Here for sale we have a Gibson ‘The Paul’ Les Paul in Natural finish. ‘The Paul’ was a guitar made for a limited time, between 1978-1982, and was introduced by Gibson as a less expensive line which would appeal to a wider audience than the Standard, Deluxe or Custom. Fast forward 45 years and ‘The Paul’ is now a more affordable access point into the vintage market, boasting a set of the revered ‘T’ top humbuckers and all the vintage mojo one looks for in an older instrument.
This 1979 example of ‘The Paul’ was crafted in the USA and features a set neck construction comprising a 5 piece Walnut body, 3 piece Walnut neck and 22 fret Ebony fingerboard with pearl dot inlays. This example is particularly special as it features the bound headstock only seen on the Custom, with 5 ply binding and the striking split diamond inlay, typically reserved for only Gibson's highest end models. We have spoken to an individual who worked in the Gibson factory in the late ‘70s who has confirmed that Gibson trialled different headstocks during this period, and we believe that this guitar was one of the said prototypes which made it to market. Other key features of this guitar include Grover machine heads, Tune-o-matic tailpiece and Gibson ‘T top’ humbuckers, date stamped to 1979, wired to the typical 3 watch toggle switch and individual volume and tone controls.
The 3-piece Walnut neck is a joy to play, with a ‘60s style profile which is best described as a medium ‘D’ shape. This profile is not as thick as many other Gibson, yet still feels substantial underhand. The gloss finish on the rear of the neck allows you to glide up and down the neck effortlessly, with the traditional 12” fingerboard radius providing the perfect balance between comfortable chording and an ability to perform bending and vibrato techniques. The Ebony fingerboard provides a luxuriously smooth feeling underhand.
The original set of Gibson ‘T-Top’ humbuckers are equipped in this guitar, these pickups have a reasonably low output and offer an authentic ‘PAF’ tone which is sought after by many. Clean tones and slightly overdriven tones sound fantastic, with an airiness which is a breath of fresh air in a world full of hot pickups designed for maximum gain. The neck pickup has a lovely warmth to it whilst the bridge is slightly hotter whilst retaining clarity and avoiding sounding too thin. The pickups are wired to the classic volume and tone configuration.
Gibson 'The Paul' Les Paul Natural 1979 Electric Guitar
Brand - Gibson
Model - ‘The Paul’
Finish - Natural Walnut
Year - 1979
Made In - USA
Body - Walnut
Neck - Walnut
Neck Profile - Medium ‘D’
Fingerboard - Ebony
Fingerboard Radius - 12”
Frets - 22”
Scale Length- 24.75”
Nut Width - 1.68”
Pickups - 2 x Gibson ‘T-Top’ Humbuckers
Controls - 3-Way Toggle Switch, Neck Volume, Neck Tone, Bridge Volume, Bridge Tone
Our ID: 112012571277
Weight: 8.45lbs
Serial: 7124952
Aesthetic Condition:
Headstock:
Overall very good condition. Mild indentations are present to the rear edges of the headstock, these have broken through the lacquer finish exposing the wood beneath. Light paint transfer can be seen to the rear face tip of the headstock. All faces of the headstock display light to mild checking of the lacquer, this is common with nitrocellulose lacquer with a guitar this age and is most noticeable to the front face. Light scratching is present to all aspects.
Neck:
Overall very good condition. The fingerboard displays light 'chipping' of the ebony due to a past re-fret, these can not be felt in the playing position. Very light indentations and scratching is present to the rear of the neck, these can only be seen under direct light, the indentations are most noticeable behind the 1st fret and the treble side of the 5th fret.
Body:
Overall very good condition. A chip to the lacquer finish is present to the front face bass side lower bout, this exposes the wood beneath.All faces of the body display light to mild scratching, the most noticeable of these can be seen to the rear face lower bout, this is common with regular past use. All faces of the body display light to mild checking of the lacquer, this is common with nitrocellulose lacquer with a guitar this age.
Condition of Frets:
The frets show moderate signs of use, not affecting playability. Flattening of the frets is noticeable through the entire register. There is limited material remaining in the frets for any further fret work. A re-fret has previously been performed to a good standard, with some issues such as light damage to the fingerboard as is common when performing a refret (see neck).
Current Set Up:
Truss Rod:
Fully functional & adjustable. No truss rod tool included (socket 5/16")
Hardware:
Overall good condition. The truss rod cover displays a crack which has been repaired by a previous owner showing glue residue. The top truss rod cover screw has snapped, however the truss rod cover is completely secure. The metal hardware displays mild signs of oxidation and tarnishing, most noticeably to the tune-o-matic bridge saddles. The pole pieces in the pickups display moderate oxidation, this is common with a guitar of this age in high contact areas.. The controls knobs display discoloration and cracking, these have been tested and are structurally sound.
Structural:
No concerns or issues to note.
Height of the string from the 12th Fret-1.75mm - Bass 2mm
Please be aware that the action on a guitar may move slightly in transit and this measurement is the current height.
Strings on Guitar - 10-46
Some slight string noise is apparent when bending the 1st E string from the 15th 16th and 17th frets. The new owner may choose to raise the action to alleviate this.
Electrics:
Fully functional.
Case & Accessories
Non Original Gibson hard shell case.
Overall very good condition. The case displays moderate signs of past use, most noticeably light tearing to the tolex exterior.