GIBSON LES PAUL CLASSIC GOLD TOP ELECTRIC GUITAR WITH P90 PICKUPS LPCS18GTNH1
This Les Paul Classic electric guitar is a very special model. For the 2018 model year Gibson broke convention and added this stunning Gold Top to the Classic series but, its not the colour that sets this baby apart – its the inclusion of Gibson’s legendary P90 pickups. Gibson’s first successful single-coil pickup, the P90 first appeared in 1946 and by 1950 was the standard pickup across the Gibson range until its replacement by the PAF humbucking pickup in 1957.
The P90 pickup is prized for its distinctive single-coil tone that is fatter and thicker than Fender single coils and when Gibson resissued the Les Paul in 1968, one of the two models they released was the P90 loaded Gold Top.
Famous users and examples of the P90 in contemporary music include:
- Wes Montgomery, influential 1950s jazz guitarist
- Les Paul, inventor and jazz/session guitarist
- David Gilmour – Gibson Les Paul Goldtop for the solo on “Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)”
- Freddie King – Used a P90 loaded Goldtop on his early albums and on hits such as “Hideaway”
- Pete Townshend – Gibson SG, during the The Who’s Tommy era
- John Lennon – Epiphone Casino, starting around the recording of The Beatles’ Revolver LP and continuing through his early solo career
- George Harrison – Epiphone Casino, bought at the same time as Lennon’s
- Paul McCartney Epiphone Casino – guitar solos on The Beatles’ “Taxman”, “Ticket To Ride” from Help! album, etc.
- Leslie West of Mountain
- Carlos Santana during the recording of his first three albums
- Neil Young – Gibson Les Paul Gold Top, known as ‘Old Black’, with one P-90 at the neck, as well as more traditional ’50s Gold Tops, used on the recent Greendale and Freedom of Speech tours.
- Robby Krieger of The Doors – Gibson SG with P-90s, stolen at the end of Doors era
- Mick Jones of The Clash – Double cutaway Gibson Les Paul Junior with a P-90 at the bridge
- Mike Oldfield of Tubular Bells fame – Gibson SG Junior with a P-90 in the neck position. First used on Ommadawn.
- Johnny Thunders of New York Dolls – TV Yellow Les Paul Specials and Juniors, both with P-90s
- Mike McCready of Pearl Jam – SG Junior with a bridge P-90 in 1998; since 2005 a Double Cut Les Paul Special with a P-90 in the bridge.
- Tony Iommi – 1965 Gibson SG Special, featured a chrome covered P-90 in the bridge and a John Birch Simplux in the neck. Used on the first six Black Sabbath albums.
- Richard Thompson – Used a gold top Gibson Les Paul during the recording of Fairport Convention’s Liege & Lief album. Now uses a custom “Ferringtoncaster” with a P-90 in the neck position.
- Tom Scholz of Boston 1968 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop.
- Bob Marley used P-90s, with a wrap around bridge he took off and replaced with a stop type.
- Matt Bellamy of Muse uses P-90s extensively on several of his guitars.
- Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots used a ’57 TV Les Paul Special with P90’s on their Purple and Tiny Music albums.
- Rivers Cuomo of Weezer used Double-Cut Gibson Les Paul Juniors with P-90s to record the Blue Album and the Green Album.
Tonally, this P90 equipped Gibson Les Paul Classic Gold Top with the legendary Les Paul tonewood combination of a mahogany back with a carved maple top offers a stellar combination of high output and sweet treble response in a non-weight relieved body. Featuring a bound Body and Fingerboard with trapezoid fingerboard inlays the look is pure class. The 60’s slim taper neck offers fast and comfortable playability. Additional classic Les Paul appointments include an ABR bridge, nickel-plated hardware and hand-wired electronics including Orange Drop capacitors.
Will Gibson continue this model in 2019? We can’t be sure but if you want one in your arsenal – contact us now and reserve your own piece of classic Rock History.
GIBSON LES PAUL CLASSIC GOLD TOP WITH P90 PICKUPS
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Top Material: Carved Maple
- Top Finish: Gold Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Neck Material: Mahogany
- Neck Profile: 60’s Slim taper
- Scale Length: 24.75″
- Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
- Fingerboard Radius: 12″R
- Number of Frets: 22
- Frets: Medium – Cryogenically Treated
- Nut Material: Tektoid
- Nut Width: 1.695″
- End of Fret Board Width: 2.26″
- Inlays: Acrylic Trapezoid
- Hardware Finish: Nickel
- Bridge: ABR Tune-O-Matic
- Tailpiece: Aluminium Stop Bar
- Tuning Machines: Grovers with Kidney Bean Buttons
- Pick Guard: Cream
- Control Knobs: Speed Knobs
- Switch Tip: Cream
- Switch Washer: Cream
- Output Jack Plate: Nickel
- Neck Pickup: Gibson P-90
- Bridge Pickup: Gibson P-90
- Controls: 2 volumes, 2 tones, 1 toggle switch, hand-wired with orange drop capacitors
- String Gauges: .09, .011, .016, .026, .036, .046″
- Case: Gibson Hardshell Les Paul Case
- Accessories: Gibson Accessory Kit
