GIBSON LES PAUL CLASSIC (LPCS)

  • Gibson Les Paul Classic electric guitar
    Gibson Les Paul Classic
  • Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar Ebony
    Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar Ebony
  • Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar Heritage Cherry Sunburst
    Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar Heritage Cherry Sunburst
  • Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar Honey Burst
    Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar Honey Burst
  • Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar Transparent Cherry
    Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar Transparent Cherry
  • Gibson Les Paul Classic Left-Handed Electric Guitar Transparent Cherry
    Gibson Les Paul Classic Left-Handed Electric Guitar Transparent Cherry

Overview

Brand name: 

Product: 

  • electric guitars

Series name: 

Dates of manufacture: 

1990 to 2006

GTIN: 

711106035758
711106035765
711106035734
711106035741
711106036205
711106036199

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 controls2 tone controls
Volume controls2 volume controls

Electronics

Pickups brand and modelGibson 496R pickup(s), Gibson 500T pickup(s)
Pickups configuration2 humbucker pickups

General

Finish colorsamber finish, ebony finish, honey finish, red finish
Finish effectssunburst finish, transparent finish
Made inUSA
Bindingbody binding, neck binding
Number of strings6 strings
Scale length24.75 inches scale-length

Body

Body materialmahogany body
Body shape featurescarved top, single cutaway
Body styleLes Paul-style body
Body top materialmaple body top
Pickguard materialcream pickguard

Hardware

BridgeABR-1 bridge
Hardware colornickel hardware
Tailpiecestop tailpiece
Tunerspearloid button tuners

Fretboard

Fingerboard materialrosewood fingerboard
Fingerboard position markerstrapezoid fingerboard position markers

Neck

Headstock inlays or logospearl headstock inlay/logo
Neck profileslim D neck profile
Number of frets22 fret
Peghead (headstock)black face headstock

Prices (13)

DatePriceConditionNameComments
2016$1300.00excellentwalkaloveplayers you need nothing more LP Classic...
1991$1900.00new
1991$1900newI'd like to know exact model for me S/N IS 1 3620. It's Tuxedo Black with low hours (<20>). Thanks
2017$1900excellent
2014$2000good
2000$1200.00new
2000$1600excellent
1988$2000excellentTobacco burst curved top both guitar and case in very good condition.
1990£1300newI had a deal with Gibson
1991$1100new
2017$1850excellent2008 Tobacco Sunburst .
2016$2000goodMark2007 LPCSBGNH1 Classic Gold Top
2018$1100.00excellentTroy Thornton

Reviews (2)

GIBSON LES PAUL CLASSIC (LPCS) reviewed by Pete

4
Average: 4 (1 vote)
I bought my 2001 LP classic about a month ago from GC. I bought it used but its all stock. This thing sounds great! I wasn't sure about the 500t and 496 being ceramic. I've heard that ceramic magnet pickups can sound sterile. But these don't sound sterile at all. I have a 57 classic plus I was going to throw into the bridge but why bother? the 500t sounds amazing. I will, however say that it (the 500t) has to be dialed back to about 7 on volume and tone for it to sound really good. to my ears anyway. but with that, it sounds fantastic! Being that it was used from GC it needs a setup. But its a fantastic sounding, playing, and looking guitar. worth every penny. my wife might disagree, but its still worth it.

GIBSON LES PAUL CLASSIC (LPCS) reviewed by AJ Anonymous

5
Average: 5 (1 vote)
I bought my classic the year it was built in 2005. While I have since swapped both pick ups (Gibson Burstbucker 3 in place of the 496R & a Seymour Duncan Nazgul in place of the 500T) I have used this guitar for 10 years and it is a workhorse. I used it when I played gigs with a small jazz combo, Gun's and Roses cover band and a groove metal project. This is the be-all and end-all of a rock/ metal guitar. None has more sustain, none has more power (especially with my set-up). While it is ok in a studio setting, it really shines on-stage. Beautiful Nashville quality, gorgeous honeyburst finish. I wanted to build a guitar that I could use to play through every song on The Allman Brothers "Eat a Peach" album, then immediately play every Lamb of God song from 2000-2007. Why not? This guitar can do it. Incredibly versatile, heavy mahogany body with screaming gain and unreal sustain, but soft, nuanced and tone rich. To me, it is the perfect guitar and a classic that will hopefully be around for generations to come.

Gallery (1)

Players (0)

4 Comments

The Classics beginnings.

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

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

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

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!