Gary Moore’s Gibson Signature Les Paul

This is the first official Gary Moore signature model issued by Gibson. It was released in 2000 and produced until 2002. Gary himself used it often alongside his vintage Les Pauls.

Gary Moore Signature Les Paul
A beautiful example of a Gary Moore Signature Les Paul. Photo credit: WIlma M.

The guitar was mostly based on a ’59 Standard, although it did feature some very noticeable differences. The body was finished in amber burst and the neck featured the same profile as a ’59, but the guitar had no binding on the body nor on the neck. It was also equipped with a pair of then newly developed BurstBucker pickups, although Gary’s main guitar which was actually a prototype, featured a pair of Tom Holmes pickups instead.

I use Tom Holmes pickups sometimes. On one of my signature Les Paul models, I’ve played around with different ones. Some new pickups are really good. I mean, if you can’t get a good sound today, I think there’s something really wrong with you!

Gary Moore Still Got the Blues – Again!

Based on the quote above, Gary possibly used a few of these guitars from 2001 onward, but almost every gig around that period seems to feature the prototype model with Holmes pickups. That guitar is easily identifiable since it’s the only of the bunch to feature pickup covers (stock models came with exposed zebra in the neck).

Gary Moore Signature Les Paul
The stock guitars were shipped without the pickup covers attached. Photo credit: WIlma M.

It is of course possible that Gary requested that his personal guitars had chrome pickup covers, but by looking through videos and photos of the guitar that Gary played from 2001, it all seems to be one same guitar. There’s a very distinguishable dark patch on the lower horn of the body where the flames on the wood appear to be less accented, and it is unlikely that the two guitars had this same unique feature.

Gary Moore – Parisienne Walkways Live – YouTube

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Billie
Billie
7 months ago

Which one came with the Indian

Mike
Mike
2 years ago

Thanks for all of your research on Gary’s guitars. I’m curious to know what pickups he used in his signature model LP on the “Tribute to Phil Lynette” dvd. It is clearly not the uncovered pups that were stock in his “signature” LP. As you probably noticed the pole pieces on the neck pup are reversed (closer to bridge than neck and also they are covered pups.

Rob Kennaird
Rob Kennaird
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

tom Holmes pickups on that one

Dasher
Dasher
3 years ago

The guitar shown with the more solid red cutaway appears to be the “Greeny/Moore” Les Paul, designated by the neck pickup turned around…Moore was given the guitar by Peter Green when Moore was coming up in the ranks. He later paid Green for it.

Albert Roberts
Albert Roberts
2 years ago
Reply to  Dasher

Also, from what I heard, Gary did not buy the guitar from Peter. He traded an old SG for it.

Last edited 2 years ago by Albert Roberts