The Gibson Les Paul Custom is an Electric Guitar used by Kirk Hammett, John Squire, Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, James Hetfield, Jimmy Page, Paul Kossoff, Eddie Van Halen, Dave Grohl, Keith Richards, Jeff Buckley, John Frusciante, Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, and Eric Clapton.
The Gibson Les Paul Custom is known for its luxurious features, including gold hardware, multilayer binding (including on the headstock), an ebony fingerboard, and real mother-of-pearl inlays. Initially produced in the 1950s, these models were all-mahogany, as opposed to the mahogany-and-maple construction of the Goldtop. The original Customs were equipped with a P-90 pickup in the bridge and an Alnico V “staple” pickup in the neck. In 1957, they transitioned to PAF humbucker pickups and later offered a three-pickup layout.
The traditional Les Paul Custom was discontinued in 1961, its name shifting to the custom variant of the Gibson SG. It was reintroduced in 1968 as a two-pickup model, with modifications including a changed headstock angle (from 17 to 14 degrees), a wider headstock, and a maple top. In 1974, new finish options and the TP-6 fine-tuner tailpiece were introduced. A three-piece maple neck replaced the mahogany neck in 1975, although mahogany remained in use to some extent.
Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, popular finishes like wine red and “silverburst” were added. Today, Gibson produces various Custom models with a range of finishes and pickup options, maintaining its status as a premium instrument.
