Birth of a Legend: The History of the Gibson Les Paul

There's arguably no model of electric guitar more iconic than the Gibson Les Paul. Since its introduction in 1952, Lesters have consistently been one of the most popular guitars on the market. From jazz, to blues, to rock and metal, Les Pauls are employed by just about every type of player in every type of musical application.

So, what’s the story behind these classic guitars? What inspired their origins and how close did they come to their inventors' original vision? How have they changed over the years? We’re going to answer those questions and more as we embark on a journey through Les Paul history. 

Les Paul and "The Log"

While his name has become synonymous with a guitar, Les Paul history begins with Les Paul the man. Through the 1940s and early 1950s, Paul was one of the most well respected guitarists and musical innovators on the scene. He was a sensational, flashy player, and he made persistent efforts to improve guitar (and recording) technology to meet his musical needs.

In the 1940s Paul designed “The Log,” a block of pine sandwiched between two halves of an Epiphone hollow-body and fit with a neck, bridge, and pickups. However crude, the Log can lay claim to being the world's first solid-body guitar. Primitive by modern standards, the Log was groundbreaking for its time and sparked the imagination of guitarists and builders the likes of Leo Fender and Paul Bigsby.

Les Paul approached Gibson in the hopes of mass producing the Log. Gibson routinely rejected unsolicited designs, and while Paul was turned away, the Log did go on to inspire what would become the time-tested semi-hollow body ES-335.

Gibson was generally skeptical of the market for solid-body guitars and maintained its focus on hollow-bodies. Little did they know that, off in Fullerton, Leo Fender was about to force their hand.

Keeping Pace and Breaking New Ground: The First Les Paul

The Fender Esquire hit the market in early 1950. Featuring a bolt-on neck and single pickup, was the first mass-produced solid-body guitar, and it and the successive models it inspired - the Broadcaster and the Telecaster - were a massive success. Fender’s boom was impossible for its competitors to ignore, and in 1951, Gibson began to work on its own solid-body competitor to rival the Telecaster.

Leo Fender placed great emphasis on practicality, crafting affordable instruments with just a handful of components that were road-worthy, reliable, durable, and easy to repair. That simplicity has always been - and still is - a large part of the appeal of Fender's lineup. Ted McCarty, Gibson's president, intended to design a guitar that would compete with Fender while remaining consistent with Gibson’s reputation for producing high quality, expensive instruments with further attention to style, detail, and aesthetics. If a guitarist wanted a “showroom” guitar, Gibson was their brand of choice. 

With Les Paul's previous advances in mind, McCarty reached out about a collaboration on Gibson's new solid-body design. McCarty also requested the right to make the guitar a signature model, banking on Paul's popularity as a performing artist boosting interest in the market.

It's a common misconception that Les Paul single-handedly designed the Gibson Les Paul. In truth, the majority of the work was conducted by McCarty and his team - and they just about nailed it on the first try. Early Les Paul prototypes are remarkably similar to the final models. In 1951, McCarty presented one of these prototypes to Paul for his opinion and approval. 

Paul’s feedback focused on the prototype's tailpiece and the maple "cap" layered over the guitar's mahogany body. Paul requested that this be reversed, wanting a model with a mahogany cap over an entirely maple body. Higher density maple would have made such a guitar impossibly heavy, so his request was denied. The guitar's shimmering gold finish was also Paul's suggestion, which McCarty agreed to because of the way in which it added to the perception of the guitar's high value and quality.

The first Gibson Les Paul was released in 1952, just two years after Fender's Esquire. The Les Paul's mahogany body was topped with a one-inch thick maple cap to add durability and a bright, transparent tone. Its set-neck was constructed with mahogany and topped with a Brazilian rosewood fretboard. For its electronics, the Les Paul was outfitted with two P-90 pickups wired to two volume and two tone pots. Its strings ran under the bridge and locked into a trapeze tailpiece that made palm-muting an impossibility - an impractical design flaw that, ironically, was at odds with Les Paul's playing style.

Mid 1950s: The Les Paul Custom

In 1953 Gibson debuted the Les Paul Custom. Featuring many similarities with the original Goldtop, key differences in the Custom included a carved mahogany top with no maple cap, mother of pearl inlays and binding, and a stop-bar tailpiece to resolve the issues presented by the trapeze tailpiece. Sometimes referred to as "the fretless wonder," customs also featured smaller frets. For its electronics, the neck pickup was updated to an Alnico V "Staple" pickup which added clarity and sparkle to the standard P-90.

In 1954 Gibson shifted to fully adjustable "Tune-o-Matic" bridges for the Custom, and they were incorporated in the Goldtop in 1955. 1955 also saw the introduction of Seth Lover "Patent Applied For" pickups, and standard P-90s were completely phased out by 1957. 

Sunbursts and the 1960s

Gibson introduced the Les Paul Standard in 1958. Standards were cheaper than Customs but pricier than Goldtops and featured a two-piece maple top with a cherry sunburst finish. These "Bursts" are now considered some the most iconic - and most valuable - Les Pauls.  

Other models were introduced during this era of Les Paul history: the Les Paul Junior, Les Paul TV, and the Les Paul Special. These pared down, affordable models filled out the Les Paul lineup, and many consider this to be the Golden Age of Les Pauls. Les Pauls from this era are now some of the most coveted vintage guitars, but Gibson was far from finished updating the Les Paul's design.

Gibson continued to market its guitars to jazz players, and while Standards grew popular in a burgeoning rock and roll scene, they did not sell particularly well. Gibson ceased production of the original, single cutaway Les Paul in 1961. They were replaced with the "Solid Guitar," commonly referred to as the Les Paul SG. The SG's Les Paul moniker would disappear entirely in 1962.

In the mid-60s Guitarists such as Keith Richards, Michael Bloomfield, and Eric Clapton spurred increased demand in the classic Les Paul design, and Gibson re-released the Standard in 1968. Goldtop and Custom models also returned to the market. The "New Standard" was based on 1956 Goldtop specs but with chrome plated parts (vs nickel plated), an Indian rosewood fretboard (vs Brazilian), and a stamped serial number (vs inked). After a period from 1957 to 1962 in which it featured three humbuckers, the Custom shifted back to just two humbuckers.

Despite the reintroduction of those iconic models, the Gibson brand was careening towards tumultuous times and what many consider to be the darkest era in Les Paul history.

The Norlin Era

Gibson’s parent company, Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) was bought by the conglomerate Ecuadorian Company Limited (ECL) in 1969. Later that year, ECL changed its name to Norlin Musical Instruments. This ownership change would mar Gibson’s reputation, with Norlin implemented cost-cutting changes to manufacturing processes that led to a perception of lower quality instruments. The divergence from Gibson's longstanding ethos of high standards and high price point made public opinion sag and the market very unhappy.

The most notable change to Les Pauls during the Norlin era was a shift in body and neck construction. Necks went from one piece mahogany to three piece maple with an added volute that detracted from the Les Paul's streamlined appearance. The bodies shifted from solid mahogany (with or without a maple cap) to multiple pieces of mahogany with multi-piece maple tops. These are often referred to as “pancake” bodies due to their profile, where stacked layers of wood are clearly visible. This process is also called cross-banding, which allowed for the use of cheaper pieces of wood.  

With all these unfavorable changes in mind, it’s not hard to see why many guitarists felt like Gibson was going downhill during the Norlin years. Gibson was cost-cutting with cheaper materials, and players felt the guitars' playability and musicality suffered as a result. 

This period of Les Paul history also saw Gibson experimenting with models like the Les Paul Recording (introduced in 1971), which featured complex, Jazzmaster-esque electronics that were not well received. They also added some new catalog options for the Les Paul such as maple fretboard and cavity shielding.

Despite the negative perception during this era of Les Paul history, it is also true that Gibson produced plenty of great guitars during the Norlin era. Norlin-era Les Pauls were featured on some classic records and many players continue to swear by their Norlin Les Pauls. 

1986 through Today

Months away from bankruptcy in 1986, Gibson saw another ownership change when it was purchased by Henry E. Juszkiewicz, David H. Berryman, and Gary A. Zebrowski. These new owners would quickly make changes that took Gibson to new heights and set Les Paul history on a bright course.

Gibson immediately scrapped the volute and ditched multi-part maple necks for full mahogany. The Gibson Custom Shop was launched in 1986 to meet the demand for vintage spec Les Pauls. 

In spite of recent troubles such as their 2018 bankruptcy or highly criticized trademark lawsuits against other manufacturers, in modern times Gibson has continued to produce Les Pauls to the delight of players worldwide. With the Norlin era far in its rearview, Gibson now offers a variety of Les Pauls ranging from reissues of classic models to ultra-modern models with robo-tuners and digital electronics. 

The Les Paul: an Enduring Classic

The Les Paul stands with the Telecaster and Stratocaster as one of the most enduring mass-produced guitars ever. Since the model's debut in 1952 it has remained one of the most iconic and best-selling guitars on the market, maintaining popularity during the ups and downs of the Gibson business, concerns over quality control, and even a period when they were briefly discontinued. 

Considering their universal appeal and ubiquity throughout the history of modern music, it’s easy to think of Les Pauls as having always existed. However, Les Paul history was driven by market factors, innovative designers, and incredible artists that turned it into an essential instrument of the 20th century and beyond. So, next time you pick up your Les Paul, treat it to a fresh set of Stringjoys and take a moment to appreciate the timeless sound of a piece of history.