Gibson USA Les Paul '50s Tribute

Gibson USA is celebrating 2013 as the Year of Les Paul, and is blowing it up big with a new series of decade-dedicated Tribute Les Pauls, each of which honors the artistry and innovation of inventor and guitarist Les Paul by capturing the essence of a great Les Paul guitar from one of four different eras. All embody the full magic of this legendary guitar design, but are stripped down for improved value and no-nonsense performance. The Les Paul ’50s Tribute nails the look, feel, and tone of the set-neck, single-cutaway solidbody that started it all—the original Les Paul Model of the early to mid 1950s. Like the first Les Paul guitars, the Les Paul ’50s Tribute carries a pair of screaming P-90 pickups, the fat Gibson single-coil that has been beloved for more than six decades, along with the comfortably rounded neck profile characteristic of that decade. A step up to Gibson’s most acclaimed hardware set improves playability and offers precise tuning and intonation. And, like all Les Paul and SG 2013 Tribute Series guitars, the Les Paul ’50s Tribute is available upgraded with Min-ETune™ automated “robot” tuners for a nominal upcharge. The Les Paul ’50s Tribute looks great in your choice of Vintage Sunburst, Wine Red, Ebony Black, or Goldtop finish, all in Vintage Gloss nitrocellulose lacquer. Just like the greatest Les Paul Standards ever made, the Les Paul ’50s Tribute starts with the classic tonewood combination of a mahogany body with solid carved maple top. When paired, these woods offer a tonal depth and complexity unmatched by any single-wood construction, with warmth and richness from the mahogany, and superb clarity and “snap” from the maple. The mahogany back is strategically weight relieved to both lighten your load and improve resonance. A solid mahogany neck is glued into the body in Gibson’s time-tested tradition, and carved to a comfortably rounded ‘50s profile that measures .818” at the 1st fret and .963” at the 12th. It is topped with a genuine rosewood fingerboard that carries 22 medium-jumbo frets and traditional trapezoid inlays. In keeping with the stripped-down ethos of this powerful performer, both body and ’board remain unbound, and there’s no pickguard to obscure the finish. A PLEK-cut nut made from black Corian™ subtly complements the black top-hat knobs with silver inserts, while enhancing resonance and sustain. The traditional back-angled headstock is silkscreened with a gold Gibson logo and Les Paul Model. The Les Paul ’50s Tribute takes its firepower from a pair of P-90 pickups, some of the most revered tone machines in Gibson history. The P-90s currently made by Gibson USA adhere strictly to the vintage formula, which includes genuine Alnico V bar magnets and coils wound with 42-AWG enamel-coated wire for all the growl, snarl, and articulation that has made the originals legendary. The traditional wiring complement of an independent volume and tone control per pickup plus a three-way toggle selector switch allows a broad range of sonic variations. To anchor it all down, Gibson USA loads in a Tune-o-Matic bridge and Stopbar tailpiece, with a set of genuine Grover™ kidney button tuners, a hardware set that partners up for solid sustain and precision tuning. Put it all together, and the Les Paul ’50s Tribute presents the perfect celebration of Les Paul’s genius and achievement, wrapping it into a great guitar that brings the look, feel, and sound of the first generation of Les Pauls to the hands of players of today. Each guitar includes a black Gibson gigbag, owner’s manual, and truss-rod wrench, and comes covered by Gibson USA’s Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service.