Gibson 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Darkback Reissue VOS #1
Product information "Gibson 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Darkback Reissue VOS #1"
The Gibson Les Paul is a solid-body electric guitar first sold by the cult manufacturer Gibson in 1952. The guitar was designed by plant manager John Huis and his team with the involvement and support of guitarist Les Paul. Les Paul had long experimented with the design of a solid guitar without acoustic sound production; his early designs were repeatedly rejected by Gibson. But after Leo Fender successfully launched the first mass-produced solidbody electric guitars in the early 1950s, Gibson wanted to try it too. The first Les Pauls were offered in 1952 with a gold finish and two P-90 pickups. The Gibson Custom Shop has taken inspiration from these guitars and now presents you with a very special Custom Shop one-off model based on a 1950s Les Paul Goldtop.
The Gibson 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Darkback Reissue VOS is a classic single-cut electric guitar with a two-piece mahogany body and a maple top. Mahogany was already used on the original Les Paul guitars and provides the foundation for the perfect vintage sound. The mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard is carved in a '57 chunky C profile and fitted with a classic, relatively flat 12" fretboard radius. The guitar is equipped with a classic H-H pickup configuration featuring a Gibson Custombucker at the bridge and a Gibson Custombucker at the neck position. Further features include Gibson Vintage Deluxe tuners with white buttons, gold Top Hat knobs, a Tune-O-Matic bridge with Stop Tailpiece and a cream-coloured pickguard.
This model is finished in a beautiful gold lacquer. The thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish allows the wood to resonate particularly well and causes the finish to age more attractively. The VOS, or Vintage Original Specs guitar, looks as if it were brand new but was purchased in the 1950s or 60s. The instrument is built to vintage specifications but shows no wear, faded finish, worn hardware or other ageing effects. This kind of (non-)aging is perfect for you if you want everything that characterised Gibson guitars of that era but prefer every scratch and dent to come from your own playing and hands.
The Gibson 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Darkback Reissue VOS is delivered with a certificate of authenticity in a luxurious original Gibson Custom Shop case, so you can safely transport your new dream guitar and protect it from external influences.
- Aging: VOS
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Body Shape: Single Cut
- Body finish: Gloss
- Bridge / Tremolo: Tune-O-Matic
- Bridge Pickup: Gibson Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted)
- Color/ Finish: Double Gold
- Colour: Gold
- Controls: 2x volume, 2x tone
- Country of Origin: USA
- Custom shop: yes
- Finish: Nitrocellulose
- Fretboard: Rosewood
- Fretboard Inlays: Trapezoid inlays
- Fretboard radius: 12"
- Frets: 22
- Fret size: Historic Gibson Narrow/Tall
- Hardware: Nickel
- Includes: Case & certificate
- Neck: Mahogany
- Neck Pickup: Gibson Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted)
- Neck Profile: '57 Chunky C
- Neck construction: Set in neck
- Neck finish: Gloss
- Nut Width: 1.6875" (42.86 mm)
- Nut material: Nylon
- Pickguard: Laminated Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
- Pickup Configuration: H-H (2x Humbucker)
- Pickup Cover: Nickel
- Pickup Selector Switch: 3 way toggle
- Pickup type: passive
- Scale: 24" (610 - 634 mm)
- Scale Length: 24,75" (629 mm)
- Serial number: 741002
- Signature Model: no
- Special Features: CTS Potis, Paper and Oil Capacitors
- Strings: 6 string
- Strings thickness ex factory: .010 - .046
- Technology: Solid Body
- Top: Maple
- Tuning Machines: Kluson Single Line, Single Ring
- Weight: 3,80 kg
The American Gibson Guitar Corporation, founded in 1902 by Orville Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigan, first became known for the production of mandolins and banjos. Today the company’s headquarters are in Nashville, Tennessee, and Gibson is one of the world’s most renowned and respected manufacturers of electric guitars.
The model Les Paul, named after its creator Lester William Polsfuss, is one of the most famous and best‑selling electric guitar shapes of all time and established the single‑cut guitar form, which has been copied, adopted and reinterpreted by numerous other manufacturers. The Les Paul is mainly prized for its sound, characterised as warm and full. The humbucker pickup largely responsible for that sound, in its now common design, was developed by Seth Lover at Gibson.
In the early 1960s the Gibson SG appeared as another solid‑body electric from Gibson. Originally intended as the successor to the Les Paul, it became — helped by Angus Young of AC/DC — another rock‑history icon and is the basis for the double‑cutaway guitar type.
With the Flying V and the Explorer Gibson is responsible for two body shapes that, although they were far ahead of their time when introduced in the late 1950s, have over the years also achieved legendary status. They still serve as the foundation for a host of heavy guitars today, for example from makers such as Jackson or ESP.
The Gibson Custom Shop produces custom orders, high‑quality one‑offs and precise replicas of famous models and legendary instrument years. These are often subjected to an artificial ageing process called relicing.
Almost as long as the company has existed, acoustic guitars have also been produced. The J‑45, the Hummingbird, the L‑00 and the SJ‑200 are among the world’s most beloved steel‑string acoustics and were the instruments of choice for Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and John Lennon.
Besides the instruments already mentioned, you can of course also buy picks, bags and cases or merchandise from Gibson with us.
We are particularly proud to host a Gibson Flagship Store in our Frankfurt branch. There you’ll find not only a large selection and exclusive models to try out in person, but you’ll also benefit from the expertise of our Gibson‑trained and certified staff when choosing the perfect guitar.
