Gibson Custom 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue Gloss, Ebony

Gibson Custom 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue Gloss, Ebony Overview

Gibson Custom 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue Gloss, Ebony - Overview

The Gibson Custom Shop 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue in Gloss Ebony is a modern recreation of the iconic 1968 model, reflecting the craftsmanship, accuracy, and attention to detail that Gibson Custom Shop is known for. It celebrates the unique characteristics of the 1968 Les Paul Custom while delivering vintage tone, feel, and aesthetics.

Key Features:

1. Body:

   • Construction: The 1968 Les Paul Custom distinguishes itself from the earlier 1950s models by featuring a solid mahogany back with a solid maple top. This combination provides a blend of warm, resonant lows from the mahogany and bright, articulate highs from the maple.
   • Finish: Gloss nitrocellulose lacquer in Ebony, providing a sleek, luxurious look with a high-gloss sheen.

2. Neck:

   • Material: Solid mahogany neck, historically accurate with a long neck tenon, which ensures stability and improves sustain.
   • Neck Profile: '68 Medium “C” profile, providing a comfortable, balanced feel suitable for various playing styles.
   • Headstock Angle: 14-degree peghead angle, which contributes to reduced string tension for enhanced playability and improved tuning stability.
   • Fingerboard: Ebony fingerboard, a key feature of the Les Paul Custom, offering smooth playability and a crisp, sharp attack.

3. Pickups:

   • Equipped with two Custombucker humbuckers, meticulously designed to recreate the tonal nuances of vintage PAF (Patent Applied For) pickups.
   • The pickups deliver a blend of powerful output and clarity, providing warm lows, punchy mids, and sharp, biting highs, perfect for rock, blues, and jazz.

4. Hardware:

   • Bridge: ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge for precise intonation and sustain.
   • Tailpiece: Stopbar tailpiece, enhancing sustain and ensuring consistent string tension.
   • Tuners: Kluson-style tuners with metal tulip buttons, staying true to the vintage look and providing reliable tuning.
   • Gold hardware: Classic for the Custom model, adding a touch of elegance and luxury to the aesthetic.

5. Playability:

   • Frets: Medium jumbo frets provide effortless string bending and fast playing.
   • Scale Length: Standard 24.75" scale length for familiar Gibson feel and easy string tension.
   • Nut: Nylon nut, offering a smooth feel and vintage-correct specification.

6. Additional Features:

   • Binding: Multi-ply binding on both the top and back of the body, as well as along the neck and headstock, adding to the ornate, upscale look.
   • Inlays: Mother of Pearl block inlays on the fingerboard and a split-diamond inlay on the headstock.
   • Controls: Two volume and two tone knobs with a 3-way toggle switch for versatile tonal control.

Historical Significance:

The 1968 Les Paul Custom was pivotal in defining the evolution of the Les Paul line after its reintroduction in the late '60s. The solid maple top added brightness and bite to the traditional warmth of the mahogany body, making it a favorite among rock guitarists who craved both power and articulation. This reissue captures that spirit, along with a faithful recreation of the vintage feel and specifications.

Tone and Sound:

With its combination of mahogany, maple, and Custombucker humbuckers, this guitar delivers the classic Les Paul Custom sound—rich, thick, and harmonically complex. The guitar can handle a wide range of genres, from heavy rock to smooth jazz, with clarity, punch, and sustain that have defined the Les Paul legacy.