1962 Gibson Les Paul SG Custom, Serial Number 47439
This 1962 Gibson Les Paul™ Custom comes from a fascinating moment in our solidbody history. The thin, deeply sculpted double-cutaway Les Paul design had first appeared in late 1960, with the Custom version following in 1961. In Custom trim, the new shape was paired with a Polaris White finish, ebony fretboard, gold hardware, three Patent Applied For humbucker™ pickups, and a Sideways Vibrola™. Our production ledger records serial number 47439 on May 28, 1962 among a group of “LP Custom - W” entries, documenting both its production date and original white finish. With loads of honest playwear but no breaks or structural repairs, this is a fantastic example of an early Les Paul Custom that has clearly lived a life.
The original Polaris White finish shows plenty of patina, moderate checking, and scattered nicks and dings throughout. Much of the wear is concentrated around the body edges, with a few smaller areas along the back of the neck. There is also checking around the heel cap following the body joint beneath the white finish, with no evidence of a break, separation, or structural damage. This is a guitar that was genuinely played, and nearly every bit of its wear adds to the appeal.
The mahogany neck has the slim profile associated with this period, measuring .81" at the 1st fret and .87" at the 12th, with a full 1 11/16" nut width. Its bound ebony fretboard carries pearl block inlays. The original "Fretless Wonder" frets were well worn, so our Gibson Repair & Restoration team professionally refretted the guitar with -jumbo wire and fitted a new nylon nut. It is now a fantastic player. The original gold Grover® Patent Pending “Milk Bottle” Rotomatic® tuners function as they should. The bound headstock features the pearl Gibson logo and split-diamond inlay.
All three original Patent Applied For humbuckers have double-black bobbins and, along with the original wiring harness, have clean, untouched solder joints throughout. The neck pickup measures 7.62k ohms and the bridge 7.84k ohms. Approximately one-third of the neck pickup's Patent Applied For decal has flaked away, with the loose portion still present in the pickup cavity. The original Centralab® potentiometers date to the 48th week of 1961 and are paired with Sprague ceramic disc capacitors, a Switchcraft® three-way selector, and Switchcraft output jack.
Much of the original gold plating has worn away across the pickup covers, bridge, tuners, and Sideways Vibrola. In an effort to improve tuning stability with the Sideways Vibrola, these guitars shipped with a special “Rocker” version of the ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic™ bridge. Used only briefly, the Rocker looks much like a standard ABR-1 from above, but its base is contoured where it meets the bridge-post thumbwheels, allowing the bridge to rock with the movement of the Vibrola and return more easily to its starting position. This original example retains its nylon saddles and is in good shape. The Sideways Vibrola itself is one of those wonderfully ambitious early-1960s ideas that works better visually than mechanically, but it's also an essential part of the look and character of these earliest SG™-style Les Paul guitars.
The original multi-ply white pickguard, black M69 pickup rings, black reflector knobs with gold inserts, white control covers, and Les Paul Custom truss rod cover are all present. Much of the lettering on the reflector knobs has worn away from use. A vintage-correct replacement screw has been installed at the upper treble-side corner of the pickguard in place of a non-original replacement previously fitted there.
At 7.63 pounds, this is an awesome guitar to play. The slim neck feels fast without being too thin, and the three Patent Applied For humbuckers are clear, powerful, and full of character. More than anything, this guitar has the right feel. The Polaris White finish has aged, the gold has worn away, and nearly every surface shows evidence that somebody spent a lot of time playing it, but the guitar has escaped the breaks and structural repairs so commonly encountered on early examples.
The original five-latch Lifton™ black and goldenrod hardshell case is included and is in worn but decent condition. The exterior appears to have received some older black touch-up, but the case continues to function well. For secure transport, a new Gibson Deluxe Protector SG Case is also included.
This instrument has received a professional setup and thorough inspection from Gibson Certified Vintage and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, new Limited Lifetime Warranty, and exclusive Gibson Certified Vintage accessories including a leather guitar strap, matching leather luggage tag, and vintage-style Gibson pick container.
Weight: 7.63 lb.
Neck depth: 1st fret: .81", 12th fret: .87"
Guitar Specifications
Body Specs
Body Specs
Binding Multi-ply cream headstock, single-ply white fretboard
Body Finish Nitrocellulose lacquer
Body Material Mahogany
Body Shape SG
Body Styles Solidbody
Neck Specs
Neck Specs
Fingerboard Material Ebony
Fingerboard Radius 12 in. | 304.8 mm
Fret Count 22
Frets Fretless Wonder
Inlays Mother-of-pearl block
Joint Glued-in, set neck
Neck Material Mahogany
Nut Material Nylon
Nut Width 42.6mm / 1.68in
Profile SlimTaper
Scale Length 628.65mm / 24.75in
Electronics Specs
Electronics Specs
Bridge Pickup Patent Applied For humbucking pickup (Double Black coils, 7.84k)
Controls 2 volume, 2 tone Centralab potentiometers with Sprague ceramic disc capacitors
Middle Pickup Patent Applied For humbucking pickup (Double Black coils)
Neck Pickup Patent Applied For humbucking pickup (Double Black coils, 7.62k)
Output Jack Switchcraft 1/4" right-angle mono output jack
Pickup Selector Switchcraft 3-way right-angle selector switch
Hardware Specs
Hardware Specs
Bridge ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic Rocker bridge with nylon saddles
Control Covers White
Control Knobs Black Top Hats with gold wash metal inserts (tall wall)
finish Gold
Mounting Rings Black butyrate M69 pickup rings
Pickguard Multi-ply white small pickguard with “Les Paul Custom” tenon cover
Pickup Covers Gold
Plastic Parts Mixed
Saddle Material Nylon
Strap Buttons Gold
Switch Tip White
Switchwasher Black
Tailpiece Side Pull vibrola
Truss Rod Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover 2-ply black/white stepped bell
Tuner Plating Gold
Tuning Machines Grover Patent Pending Milk Bottle Rotomatic with gold kidney buttons
Misc Specs
Misc Specs
Accessories COA, LOA, Limited Lifetime Warranty card, GCV leather guitar strap, GCV leather luggage tag, GCV vintage-style picks and pick container
Model: GCVP0219
Case Original Lifton 5-latch black/goldenrod hardshell case, new Gibson Deluxe Protector SG Case
Headstock Open book
Headstock Inlay Mother-of-pearl Gibson logo and Split Diamond
Strings Gauge .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Gibson Certified Vintage 1962 Gibson Les Paul SG Custom, Polaris White
Gibson Certified Vintage 1962 Gibson Les Paul SG Custom, Polaris White
Free & Fast Shipping
Free & Fast Shipping
Orders placed by noon CST Monday-Friday (excluding holidays) will ship the same day. Orders placed after this cutoff will ship the next business day. All orders over $100 receive free ground shipping within the United States.
Case Included
Case Included
Your instrument ships with a factory-supplied hard- or soft-shell case for safe storage and transportation. Please refer to the product specifications for details.
Setup Included
Setup Included
Our craftory-trained technicians perform a final thorough inspection and detailed setup moments before your instrument is packed and shipped to you.
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Shop and play with confidence knowing that your instrument is protected by our limited lifetime warranty. Learn more about warranties and exclusions here .
Three Free Months of the Gibson App
Three Free Months of the Gibson App
For a limited time only, receive a three-month subscription to the Gibson App for free with the purchase of this product. Click here to learn more about the Gibson App.
1962 Gibson Les Paul SG Custom, Serial Number 47439
This 1962 Gibson Les Paul™ Custom comes from a fascinating moment in our solidbody history. The thin, deeply sculpted double-cutaway Les Paul design had first appeared in late 1960, with the Custom version following in 1961. In Custom trim, the new shape was paired with a Polaris White finish, ebony fretboard, gold hardware, three Patent Applied For humbucker™ pickups, and a Sideways Vibrola™. Our production ledger records serial number 47439 on May 28, 1962 among a group of “LP Custom - W” entries, documenting both its production date and original white finish. With loads of honest playwear but no breaks or structural repairs, this is a fantastic example of an early Les Paul Custom that has clearly lived a life.
The original Polaris White finish shows plenty of patina, moderate checking, and scattered nicks and dings throughout. Much of the wear is concentrated around the body edges, with a few smaller areas along the back of the neck. There is also checking around the heel cap following the body joint beneath the white finish, with no evidence of a break, separation, or structural damage. This is a guitar that was genuinely played, and nearly every bit of its wear adds to the appeal.
The mahogany neck has the slim profile associated with this period, measuring .81" at the 1st fret and .87" at the 12th, with a full 1 11/16" nut width. Its bound ebony fretboard carries pearl block inlays. The original "Fretless Wonder" frets were well worn, so our Gibson Repair & Restoration team professionally refretted the guitar with -jumbo wire and fitted a new nylon nut. It is now a fantastic player. The original gold Grover® Patent Pending “Milk Bottle” Rotomatic® tuners function as they should. The bound headstock features the pearl Gibson logo and split-diamond inlay.
All three original Patent Applied For humbuckers have double-black bobbins and, along with the original wiring harness, have clean, untouched solder joints throughout. The neck pickup measures 7.62k ohms and the bridge 7.84k ohms. Approximately one-third of the neck pickup's Patent Applied For decal has flaked away, with the loose portion still present in the pickup cavity. The original Centralab® potentiometers date to the 48th week of 1961 and are paired with Sprague ceramic disc capacitors, a Switchcraft® three-way selector, and Switchcraft output jack.
Much of the original gold plating has worn away across the pickup covers, bridge, tuners, and Sideways Vibrola. In an effort to improve tuning stability with the Sideways Vibrola, these guitars shipped with a special “Rocker” version of the ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic™ bridge. Used only briefly, the Rocker looks much like a standard ABR-1 from above, but its base is contoured where it meets the bridge-post thumbwheels, allowing the bridge to rock with the movement of the Vibrola and return more easily to its starting position. This original example retains its nylon saddles and is in good shape. The Sideways Vibrola itself is one of those wonderfully ambitious early-1960s ideas that works better visually than mechanically, but it's also an essential part of the look and character of these earliest SG™-style Les Paul guitars.
The original multi-ply white pickguard, black M69 pickup rings, black reflector knobs with gold inserts, white control covers, and Les Paul Custom truss rod cover are all present. Much of the lettering on the reflector knobs has worn away from use. A vintage-correct replacement screw has been installed at the upper treble-side corner of the pickguard in place of a non-original replacement previously fitted there.
At 7.63 pounds, this is an awesome guitar to play. The slim neck feels fast without being too thin, and the three Patent Applied For humbuckers are clear, powerful, and full of character. More than anything, this guitar has the right feel. The Polaris White finish has aged, the gold has worn away, and nearly every surface shows evidence that somebody spent a lot of time playing it, but the guitar has escaped the breaks and structural repairs so commonly encountered on early examples.
The original five-latch Lifton™ black and goldenrod hardshell case is included and is in worn but decent condition. The exterior appears to have received some older black touch-up, but the case continues to function well. For secure transport, a new Gibson Deluxe Protector SG Case is also included.
This instrument has received a professional setup and thorough inspection from Gibson Certified Vintage and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, new Limited Lifetime Warranty, and exclusive Gibson Certified Vintage accessories including a leather guitar strap, matching leather luggage tag, and vintage-style Gibson pick container.
Weight: 7.63 lb.
Neck depth: 1st fret: .81", 12th fret: .87"
Guitar Specifications
Body Specs
Body Specs
Binding Multi-ply cream headstock, single-ply white fretboard
Body Finish Nitrocellulose lacquer
Body Material Mahogany
Body Shape SG
Body Styles Solidbody
Neck Specs
Neck Specs
Fingerboard Material Ebony
Fingerboard Radius 12 in. | 304.8 mm
Fret Count 22
Frets Fretless Wonder
Inlays Mother-of-pearl block
Joint Glued-in, set neck
Neck Material Mahogany
Nut Material Nylon
Nut Width 42.6mm / 1.68in
Profile SlimTaper
Scale Length 628.65mm / 24.75in
Electronics Specs
Electronics Specs
Bridge Pickup Patent Applied For humbucking pickup (Double Black coils, 7.84k)
Controls 2 volume, 2 tone Centralab potentiometers with Sprague ceramic disc capacitors
Middle Pickup Patent Applied For humbucking pickup (Double Black coils)
Neck Pickup Patent Applied For humbucking pickup (Double Black coils, 7.62k)
Output Jack Switchcraft 1/4" right-angle mono output jack
Pickup Selector Switchcraft 3-way right-angle selector switch
Hardware Specs
Hardware Specs
Bridge ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic Rocker bridge with nylon saddles
Control Covers White
Control Knobs Black Top Hats with gold wash metal inserts (tall wall)
finish Gold
Mounting Rings Black butyrate M69 pickup rings
Pickguard Multi-ply white small pickguard with “Les Paul Custom” tenon cover
Pickup Covers Gold
Plastic Parts Mixed
Saddle Material Nylon
Strap Buttons Gold
Switch Tip White
Switchwasher Black
Tailpiece Side Pull vibrola
Truss Rod Adjustable
Truss Rod Cover 2-ply black/white stepped bell
Tuner Plating Gold
Tuning Machines Grover Patent Pending Milk Bottle Rotomatic with gold kidney buttons
Misc Specs
Misc Specs
Accessories COA, LOA, Limited Lifetime Warranty card, GCV leather guitar strap, GCV leather luggage tag, GCV vintage-style picks and pick container
Model: GCVP0219
Case Original Lifton 5-latch black/goldenrod hardshell case, new Gibson Deluxe Protector SG Case
Headstock Open book
Headstock Inlay Mother-of-pearl Gibson logo and Split Diamond
Strings Gauge .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
