1972 Gibson Les Paul Recording

A fine players example of Les Paul’s favourite Les Paul, the Les Paul Recording. Introduced in 1971 it was the evolution of the earlier Les Paul Professional model and ran in the catalog until the end of the decade. The launch price of $625 was $30 higher than that of the Les Paul Custom in 1971 with 236 shipping in its inaugural year. 

Featuring a Honduras Mahogany body with a three piece Mahogany neck. The guitar shares the same single cut style as the traditional Les Paul with a softened silhouette. The body has a carved top and features a comfort contour on the back. The Neck has a Rosewood Fingerboard with small block position markers. Electronics comprise of Two low impedance humbucker pickups with the controls surface mounted to the control plate with extensive functions accessible. Hardware is chrome plated throughout with a traditional Stoptail combined with the new wide-travel tune-O-matic bridge that was introduced in 1971. Tuners were either Schaller M6 or Grover 102. The guitars were highly appointed with multi-ply binding, inlayed Gibson logo and Diamond motif. Initially only offered in natural Mahogany it would be released in White (from mid-1975), Cherry Sunburst (from mid-1976) and Ebony and Walnut (from 1978).

This guitar dates to 1972 and is a great players example. The guitar has a repaired Headstock that help to keep the price keen. Other wise it plays very well and is a nicely original instrument. The neck has the familiar 43mm nut width with a slim but comfortable profile measuring 21.16mm and 23.85mm    at the 1st and 12th frets. The electronics work as intended and as Gibson had intended, they are very versatile allowing lots of control and tone shaping from the simple set up with a Master Volume and Bass and Treble knobs. The Decade Control is an eleven position rotary switch that tunes or alters the treble harmonics. Produce "biting" or "silky" highs with simplicity. The small switches control phase and whether the guitar is in low or Hi Impedance mode. The three-way pickup selector switch works as expected with the Tone selector switch acts as a bypass inactivating certain controls allowing quick and reversible changes between different settings. Internally the components are correct and appear original but there has been some re-flowed solder and date codes are obscured. 

Then guitar weighs in at 9.7lbs but feels more manageable than the number suggest, cosmetically it is in good condition with some minor wear to the body and the afore mentioned repair. Strung with 11’s it plays great on the original factory frets. The nut looks to be a well cut replacement.  All in an interesting, leftfield model from an experimental period of production at Gibson that sounds excellent, has a lot of intuitive, versatile sounds on tap and plays very well. Les Paul’s own Les Paul. The guitar comes with its correct, early seventies Gibson case.