Gibson VINTAGE Les Paul Custom '71 Watermelon Cherry

The Les Paul Custom, which debuted in 1954 as a Les Paul model for jazz musicians, boasted a luxurious look inherited from the high-end archtop guitars of the time. After many twists and turns, it has become a beloved instrument among rock musicians and remains an immensely popular guitar to this day.

This particular guitar, which we have in stock, is a 1971 model, shipped around the same time as the 1968 re-release, after some minor changes. It's an extremely rare cherry-colored body, and the fretless wonder is still beautifully preserved, making it a truly superb instrument.

【body】
The total weight is approximately 4.3 kg. The body is made of a maple top and a mahogany back with a pancake construction. While the Les Paul Custom is strongly associated with the ebony black color, this is a very rare and beautiful example in a vibrant watermelon cherry color. There is some weather checking, minor dents, belt buckle marks, and some peeling and tarnishing of the gold hardware, mainly around the tailpiece, which are commensurate with its age. However, the condition of the body binding and the gloss of the paint are good, and considering its age, it can be said to be in remarkably good condition.

【neck】
The neck is a 3-piece mahogany with a volute. The fingerboard is made of rare ebony. Although there is some weather checking at the joints of the materials, mainly on the headstock, stand burn on the neck's curve, minor dents, and tarnishing on the metal parts, it remains in beautiful condition, similar to the body. The tuners are Kluson VX-501 waffle pegs; they are slightly stiff when winding, but function properly. The frets are the original Fretless Wonder frets, and are in excellent condition with only slight wear. The nut width is 43.1mm. It features a relatively thin neck shape for a Les Paul model.

[Electrical System]
The controls are the familiar Les Paul model configuration: 3-way pickup selector, 2 volume, and 2 tone. The pickups show no signs of having been removed and retain their original numbered humbucker decals. It's also pleasing to see that the Sprague Black Beauty capacitors are still intact. One potentiometer has been replaced, but the other control components, including the pickups, are in a highly original condition.

While its rare color is eye-catching, its sound is also authentic. As a humbucker directly descended from the numbered PAFs that supported the rock scene of that era, it boasts a thick core, extended sustain, and a moderately compressed, sticky drive sound. When clean, it has a crisp, glossy tone with a clear outline, and when driven, the low-center-of-gravity midrange comes to the forefront, resulting in a powerful, classic rock sound that is unique to that era. Including the fretless wonder, this is a very valuable instrument that allows you to experience the original tone of that time.

Accessories: Gibson wine red inner black hard case

Weight: 4.3kg
Body Material (Top/Back): Maple 3 piece/Laminate Mahogany
Neck Material/Scale Length: Mahogany 3 piece w/Volute/624mm (24-1/2inch)
Bridge/Tail: Gibson ABR-1 Gold/Stop Tailpiece Gold
Fingerboard/Fret Marker/Radius: Ebony/Pearloid Block/304.8mm (12inch)
Nut Width/Fret Width: 43.1mm/1.8mm Fretless wonder, 22F
Neck Thickness (1F/7F/12F): 20.3mm/22.8mm/25.3mm
Capacitor: Sprague Black Beauty .022μF 400VDC
Pickup (Neck/Bridge): Gibson PU-490 Humbucker Stickered Numbered w/Gold Cover (7.5kΩ/7.5kΩ)
*The DC resistance value of the pickup is measured after passing through the control section.

Heartman Vintage Guitars is a specialty store for vintage guitars and basses operated by Ikebe Musical Instruments.