Gibson

Few guitars carry as much historical significance as the Gibson Les Paul. And while that is well-deserved given the LP’s famous full and beefy tone, it’s also notorious for its significant weight! Enter this Memphis-made ES-Les Paul, a true cross between Gibson’s two most iconic guitars: the Les Paul and the ES-335.

Most of the ES-Les Paul’s specifications will be familiar to those who know Les Pauls. However, this one takes a significant detour into ES-335 territory with its 3-ply laminated body consisting of a Maple/Poplar/Maple sandwich. Just like the 335, it features an interior block (mahogany in this example) to improve sustain and combat feedback. Still, it retains much of the lively acoustic character of a hollowbody instrument when played unplugged and yields an interesting harmonic bloom while notes sustain. The semi-hollow construction of this guitar gives it the added and unexpected advantage of weighing just over 6 pounds.

Plugged in, all of the classic Les Paul sounds are here. The sustain rings loud and true and gradually gives way to that same harmonic bloom. The neck pickup is full, round, and fat while the bridge pickup offers a biting treble attack before quickly smoothing out into that signature midrange for searing leads and riffing. Even though its laminate build, small body, and center block are designed to keep feedback at bay when you don’t want it, controlled feedback is easy to come by. All of this equals an instrument that would find its home in many genres as it’s equally capable of everything from jazzy cleans to juicy blues to full-throttle rock‘n roll.

“Departing from the shoulder-busting weight of a Les Paul that is all too known, this ES-Les Paul is a surprising breath of fresh air for a player like myself that is loyal to this era-defining instrument from Gibson. The guitar is incredibly sensitive to touch and maintains the rubber band-like string plucking quality of a semi-hollow body guitar.  Unlike many other Les Pauls that I have had the chance to play, this one exhibits an enticing amplitude curve when riding the volume knob. It can go from delicate and barely heard notes to a screaming lead with the small movement of a finger. There is something about the way that a semi-hollow cleans up that when combined with the classic Les Paul body shape makes for an overwhelmingly exciting guitar.” – Aaron Rizzo

Condition 

This guitar was well-maintained by its previous owner but does show some subtle signs of wear. There are some faint scratches throughout the body but no dings or major points of cosmetic damage to report. The guitar is, however, missing its original pickguard. We would rate this guitar as EXCELLENT condition.   

• LP-Style Single Cutaway Semi-Hollowbody
• 2-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple Laminate Top, Back, and Sides
• Aged Cream Top, Back, and Neck Binding
• Light Burst Top Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish with Walnut Back and Side Stain
• Mahogany Neck
• Rosewood Fingerboard
• Pearloid Trapezoid Fingerboard Inlays
• “Modified 1959” Slim C Neck Carve
• Gloss Walnut Stain Neck Finish
• Gibson Memphis Historic Spec (MHS) Alnico Humbucker Pickups
• 3-Way Pickup Selector Switch
• Individual Tone and Volume Controls for Each Pickup
• ABR-1 Bridge and Stop Tailpiece
• No Pickguard
• Kluson Tuning Machines with Tulip Buttons
• 6875” Nut Width
• 75” Scale Length
• 22 Frets
• 12” Fingerboard Radius
• Approximately 6.12 lbs.
• Original Gibson Hardshell Case