The Les Paul Special: Ready for Duty
What began as an intermediate-level instrument in the 1950s has since evolved into a staple in Gibson's lineup of classic guitars. The Les Paul Special pays homage to its more traditional counterparts in both style and function while offering a distinct, performance-driven character of its own. The slimmer, lightweight mahogany body, paired with a '50s-style mahogany neck shape, allows for hours of comfortable playing without back pain and provides an authentic fretting experience. Like the original Les Paul Specials from the original era, this iteration features P-90 pickups equipped with Orange Drop capacitors, delivering a wide range of sonic textures that cater to multiple music genres. To top it all off, a traditional nitrocellulose finish enhances the Gibson experience, with a factory-fresh lacquer that allows the Les Paul Special to breathe and resonate naturally. Over time, this finish will fade, just like the legendary Gibson instruments of the past.
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Lightweight mahogany body
Originally released in 1955 as a lighter alternative to the back-breaking Les Paul Standard, the solid-mahogany Gibson Les Paul Special has given players a tone, response, and comfort all its own. Today’s Les Paul Special packs all the appeal of the timeless design in a great-playing and well-equipped modern form.
Nitro lacquer finish
Like the original, this Les Paul Special comes finished in a lightweight nitrocellulose lacquer. Nitro finishes are significantly thinner than modern polyurethane finishes. Not only is this approach period-correct, but some also suggest that this allows the guitar to “breathe” for improved sonics and, over time, to take on the look of a lovingly cared-for classic.
P-90 pickups with Orange Drop caps
If you consider yourself among the ranks of the many fiercely loyal P-90 fans, as so many of us here at Sweetwater do, you already know the unique tonal palette this pickup pairing brings to the iconic Les Paul Special. It’s an amazingly versatile sound with its own brand of grit — a bit brighter, leaner, and less refined than a humbucker, though almost as hot. Hit your amp hard, and the Les Paul Special’s P-90s really wail. Plugged into a proper tube amp, you can elicit grind, sizzle, and bark that would be impossible to achieve with other more common pickup types. Handwired controls complete with classic-era Orange Drop capacitors round out the GIbson Les Paul Special’s choice electronics.
Gibson Les Paul Special Features:
- Slim, classic Les Paul body shape that sits comfortably in your lap or with a strap
- Mahogany body and neck set the standard for a warm, harmonically-rich sonic profile
- Period-correct ’50s-style mahogany neck brings authenticity to a vintage Les Paul feel
- Rosewood fingerboard with medium-jumbo frets provides a slick playing experience
- 2 P-90 pickups deliver a blend of piercing highs and grit not found in other styles of pickups
- Handwired with Orange Drop capacitors to further expand on the tonal capabilities of the P-90s
- Glossy, breathable nitrocellulose lacquer finish encapsulates a "fresh" vintage aesthetic that gets better with age
