The Gibson Les Paul is a classic of the music world and a staple for many guitarists. But it’s not always been this way, and while there are certain years where Les Pauls were produced at a high quality, there are also some years where production standards slipped.
In this article, I will take you through the ups and downs of Gibson’s journey with Les Paul, so if you’re looking to buy, you’ll know what to look for and what to avoid.
The definitive best years for the Gibson Les Paul are the original golden era when the specifications were first settled, and the guitars were manufactured using high-quality materials and traditional build styles. This is generally agreed to be between 1957 and 1960. If I had to settle on one perfect year, it would be 1959. The Les Paul Standards produced that year are considered to be the holy grail of Les Pauls.
Table of Contents
The Beginnings of the Les Paul – 1952 – 1957
The Les Paul was the first solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson, and after its initial launch in 1952 as the Gibson Goldtop, it underwent various design changes and upgrades until the definitive model was settled on in 1957.
In the ‘50s, Gibson was headed by Ted McCarty, and seeing the rise of the Fender Broadcaster (which would become the Telecaster), inspired him to design a guitar that could rival Fender and cement Gibson’s place as a serious electric guitar manufacturer.
These original designs from 1952-1957 were emblematic of Gibson’s first golden age. Although production of the Les Paul was halted in 1960, and Gibson’s electric output was mainly focused on the SG, Les Pauls were still sought after for their high-quality build and quality materials.
Specifics of the Early Les Paul Models
Les Pauls from this period were built with P90, or ‘soap bar’ pickups, due to their appearance. P90s are known for being a versatile pickup with a well-rounded sound, suitable for blues, rock, and country.
Perhaps most noticeable about the early Les Pauls is the trapeze tailpiece. This design choice is more commonly found on hollow-body guitars, as it improves natural resonance. It didn’t last long on the Les Paul and was replaced in 1953 with a solid wraparound tailpiece and bridge designed by Ted McCarty.
Then, later in 1953, McCarty invented the Tune-O-Matic bridge, which began to appear on Les Pauls around 1955.
The Golden Age of the Les Paul – 1957 – 1960
The Les Pauls produced in this era are known for their high-quality materials and build.
The models from this period were constructed with a mahogany body and neck, arched maple top, and rosewood fingerboard. The neck was glued to the body and fitted with the classic mother-of-pearl trapezoid-shaped inlay fret markers.
A major change in the construction of the Les Paul in this era was the replacement of the P90 pickups with PAF (patent applied for) pickups. These pickups are touted as some of the greatest to ever be fitted to any guitar, and the Les Paul is no exception.
Noted for their warm, fat tone but still retaining all the resonant treble of the P90s, PAFs soon became highly sought after, and their addition to the Les Paul was one feature that made the models from this era so great.
It was these guitars, specifically those produced in 1959, that went on to become the greatest guitar Gibson ever made – the Les Paul Standard.
Favored by guitarists such as Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards, these ‘59 models were highly popular throughout the ‘60s, even though Gibson stopped making the Les Paul in 1961.
However, this surge in popularity forced Gibson to start producing Les Pauls again in 1968.
The Return of the Les Paul – 1968 – 1971
Due to popular demand, spurred greatly by the use of the Les Paul by many prolific guitarists, Gibson brought the Les Paul out of its early retirement.
Two models were issued, a Goldtop Les Paul, fitted with single-coil P90 pickups and a maple top, and a Les Paul Custom, similar to the Customs released in the ‘50s, except these had maple tops fitted, as opposed to an all-mahogany body.
From this point on, Gibson manufactured Les Pauls with mini-humbuckers in place of P90s or PAF pickups.
The Norlin Era – 1970 – 1985
In 1969, Gibson’s parent company Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) was taken over by a South American conglomerate called ECL. Up until 1974, Gibson remained under the control of CMI, after which it became a subsidiary of Norlin Musical Instruments.
To many, these are the dark years of Gibson, when corporate cost-cutting led to poor products and the decline of Les Paul and other models. But some of the changes Norlin made weren’t just for budgetary reasons, and many have proved, with time, to be wise decisions.
Changes to the Les Paul in the Norlin Era
‘Pancake’ Bodies
One of the most recognizable changes made in the Norlin era was the introduction of the ‘pancake body’ to the construction of Les Paul. Pancake bodies are made when one piece of wood is sandwiched between two other pieces of wood (usually a different type).
Another process known as multi-piece construction was also used. This involves the layering of various (more than 2 or 3) layers of wood, usually maple and mahogany, done for the same reason as pancaking.
This is done to improve rigidity and cut costs in the manufacturing process, and while there is no true downside to a layered wood guitar body, many fans claim the tone is dulled, and the cosmetic value of the guitar is lessened.
Three-Piece Necks and Addition of Volute
Norlin added a Volute to the Les Paul to avoid breakages where the headstock angles away from the neck. This is common practice on stringed instruments with an angled headstock, and there are no real disadvantages to a voluted neck. On the plus side, it actually strengthens the guitar.
The switch from a two-piece to a three-piece neck, however, upset a lot of Gibson fans. Traditionally, Gibson had always used a single piece of mahogany for their Les Paul necks and, indeed, most of their other models. This was mainly done for historical and traditional reasons, as many believed that one piece of mahogany was more rigid than layered pieces of mahogany and maple.
However, the case seems to be that three-piece necks are actually more stable than one- or two-piece necks. Again, this was likely introduced as a cost-cutting measure to save on the usage of mahogany timber, but it has again proved to be a wise move in terms of the durability of the guitars.
The Post-Norlin Era – 1986 – 2007
In 1986, Gibson was on the edge of bankruptcy until it was bought by three investors; Henry E. Juszkiewicz, David H. Berryman, and Gary A. Zebrowski. When they inherited the company in ‘86, sales were below $10 million. By 1993, Gibson’s wholesale shipments were up to an estimated $70 million.
Many of the changes implemented involved the reversal of many of the decisions made in the Norlin era. Higher quality woods were used, the headstock was made smaller, and the volute was scrapped.
The three-piece maple and mahogany combination necks were also scrapped in favor of pure mahogany.
Many considered these changes to be a move in the right direction, back to the traditional roots of the Gibson company and the ‘right’ way to build Les Paul.
Most important was the use of high-quality wood and the halting of layering techniques used to save money on materials.
Decline in Quality – 2007 – 2015
In 2007, Gibson began to run into problems sourcing and supplying enough quality mahogany, ebony, and rosewood to keep up with demand.
This led to many guitars, Les Pauls included, being constructed in a ‘chambered’ fashion in order to reduce the weight of cheaper, lower-quality woods. This involves removing solid wood from different areas of the guitar body and placing the top over it to conceal them.
Although this can improve resonance and sustain, many purists felt cheated by the practice and complained that it led to a further decline in quality and that cheap, hollowed-out bodies were a lot more prone to breakages.
From 2012 onward, Gibson also started implementing the use of laminates and returned to multi-piece layered construction techniques to compensate for the lack of high-quality wood. Many fans felt this detracted even more from the high standards they had come to expect from Les Paul and from Gibson in general.
In 2010, Gibson also opted to use Richlite in some of its models. Richlite is a composite material used as an alternative to ebony and is a fine substitution for fretboards.
Many guitars made by Gibson and other companies employ Richlite, as it is more sustainable to manufacture, and the differences between it and ebony are negligible. If you’re interested in learning more about the differences between Richlite and Ebony, we’ve published a detailed article on this topic.
Modern-day Resurgence – 2015 – Today
Around 2013, Gibson solved its sourcing problems, and a steady stream of mahogany supported the production of the high-quality classic Les Pauls once again.
In order to prolong supplies, varying qualities of wood were used for different levels of guitars, with the finest woods saved for the most expensive Les Pauls.
Despite some attempts to modernize the brand in 2014 and 2015 with the introduction of G-Force robot tuners, a high-performance neck joint, and various non-traditional logos and inlays, the standard of Les Pauls from 2016 onwards are in keeping with the levels of craftsmanship of the late ‘50s.
Gibson’s workforce was scaled down in line with guitar buying trends in the United States, and to save money now, high-quality materials and woods were once again being used. Despite these efforts, Gibson filed for bankruptcy in May 2018 but was back on its feet financially again by November of the same year.
Now, Les Pauls are manufactured to a high level of quality, akin to the models produced in the late 1950s, but with a much wider range for customers to choose from. Current models are rated as some of the best by fans of the brand.
To Summarize
As you can see, Gibson has had its fair share of ups and downs as a company, and the Les Paul guitar has fallen in and out of popularity accordingly.
The reaction to the various Les Paul iterations is generally consistent with the quality of the materials Gibson is using at the time of manufacture, so if you’re using this article as a buying guide, it may influence your decision to bear this in mind.
It’s clear from the research that the 1959 model is the Les Paul. It’s so highly sought after that a genuine article can fetch as much as $500,000. But if you’re after something more affordable, Les Pauls made in recent years are definitely up to scratch when it comes to materials and build quality.
The Norlin era gets a bad rap from Les Paul purists, but in actuality, they still produced a lot of good guitars, albeit with slightly different specifications and build styles.
As always, the best way to know if a guitar is right for you is to play it!
It cracks me up that we are in 2023 and people still believe in “tone wood.”
I used to believe that wood made a difference too but over 40 years I’ve owned close to 20 Gibsons as well as dozens of other brands and after tinkering with and modding them I am 100% convinced it’s all in the pickups. Put a pair of ’50s PAFs on any plank of wood and you’ll get the same tone as your “holy grail” ’59 Burst. Nobody’s opinion will change my decades of experience in swapping pickups on guitars.
Well my 35 years and over 100 guitars and pickup swaps tell me otherwise, but you do you. Putting good pickups in a cheap guitar doesn’t always make it sound better. Sometimes it makes it worse. I’ve tried this many times. Resonance makes a difference in many ways, even in solid body guitars. I will give you this, figured wood doesn’t change the sound, only the aesthetics.
Hmmm, plank of wood with pickups,sounds same don’t think so.
It’s not easy to cover the inventory of 70 years of manufacturing in addition to the prior Kalamazoo line before changing it to Gibson in a short article. It does however go beyond just a generalization, there are exceptions to just about everything from a manufacturing standpoint. I bought a previously owned 1992 Gibson Les Paul Standard for a decent price and still have it. The tone and feel of the neck are things that should never be dropped, it is a very heavy guitar as it comes from the “Good Wood” era however there are things that I think the marketing department could give in on. You will ALWAYS have the purists that don’t want to change a thing. Headstock designcomes to mind which affects tuning stability. I realize that the headstock visual defines a classic guitar model, just like our own individual faces but I don’t think it would take too much effort to make some changes to it to solve the tuning instability without violating another company’s patented design, however this may be a marketing department nightmare. Pickup configurations is another concept that could be debated. Maybe put out a limited line or model without squeezing one’s bank account and see how it does. I for one would be very interested to see a model with real technological improvements while keeping a traditional look and feel and playability elsewhere on the guitar. Gibson has experimented with this in the past and nearly bought the farm which is why I understand keeping with tradition. A couple of Gibson’s main competitors do this with great success and I would like to see Gibson do this as well.
It’ll never happen because the one thing holding Gibson back is the people who buy Gibsons. In the late ’90s Gibson introduced the Les Paul DC Pro with a redesigned headstock, double cut body, and 24 frets. With much better tuning stability and increased access to the upper frets, it was probably the best Les Paul model ever produced but they couldn’t give them away because it didn’t “look” like Jimmy Page’s guitar. Same thing that happened with the improvements that Norlin made like the volute. The truth is that there is nothing special about a ’59 Les Paul. In fact, it’s a very flawed guitar that was discontinued and redesigned as the SG two years later but because a few famous guitarist played one, everyone thinks there’s something magical about it.
I have a 2019 Classic, can not say too many Great things about it.
People have said the Standard has a Deeper Tone.
Keep in mind that the Standard has Burstbucker Pro. Pickups, And each is wound Diffently. They are also covered.
The Classic has 61t Zebra Burstbucker Pickups, and are wound differently than the Standard, and are open Faced.
I have a ’78 cherry burst deluxe (100% original parts!) with mini humbuckers. It’s a tank of a guitar. the minis sound like nothing else I have. The Norlin era quirks make it unique and fun. I LOVE the value. Other guitars have come and gone. My deluxe will be with me until I’m gone!
I have a ’77 Tobacco Sunburst Custom. It bothers me that the “purists” put the Norlin era guitars down as being inferior. They are different, yes, the three piece top for example in addition to the differences mentioned in the excellent article. Different but excellent guitars! I love mine, I’ve played LP’s from all of the eras defined in the article starting with a ’54 goldtop with P90’s and my Custom sounds and plays just as well as any of them.
this amazes me, the guy put some time into an article. If you don’t agree with it, go write your own. Now… in the comment section. I appreciate the defense of the norlin era. They really weren’t bad, but the best part about mine was that I bought it from a pawnshop owner in Hollywood in the late 80s who loved to make fun of musicians, tell us “hell you are a bunch of bums a bunch of pie in the sky dreamers” and that we were buying him beer every week with our precious instruments that we had a to pawn for food money for rent. Well, first of all as anyone knows you use your shitty guitar for that. Second of all, to that fat mean d*ckhead, Thanks for the Les Paul custom for 700 bucks you dumb shit!!!! Lmao you looked at the Studio price line in your stupid book… love that guitar 1978 red wine and gold custom
I bought her in 1985 at a pawnshop. best I can find by the 6 digit serial number starting with 98 (I was told Gibson had issues with their serial numbers) between 1970 and 1973. It has made in the USA on the back of the headstock she’s a 3 pick up Black Beauty Custom. Binding on neck front of body and binding back of body. Anyway this guitar is incredibly heavy as you can get. I can tell it’s a 3 piece neck my only problem is nailing down the exact year it was made. If anyone can figure the year that would be cool. P.S. She’s still one hell of a guitar!!
I’m the original owner of a 1973 Les Paul deluxe. I love the guitar. It’s well built . The tone and the sustain are incredible. The guitar has the p.a.f. gibson humbuckers . It’s a life time keeper.
2013 was widely considered a great year when the good wood came back and no robo bullsh*t was added. It wasn’t uncommon that year to find non-weight relieved traditionals in the 9 lbs range. 2014 was a garbage year with mandatory robo tuners and that God ugly les Paul image. Your article is quite suspect if you think 2014-15 were better than 2013.
I have a 2014 Anniversary Les Paul Studio Desert Burst. Would my guitar because of the year be under the category worst guitar for that year. I’m new to the Les Paul world and fascinated by the story of these guitars. Would appreciate any help and advice!!!!
Just because it was built during this time doesn’t make it a bad guitar. In general, during this period, there were more complaints of the quality, this could mean that instead of 100 complaints they got 150, it’s all subjective. It’s whether it plays well and sounds good to you that matters, people aren’t going to laugh at you in the streets because you have a 2014 LP.
Awesome article! Thanks for contributing this.
1993. Best ever.
Nope 1998 were the good years.
I had a “78 lefty Les Paul custom the sustain was incredible, it was a bit heavy but I really liked it.
This is why I bought and play a ovation breadwinner,,, end of story
Enjoyed the article. Well-written and good info. Thanks
I have heritage 80 les paul, made during the norlin era.. as far as I can tell none of the changes you describe were implemented in making this series of les Paul’s. It’s curious that you article doesn’t mention this exception, since you article clearly aims to address this model.
You neglected to mention about the RD series guitars. In particular the Les Paul RD artist guitars. Any reason why?
This is a very superficial and simplistic article. It fails to take account of some of the outstanding instruments created in the Custom Shop 2007-2015 such as the Collector’s Choice series, which are among the finest instruments ever produced by Gibson in the company’s history.
I had a 72 custom and a 76 standard both Norlins but that 76(one time owned by Louise Mandrel (Barbara’s sister lol!) It ended up with Seymour Duncans and was an awesome beast of an 80’s metal guitar I sometimes wonder wtf she played on it,but it was surely night and day from what i played on it!
Excellent history of gibson les pauls by far my favorite guitar I have a 59 custom shop les paul my question is when the custom shop begin its guitars.