Gibson Les Paul Custom Tobacco Sunburst Electric Guitar, 1972 [USED]

This Gibson Les Paul Custom electric guitar with Tobacco Sunburst finish dates to 1972 at Kalamazoo. It has the embossed pickup covers used from late 1970 to May 1972.  It has the embossed pickup covers used from late 1970 to May 1972.  The volume and tone pots date to 1972.  Typical of this part of the Norlin era, the neck is 3-piece Mahogany with a Volute and a 14-degree head pitch. 

This lovely example is largely but not entirely original. The original tuners were likely 'Waffleback' Kluson models, and have been replaced with Guild-branded parts.  The original bridge - included in the original case - was replaced with a modern Nashville style tune-o-matic. The control knobs have been replaced, the originals in the case.   

The frets are in good shape and appear to be the original 'Fretless Wonder' wire. These tended to wear a little less because the low wire encourages the player to use the least amount of effort. There is a receipt in the case for a fret dress and recrown in 2015. 

Overall this guitar is in good physical and playing condition.  A crack in the area of the head, extending down the treble side to the third fret, was repaired and touched up long ago and seems to have been fully stable since.  The finish is well preserved with light jean-rivet rash on the back. The gold plating has worn significantly particularly on the lightweight stop tailpiece. It plays well and cleanly. 

The original black hard shell case is included, and contains the original control knobs and bridge.

Materials, Construction, and Model History

The Gibson Les Paul Custom appeared in 1954, two years after the introduction of the Les Paul model, with similar appearance but significant differences. 

Presented as an upmarket version, the Custom featured a black finish, multi-layer binding around the body top, back, neck and head, plus an Ebony fingerboard with a 'Fretless Wonder' treatment and Mother of Pearl block position markers.  

For electronics, there was a P-90 pickup at the bridge and and a 'Staple Top' Alnico V pickup at the neck.   This pickup combination was used until 1957 when the all-new Humbucking pickups were introduced, and the Custom got three of them!

Progressing from the original Trapeze and the stop-tail bridge setup, the 1954 models gained the ABR-1 'tune-a-matic' bridge and stop tailpiece pair still in use.  A Bigsby true vibrato tailpiece was available as an option.  

There was more under the finish: instead of the carved Maple cap on the Les Paul Model, the Les Paul Custom had a carved Mahogany cap.   This difference in construction remained until the single-cutaway design was discontinued in 1961.  When production resumed in 1968, the carved cap was Maple.  

The 'Fretless Wonder' treatment involved the use of a very low and originally narrow fretwire.  The idea was that this reduced the physical effort required to play, increasing speed in chord changes.  However, by the mid 1960's popular music styles involved more and more string bending, which really benefits from higher fretwire.  By 1974, the 'Fretless Wonder' treatment was discontinued.  

 

There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here

 

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DETAILS: 

• Instrument Model:  Les Paul Custom
• Instrument Manufacturer:  Gibson
• Instrument year:  1972
• Instrument Finish:  Tobacco Sunburst Nitrocellulose Lacquer
• Instrument Class:  Solidbody Electric Guitars
• Instrument serial number:  688969, built during 1972 at Kalamazoo Michigan
• Country of Origin:  USA
• Instrument Condition:  Good
• Right-handed 
• Instrument Weight Imperial:   9.152 lbs
• Instrument Weight Metric:   4.16 kgs
• Scale Length Imperial:    24.65 in
• Scale Length Metric:    626 mm
• Nut Width Imperial:    1.701 in
• Nut Width Metric:  43.20 mm
  
• Items in Case: Original control knobs, bridge
• CITIES Documentation Required:  No
• Case included:  Yes
• Case original:  Yes
• Case Type: Hard Shell 
• Consignment: Yes
• Product ID: 190693

 

There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here