pauls are discussed - and they are at great length - a big issue is always the neck profile. The earliest Les Pauls had big, fat necks made of mahogany. The neck was slimmed down a bit in 1959 and it finally evolved into what's known today as the "slim taper" neck in 1960. Some players love those huge old necks while others prefer the slim taper design. This '58 VOS Les Paul Standard "Plain Top" has a bound mahogany neck with long neck tenon and the original '50s rounded neck profile, which is historically accurate. It lets you really lean into the neck and dig in for the best tone. The rosewood fingerboard has acrylic trapezoid inlays that are both accurate in shape and color. Nickel-plated hardware and vintage "tulip" tuners complete the package.



Authentic Tune-o-matic bridge with standard stop tailpiece

One of Gibson's many accomplishments in the 1950s was the development of the Tune-o-matic bridge, which allowed for precise intonation of each and every string. Since then, millions of guitars have been built with variations on that theme. Though for a while, it seemed that the design for those original bridges might be gone, Gibson has brilliantly recreated it for the '58 Vintage Original Spec Les Paul Standard "Plain Top." While a small number of '50s Les Pauls shipped with Bigsby vibratos, the majority of players will prefer this version which has the standard stud-mounted stop tailpiece, which helps produce the incredible sustain Les Pauls have always been famous for.



Includes Custom Shop case and certificate of authenticity

Naturally, a guitar as special as the '58 Vintage Original Spec Les Paul Standard "Plain Top" will come with a plush-lined hardshell case that befits its lofty status as one of Gibson's most amazing achievements (even if it wasn't apparent back in the '50s). So this one comes with a really sweet Custom Shop case that will offer the ultimate protection for your investment for many decades to come. The reissue "Plain Top" also comes with a certificate of authenticity, which proves your good taste, as well as a custom care kit and other assorted "case candy."





Gibson 1958 Les Paul Standard "Plain Top" Features: