The Gibson 1961 Les Paul Custom stands as a distinctive guitar from a transitional chapter in the company’s history. Between 1961 and 1963, Gibson redesigned the Les Paul with a slim, bevelled, symmetrical double cutaway body. By 1963, following a temporary split between Gibson and Les Paul himself, this shape would be renamed the SG. As a result, instruments produced during this brief two year period carry the Les Paul name while clearly displaying what would become the unmistakable SG outline.
Les Paul Custom models from this era have been favoured by numerous artists over the decades. Today, these early 60s examples are increasingly desirable among players and collectors, valued for their unmistakable vintage tone, striking appearance, and the fascinating historical context that surrounds their production.
This 1961 Les Paul Custom in original Polaris White finish is an excellent playing and sounding guitar that very much slots in to the player grade bracket, having sustained multiple changes to originality over the years. The pickups are not the original P.A.F's, but instead two Tim Shaw long Patent Number humbuckers in the neck and bridge, with the middle pickup being a non original Pat. No. sticker humbucker, which also appears to have had the original cover replaced with a gold cover to match the rest of the hardware.
The tuners adjustomatic bridge are correct for the period, although the bridge is missing its original wire, and two saddle adjustment screws have been replaced. The sideways Vibrola tailpiece is again correct for the period, however this guitar has previously been fitted with a stop tailpiece, with the thumb screws mounts recessed in to the body and some finish touch up around that area. The pots have all been replaced, with readable codes dating to late 1976, and the wiring loom has of course been worked on inline with the replacement pickups. Finally, this guitar has also sustained some previous trauma to the neck heel, as is illustrated in the photos. There is an area of finish touch up around the heel, and what our luthier believes to be covered dowels used to reinforce the neck join. This guitar is also supplied in a later period case.
As with all our instruments, this guitar has been given a full service and appraisal by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 2 year warranty.
