Overview
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- electric guitars
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The Gibson Les Paul Classic was introduced in 1990 as a reissue based on the 1960 Les Paul. The key feature of the Classic was it's slim neck profile. The Les Paul Classic also had some other features true to the 1960 original: a narrow headstock, thin cutaway binding, aged yellowish fingerboard inlays, inked-on serial number, nickel hardware, vintage-style logo and aged binding on body and neck. Some differences were the Les Paul Classic's truss rod cover with "Classic" and pickguard engraved "1960." The pickups came with no covers so the coils were exposed, another characteristic to differentiate it from other Les Pauls, though this was fairly realistic given that many players removed the covers to get a better tone on their old Pauls.
The Classic was introduced with a retail price of $1,529 more expensive than Les Paul Standards at the time. The Classic's higher price was justified by its reissue-yet-modern vibe and was further enhanced by availability in several sunburst finishes, and in bullion gold on the top, sides, back and neck. Most of the tops on sunburst Classic models were plain: there was no special effort made to find figured maple tops. The Les Paul Classic specifications were adjusted during the early 1990s with the addition of the Classic Plus and Premium Plus models.
Source: Eric Shoaf. Vintage Guitar magazine, May 1998.
Specifications (25)
Controls
Tone controls | 2 tone controls |
Volume controls | 2 volume controls |
Electronics
Pickups brand and model | Gibson 496R pickup(s), Gibson 500T pickup(s) |
Pickups configuration | 2 humbucker pickups |
General
Finish colors | amber finish, ebony finish, honey finish, red finish |
Finish effects | sunburst finish, transparent finish |
Made in | USA |
Binding | body binding, neck binding |
Number of strings | 6 strings |
Scale length | 24.75 inches scale-length |
Body
Body material | mahogany body |
Body shape features | carved top, single cutaway |
Body style | Les Paul-style body |
Body top material | maple body top |
Pickguard material | cream pickguard |
Hardware
Bridge | ABR-1 bridge |
Hardware color | nickel hardware |
Tailpiece | stop tailpiece |
Tuners | pearloid button tuners |
Fretboard
Fingerboard material | rosewood fingerboard |
Fingerboard position markers | trapezoid fingerboard position markers |
Neck
Headstock inlays or logos | pearl headstock inlay/logo |
Neck profile | slim D neck profile |
Number of frets | 22 fret |
Peghead (headstock) | black face headstock |
Prices (13)
Date | Price | Condition | Name | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | $1300.00 | excellent | walkalove | players you need nothing more LP Classic... |
1991 | $1900.00 | new | ||
1991 | $1900 | new | I'd like to know exact model for me S/N IS 1 3620. It's Tuxedo Black with low hours (<20>). Thanks | |
2017 | $1900 | excellent | ||
2014 | $2000 | good | ||
2000 | $1200.00 | new | ||
2000 | $1600 | excellent | ||
1988 | $2000 | excellent | Tobacco burst curved top both guitar and case in very good condition. | |
1990 | £1300 | new | I had a deal with Gibson | |
1991 | $1100 | new | ||
2017 | $1850 | excellent | 2008 Tobacco Sunburst . | |
2016 | $2000 | good | Mark | 2007 LPCSBGNH1 Classic Gold Top |
2018 | $1100.00 | excellent | Troy Thornton |
4 Comments
The Classics beginnings.
Submitted by Sammy Ash (not verified) on
Just some information on the Classics origins. The guitar was thought up by Ritchie Fleigler (Marshall, Fender, Gibson, he was an employee at this time and Fishman) and myself. We both recognized a hole in the Market of what he was selling and I was buying. This was a very cool and well priced guitar that had an audience but a product that didn’t exist yet. We sold a ton of them right from the start. I had a 6 month lead time with the Classic before they opened it up to all dealers. Either way the initial PO’s would have taken up a lot of the production so they would have been backordered. Then a year after that they cut me off and then a year after that they cut of Guitar Center and then they put us back on??? Always been a very interesting relationship) BTW Ritchie has serial number 0 0000 and I have 0 0001. Gibson will verify the story though it isn’t in any history books that I am aware of. My Gibson Rep, Trish Moss who was inside sales at that time and a Gibson Rep now will verify this claim.
Les Paul Classic
Submitted by Nick Wagner (not verified) on
I've got serial number 0 777... which I love! Great guitar, still in great condition... doesn't get a lot of playing time anymore. Love the tone.
99 classic
Submitted by Matthew Hawk (not verified) on
Very cool and interesting tidbit of history, Sammy Ash! I bought my Sunburst Classic in 99 from Sam Ash (the Kapok tree store) down in Florida. It was my dream guitar and I was visiting, doing the Christian rock thing. I didn’t sleep all night at the hotel the night I bought it. It’s very fast. It’s best to shreds, playing all over the place— giving it a true classic vibe, lol.
60s Reissue
Submitted by Jim M (not verified) on
I purchased my Cherry Sunburst Les Paul Classic 1960 Reissue at guitar center in 2005 for my 40th birthday. What an awesome instrument...love the thin neck and the sound is amazing. I have serial number 0 54382. I can't say enough about this guitar, its look, its playabilty and its sound!