Reissue, Replica, Real Deal?
So there we have it. Les Paul Custom. Mahogany body, 1 piece. 1 piece (3 really if you count the ears on the headstock) long tenon neck, just like the originals. Maple cap, just like a sunburst. Made by Gibson Inc., Kalamazoo, Michigan, on the same machines, perhaps by the same hands as the originals. I reject the notion that this guitar is simply a "reissue". The Les Paul model evolved all through the 50's. The neck changed, the bridge and pickups changed. For my money the Les Paul was reintroduced in 1968. Sometime in 1969 the instrument devolved, Ted McCarty's presence no longer felt, and the doors closed on the "Golden Age" of Gibson guitars. This guitar possess the one thing that no "reissue", "Custom Shop", or "replica" can ever have. No matter how good the Nashville Pauls get, they are made by Gibson USA, Nashville, Tennessee. This guitar was made by Gibson Inc., Kalamazoo, Michigan; just like the originals. This is the real deal! A GIBSON LES PAUL.
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Jeff, Tom, and Dave |
Marshall Stack & a Les Paul |
Many nights in '72 & '73 I had the pleasure of listening to Dave and this Les Paul. It truly was magic. Dave was playing a '62 hardtail Strat before he got the Paul. He sold the Strat to pay off the Paul, left for the high desert and came back "transformed". This and the Strat are the two electrics the man has owned. Trust me, this girl has IT, plenty of IT, and will for many years to come!