Gibson introduced the Explorer in 1958, but it wasn’t exactly an unqualified success and was discontinued in 1959. Over time, guitarists came to appreciate its radical lines and the fact that it just sounds great and plays well.
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On April 25th 2010, I flew to Nashville along with 13 other Canadians to visit Gibson Guitars. Our group was assembled and led by Jeff Cowling and Jeremy Berger of Yorkville Sound; the Canadian distributor for Gibson. Over the next 4 days, our group would visit Gibson USA, Epiphone USA, Gibson Custom in Nashville, and Gibson Custom in Memphis. We were treated to in-depth tours of the guitar building facilities, as well as some hands-on time with new prototypes and upcoming models. We also got to spend some time in two of the most important cities in music history.
MORE →The Gibson Les Paul Studio is a prime example of the fact that sometimes, less is more. Gibson has stripped away all the decorative flare usually associated with the Les Paul, and what we are left with is a rock-solid guitar, that sounds and plays like a million bucks, at a fraction of the cost of a Les Paul Standard.Under its stark finish, the Les Paul Studio is built from the exact same woods and materials as its more expensive counterparts. A weight relieved mahogany body with a solid maple cap give the guitar all the punch and sustain we’ve come to expect from a Les Paul, while the 490R and 498T humbucking pickups deliver thick lows, singing highs, and sweet harmonic overtones.
MORE →This is about as close as you can get to the real thing without dishing out 200 grand! These Historic Series Vintage Original Spec series guitars really do give the look, feel and sound of a well played-in fifty year old guitar with their nickel plated hardware, long tenon necks, Burstbucker pickups and gorgeous Faded Tobacco Sunburst finish!
MORE →“There are a lot of details in the VOS Series” Gibson’s Historic Program Manager Edwin Wilson says, “and they all add up to the most accurate reproductions of the original ’50s Les Paul specifications that it’s possible to build today.” And as any guitarist who’s a stickler for superlative tone and unparalleled playability will tell you, the magic is in the details. In addition to the specs that so many Gibson players demand—such as the one-piece mahogany neck with long tenon, Burstbucker PAF reproduction pickups, solid non-weight relieved mahogany backs, and accurate rounded ’50s neck profiles—other critical but lesser-seen details mount up thick and fast
MORE →The Gibson Custom Shop 1960 Les Paul Special Single Cutaway features a period-correct solid mahogany Les Paul-style body with nickel hardware and lightweight aluminum wraparound tailpiece.
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