2016 Gibson True Historic Aged 1957 Les Paul Standard Gold Top
It feels painful to let this one pass through as it really captures not only the sound and looks of a vintage PAF Gold Top but it really does feel like an old guitar in the hand. It weighs 9 lbs on the nose and has that lovely nasal acoustic almost hollow resonance that the maple cap gives to the mahogany body that is so often the sign of a great guitar. Its beautifully aged and although the menu book makes no mention of Tom Murphy we know its the same thing. I located a serial # a few digits away from this one that did bare the Murphy signature so they were surely on the work bench together. I guess the product of another endless marketing ploy to wring a few extra £££’s from the market. It shows no signs of any real use and the only change is i put a darker set of knobs on the guitar but the originals go with it. Also the plastic toggle switch cover is black and not brown for some reason probably a packing error at the factory.
Some blurb from Gibson:
The Gibson True Historic line is the next step in getting the most accurate reissues Les Paul as possible. Based on the 1957 Les Paul Standard this guitar combines top quality parts with some of the best craftsmanship around to create the pinnacle of what a ’57 Les Paul can be. With new plastics, pickup covers, finish, glue and rolled fingerboard this is an incredible new guitar.
True Historic Components
One of the most talked about details for this years models is the use of all new True Historic plastics and pickup covers. After going through what Gibson calls ‘Molecular level analysis.’ they have redesigned all of the plastic components with not only new shapes and finishes but also new physical compounds. It may not sound like much but when you want your guitar to be as close to the original as possible these are big improvements.
Fresh New Finish
If you go back and have a look at some original 50’s Les Pauls you will notice that not only do they use a nitro finish but it is also very thin. So when it came to making this True Historic model they had to remake these beautiful finishes again for a whole new audience. So not only are they using a fresh thin nitro lacquer but they are also wet sanding it much like they would have done many years ago.
Double Carved Design
This guitar as you would expect has been made with the usual 1 piece mahogany body with a 2 piece figured maple top this body looks, sounds and feels as you may expect. But for this guitar they have gone a step further in manufacturing by double carving it to their new authentic vintage dish profile. The same treatment has been given to the neck as well with its mahogany and rosewood construction. As this is based on the ’57 model the neck has been carved to match the necks from around that time. This makes it fantastic for fat chords and sweet licks when you really want to dig in.
One more little fact about the body is that for the first time in years Gibson have used real hide glue to attach the maple top to the mahogany back. This again may not sound like a huge difference but tone purists know that the glue plays a major part in the resonance of the guitar and most agree hide glue is the best.
Here’s what Gibson say about the True Historic 1957 Les Paul
With the True Historic range, Gibson Custom commits to a fanatic level of detail accuracy to bring you as close as possible to owning an original 1957 Gibson Les Paul. A double-carved and hand-sanded top and neck, hand wet-sanded finish, hand-filed rolled fingerboard binding, and plastics replicated from molecular-level analysis of original vintage parts headline only a few of the extensive and obsessive details found in each of the very limited number of True Historic 1957 Les Pauls offered. Add a pair of superbly accurate Custom Bucker pickups, re-created from precise study and measurement of original PAFs, and sounds as amazing as it looks and feels. You simply can’t get closer to the real thing… than the real thing.
Specifications
Top
Wood Species: Maple
Pieces: 2
Binding: Single Bound, True Historic Reissue Cream
Back
Wood Species: Mahogany
Pieces: 1
Binding: Top Only
Weight
Weight Relief: None
Average Weight (body only): 3.175 kg / 7.0 lbs average
Materials Used
Glue: Hand Applied Hide Glue
Body Contour
Carve: Original 1957 Les Paul
Neck
Wood Species: Mahogany
Pieces: 1
Details
Truss Rod: Historic Reissue-No Tubing
Profile: 1957 Les Paul
Thickness at Fret 1: 2.26 cm /.900″
Thickness at Fret 12: 2.54 cm / 1.0″
Average Weight: .453592 kg / 1.25 lbs
Peg Head
Type: 1957 True Historic Thin Head Veneer
Inlay: Pearl
Peg Head Binding: None
Logo: “Gibson”
Silkscreen: “Les Paul”
Headstock Angle: 17 Degrees
Tonal, Resonant, and/or Technical Effect: Holly head veneer has been re-tooled, reproducing the original thinner specification of the late 1950’s
Neck Fit
Joint Angle: 4 Degrees
Type: Reissue
Adhesive: Hot Hide Glue
Gauges Used:
Pitch and Alignment Gauge
Nut
Style: 6/6
Material: Nylon
Width: 4.28 cm / 1.687″
Slots:
E: .13716 cm / 0.054″
A: .10414 cm / 0.041″
D: .04826 cm / 0.019″
G: .0381 cm / 0.015″
B: .03556 cm / 0.014″
e: .03048 cm / 0.012″
Fingerboard
Wood Species: Solid Indian Rosewood
Pieces: 1
Fingerboard Details
Radius: 30.38 cm / 12″
Frets: 22
Nut/End of Board: 4.28498 cm / 1.687″ @ nut, 5.6896 cm / 2.24″ @ end of board
Scale: 62.865 cm / 24.75″
Binding: .040 True Historic Reissue Cream
Side Dots (Color): Tortoise Shell
Fingerboard Inlays
Style: Trapezoid
Material: Aged Nitrocellulose
Dimensions: Large: 2.921 cm x 1.7018 cm / 1.150″ x .670″, Small: 3.937 cm x .6096 cm / 1.550 x .240″
Average Weight: .340194 kg / .75 lbs
Hardware
Tuning Keys
Style: Reissue Kluson Deluxe Green Keys, Single Band
Material: Nickel Plated Steel
Weight: 3.6 oz
Tuning Keys Details
Tuning Ratio: 12:01
Gear Type: Closed
What is allowable turn: 1/4
Plating specs: Nickel Plated Stamped Steel
Part numbers: 130-430-14889/90
String Dimensions
E: .11684 cm / .046W
A: .09144 cm / .036W
D: .06604 cm / .026W
G: .04318 cm / .017P
B: .03302 cm / .013P
e: .0254 cm / .010P
Bridge
Style: ABR With Thumbwheels
Material: Zinc Surrounded by a die casting alloy for casting flow
Plating Specs: Nickel Plated
Part number: 130-430-10161
Weight: .0637 kg / 2.25 oz.
Dimensions of String Slots
E: 0.1778 cm / 0.070″
A: 0.13716 cm / 0.054″
D: 0.1016 cm / 0.040″
G: 0.0635 cm / 0.025″
B: 0.0508 cm / 0.02″
e: 0.0381 cm / 0.015″
Tailpiece
Style: Reissue Lightweight Aluminum
Compensated: No
Material: Aluminum
Plating Specs: Nickel
Part number: 130-430-11738
Weight: .0311845 kg / 1.1 oz
Output Jack
Style: 1/4″
Jack Plate
Style: 59 True Historic
Material: True Historic Reformulated
Part Number: 130-430-19299C
Weight: .0056699 kg / .2 oz
Strap Buttons
Material: Aluminum
Plating Specs: None
Part numbers: 130-430-19150
Weight: .0141748 kg / .5 oz
Plastics
Pick Guard Style: 59 True Historic
Part Number: 130-430-12768
Truss Rod Cover
Style: True Historic
Part Number: 130-430-19784
Knobs
Style: True Historic Gold Top Hats
Part Number: 130-430-19778V
Dial Pointers
Yes/No: Yes
Control Plate(s) (Backplate Cover)
Style: Reissue Les Paul .09 Black Royalite
Part Number: 130-430-19808
Control Plate(s) (SwitchPlate Cover)
Style: 2015 Die Cast Gibson Custom Medallion
Part Number: 130-430-19016
Switch Washer
Style: True Historic Cream Replica
Part Number: 130-430-19292C
Trim Rings
Style: True Historic Cream Replica
Part Number: 130-430-13891V/130-430-13892V
The guitar is available to try by appointment at our demo facility
Please call the shop for all details
01844 261447