blueline
Active member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2005
- Messages
- 186
This year marks the 60 year release of the new styled Les Paul standard. It was about this time 60 years ago that the first new Les Paul models were released but no one really knows for sure because the ledgers for the 1960 solid bodies have disappeared. Gibson is now offering a reward for the return of the missing ledgers. If you have that ledger feel free to contribute.
I thought this year would a good time to update my knowledge on the historical development of this new les Paul model and encourage readers to contribute their knowledge.
Most writers and dealers employ the terms Les Paul/SG or SG/Les Paul or Les Paul-SG style to refer to the new styled Les Paul Model. From a historical perspective, these terms represent a conceptual muddle and historically incorrect.
According to Gibson literature, the Les Paul was not a style but a “series” or a “line” of “Les Paul Models” (various Gibson ads, 1961).
By 1960 Gibson had expanded the Les Paul series from the original gold top to include LP models with varying styles including the LP Custom, LP Standard, LP Special, LP Special ¾, LP-TV, LP Junior and LP Junior 3/4 years ago. Gibson also added the new styled LP Standard to the fall line up. To distinguish the two Les Paul standard models, the Gibson literature simply calls the single cutaway Les Paul as “old style” and the new model as “new style” (Gibson vibrola instruction sheet; ledger copy, Lawrence, 2008).
I thought this year would a good time to update my knowledge on the historical development of this new les Paul model and encourage readers to contribute their knowledge.
Most writers and dealers employ the terms Les Paul/SG or SG/Les Paul or Les Paul-SG style to refer to the new styled Les Paul Model. From a historical perspective, these terms represent a conceptual muddle and historically incorrect.
According to Gibson literature, the Les Paul was not a style but a “series” or a “line” of “Les Paul Models” (various Gibson ads, 1961).
By 1960 Gibson had expanded the Les Paul series from the original gold top to include LP models with varying styles including the LP Custom, LP Standard, LP Special, LP Special ¾, LP-TV, LP Junior and LP Junior 3/4 years ago. Gibson also added the new styled LP Standard to the fall line up. To distinguish the two Les Paul standard models, the Gibson literature simply calls the single cutaway Les Paul as “old style” and the new model as “new style” (Gibson vibrola instruction sheet; ledger copy, Lawrence, 2008).