Gibson Certified Vintage 1957 Les Paul Special
Introduced in 1955 as a mid-level model between the Junior and Standard, the Gibson Les Paul™ Special is now considered a bona fide classic. Its combination of a pair of P-90 pickups and wraparound bridge is one of the most toneful and versatile in the history of electric guitar design. This superb 1957 example features a TV Yellow finish and is all-original with the exception of a sympathetic refret carried out with vintage-correct fretwire.
The guitar was stamped as a second at the factory due to an oversized output jack plate, and this was how it was shipped in the late 1950s. Its original chipboard “Alligator” case is sadly long gone, but the guitar now comes with a 1990s-era brown Gibson hardshell case.
In recent years, this Les Paul Special has been owned by Gibson Brands, Inc. and exhibited alongside other iconic vintage instruments in the Vault at the Gibson Garage in Nashville. During its time in the Vault, it has been played by numerous celebrity musicians and used as a benchmark for Gibson Custom’s Historic reissue and Murphy Lab programs.
Availability Date: The purchased instrument will be available for pickup at the Gibson Garage in Nashville, or shipment to an address in the US, starting July 27, 2023.
Body Style
Les Paul
Body Shape
Les Paul
Body Material
Mahogany
Binding
Single-ply Fretboard
Body Finish
Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Profile
50s Rounded
Scale Length
628.65 mm / 24.75 in
Fingerboard Material
Brazilian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius
304.8 mm / 12 in
Neck Material
Mahogany
Fret Count
22
Frets
Refretted with Vintage-correct Wire
Nut Material
Nylon
Nut Width
42.86 mm / 1.687 in
Inlays
Dot
Joint
Glued In, Set Neck
Finish
Nickel
Tuning Machines
Kluson Deluxe, 3 In-line with Plastic Buttons
Pickguard
Black 4-ply
Truss Rod
Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover
Black Bell
Control Knobs
Black Top Hat
Switch Tip
Amber
Switch washer
Black
Jack Plate Cover
Oversized Black; Factory Correct/Installed
Plastic Parts
Black
Control Covers
Black
Strap Buttons
2 - Nickel
Pickup Covers
Black Plastic
Neck Pickup
P-90, 7.0k DC Resistance
Bridge Pickup
P-90, 7.8k DC Resistance
Controls
2 Volume, 2 Tone; Original Centralab Potentiometers and Bumblebee Capacitors
Pickup Selector
Original 3-way Toggle
Output Jack
Original 1/4"
Strings Gauge
.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Case
90s-era Brown Gibson Hardshell
Accessories
Certificate of Authenticity, Limited Lifetime Warranty, Signed Letter of Appraisal