The Gibson L6-S is a solid-body electric guitar introduced in 1973 as a descendant of the L5S jazz solid-body guitar. It had a similar shape to the Les Paul but featured a 24-fret neck, making it the first Gibson model with this feature. Designed by Bill Lawrence, the L6-S aimed to be a versatile “multi-sound system” on a tight budget. Despite early popularity and endorsements from artists like Carlos Santana, Keith Richards, and Prince, its demand declined after 1974, and the model was discontinued by 1980.
The original L6-S came in three versions, all with maple bodies and super-humbucking pickups. In 2011, Gibson reissued the L6-S with changes, such as a lighter Tune-o-matic bridge, modern humbuckers, and a conventional neck shape instead of the original taper. The reissued version also featured a two-piece maple body, while the original was one-piece.
