Gibson Custom has been at the forefront of high-end electric guitar design for decades. So it’s no surprise that the core of their 2015 lineup gives a nod back to their history with incredible attention to detail to some of their most beloved designs through the years. But there are also exquisite looks to the future with brand-new designs, new finishes, and updated artist models. Here are just a few of the new models that are coming out of the Gibson Custom Shop this year.
If you have guitar models as iconic as many vintage Les Pauls, you have to keep giving the people what they demand. And Gibson Custom is doing that better than ever with their Historic and CS Series. These guitars re-create vintage Les Pauls to a level of detail never seen before, from period-correct pickups and woods to molecular-level analysis of the plastics used. If you’re yearning for a true classic with the benefits of a new high-quality instrument, check out Gibson Custom’s Historic and CS Series Les Pauls.
Where the Historic and CS Series take re-creation down to the minute details, the Collector’s Choice guitars offer the same scrutiny focused on select cream-of-the-crop vintage electric guitars owned by musicians and collectors around the world. The original 1959 Les Pauls owned by Charles Daughtry, Tom Wittrock, and Tamio Okuda have been examined and faithfully re-created, so everyone can own a truly great example of a stellar ’59.
Great examples of artist guitars from Gibson Custom include the Johnny A. Standard with Bigsby and Brian Ray SG Standard with Bigsby signature models. Then there is the beautiful new Les Paul Custom Figured. Available in either Centipede Burst or Rattler Burst, the Custom Figured takes the classic Les Paul Custom and outfits it with show-stopping appointments, such as a highly figured maple top and stunning inlay and binding work.
But Les Pauls aren’t the only models Gibson Custom is offering. The L9 Archtop, with its traditional hollowbody design, definitely ensures you’ll get all the warm, rich, clear tone a Gibson archtop is known for. And the Solid Formed 17″ Hollowbody Venetian brings their classic big-bodied jazz box designs to today, with Solid Formed top construction and grafted headstock design, using less wood but achieving incredible strength and an absolutely huge sound.