The Gibson Les Paul: A Short History, from Creation to Custom Shop
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Let me first say that I am not sponsored by Gibson in any way. I make these history videos for educational purposes, my own, and hopefully as a result, yours. I hope you enjoy it.
This is my short history of the Gibson Les Paul, from Creation to Custom Shop. You might think that "short" here in the title is something of a misnomer, but the history of about 50 years worth of guitars is packed in to this.
I am fully aware that I couldn't fit every single model here (I actually learned of many I'd NEVER heard of during the research) but tried to choose each guitar for its effect on the direction the model took as time went by.
I'm sure I can count on you to add those in the comments. :)
Two books in particular helped in pulling the video together. ***Five watt world participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to Amazon. In simpler language, this means that whenever you buy something from Amazon from a link on here, I receive a small percentage of its price.
Thanks!
"The Gibson Les Paul: The Guitar That Changed Rock" by Dave Hunter
amzn.to/3dWaOek
"The Les Paul Guitar Book" by Tony Bacon
amzn.to/31Htw4q
Finally I need to thanks Dave Onorato of Dojo Guitar Repair in Atlanta, Georgia. Dave has been helped me from brainstorming to final fact checking scripts and for that I am grateful.
A lover, and owner of some exceptional Les Paul's he even broke one out to provide the original music at the beginning and the end of the video.
I'd add that some subscribers have commented on the seeming "duality" of the channel. Encouraging minimalism while posting histories of instruments that might, in some, inspire passing (or prolonged) moments of gear lust. This is not my intention. I have come the long way around to learning to think something is beautiful without feeling that I need to own it. It is perhaps a fine distinction but also one I believe we should take more time to ponder.
Thanks for watching.
Keith
A friend from Jr. high school came by one day in the early 80’s with a Les Paul Custom Black Beauty with three pickups and the tuners that has flip out winders built in.
He wanted to trade me for my red Kramer Pacer series, one H pickup w/standard fender style trem.
The Les Pauls case had to cost more than my Kramer with 3/4 size neck plate.
I was reluctant to do it so he threw in the Patterson 24” racing cruiser he rode up on.
So we shook on it and he walked away with the Kramer and crappy case they threw in when I bought it.
By then I could squeak out the solo to stairway to heaven and with the Gibson i sounded identical to Jimmy Page in my mind. (It was probably a Tele he played on the track)
I started envisioning myself as Jimmy Page instead of EVH. (There we’re already three kids at Ridgemont that dressed like Eddie, anyways)
I fell in love with that guitar. Just looking at it in that plush case it was like the Holy Grail.
At Guitar Showcase they had never even seen the flip out tuners before. (As I play the beginning of stairway to heaven in the store)
Believe it or not I was more jazzed about the bicycle. Life was grand!
Then a few weeks later I hear a knock at my door. I knew exactly who it was and my heart sank. I look through the peep hole not making a sound.
And what do you know, it’s my school friend with my Kramer case in hand and he’s balling his eyes out with his mom waiting in the car.
I thought about switching schools and going in hiding BUT I considered him my friend so I opened the door.
He’s obviously been crying because snot was hangin from his nose and his eyes were bloodshot.
I asked what was the matter? He said his mom flipped out when she found out about our trade. She paid big money for that Les Paul for his b-day.
The band he was in, all older guys, pointed out all the shortcomings of my $299 Kramer and that the Les Paul cost as much as a car. (She had asked them what guitar to get him and that was the best guitar in the store)
My friend was like the coolest kid in my class and to see him bawling like that I knew he was in a lot of pain, so I reluctantly traded the guitars back. He let me keep the bike saying he was sorry.
He was happy with the trade but everyone was making him get that Gibson back and that’s why he was crying.
I’m 54 now and I still have that Kramer. I also have a LP black beauty and a LP Classic 1960 and about seven Strats, an Esquire and a real 58’ a Les Paul Jr. Marshall & Fender amps, etc. etc.
I think about that Les Paul every once in a while but I don’t regret opening the door that day.
I still consider him my friend and I’d like to think he still thinks of me as his friend. He better.
Wow you REALLY ARE A FRIEND!!
Great story. An awesome that you still have the Kramer. Cool guitar in it's own right.. Myself I have an epi les Paul custom silver burst. With the new/Kalamazoo headstock and finally ebony fretboard. A great fiddle but no Gibson.
Are you still in contact with him?
Would’ve changed my name and switched schools
It's Called Karma! You did the right thing, your a good friend and human being.
Wow. Great story! Glad I rewatched this video for the information and quality narrative just to see this comment. We are the same age, so I can relate! You’re a good man that grew from that great kid!
BTW; you should be in your buddy’s will!😬👍
Keith is the best guitar historian out there. He should release a book.
Thanks but the real heroes are the guys that wrote the books I use in my research. Guys like Tony Bacon and Tom Wheeler taught me most of what I know.
Here I am binge watching again.
There is also a nice book about pedals. Stompbox: 100 Pedals of the World's Greatest Guitarists by Eilon Paz
Whoa never knew Les invented multitrack recording. What an absolute legend
Recommended viewing: Les Paul Chasing Sound, a PBS documentary from the American Masters series. It goes into final detail about how Les Paul hit upon the concept of multitrack recording, both before Ampex started building magnetic tape machines and after Les got his first Ampex. Wouldn’t mind knowing which innovation has proved more historically fruitful, multitrack recording or the solid body electric guitar.
Jack? Shaddup. Gibson sucks ass, almost as much as Fender does.
@@leelaurence4850 Did I even mention gibson? I was talking about Les Paul. Dude did a lot aside from having his name on a Gibson.
Also, I think you're vastly in the minority on that stance. Merry Christmas tho
@@Tehdurkniht lmao
Les Paul invented multi-track by wiring 4 tape decks together. He also invented the first tape echo by placing several playback heads in series on a tape recorder (basically the echo plex). Also a lot of people don't know Bing Crosby started the recording industry back in the days of live radio. He saw the future of radio was in recordings not live. He invested a lot of money in a company called Ampex. The rest is history.
The Most famous Les Paul of the 80's era was Slash's Les paul, Which was a copy of a Gibson Les Paul, which Gibson then went on to copy and market as the Slash Les Paul....Play authentic
I couldn’t have said it better myself! Thanks for summing up the revival of an entire company.
Who was the manufacturer ?
@@andymullarx6365 In 1986 a gentleman named Kris Derrig made the Les Paul copy that Slash's manager brought to him back then, for the Appetite For Destruction recording session. Is still the Slash's favorite Les Paul that he still use today for the studio recording (Guns n' Roses, Slash's Snakepit, Velvet Revolver, Slash & Myles Kennedy and The Cospirators). Once this was the main guitar that he used to the live shows, but now he play the Derrig Les Paul only in a safe enviorment and for the recording sessions.
You can see the Derrig Les Paul in the Live At The Ritz of New York (February 2, 1988), the best GnR concert of all time (in my opinion).
@@TheSmashngrabcafe Live at the Ritz 87!!! I wish they would have recorded that one in the same quality as Ritz 88
@@romanp.4319 I agreed with you.. I wish..!
This dude should be doing Gibson's marketing.
Anyone's marketing. Who could say no to him trying to market anything?
@Greg Moonen 'Twas their own stupid fault !!
He can do the marketing for any gear manufacturer.
Jimi played Mick Taylor's
Gibson SG.
Nerd, put photos and do the vo, but that is what i rather watch
I started playing guitar 2 weeks ago, and this is all fascinating!
Welcome to the rabbit-hole ;-)
1 year later, are you still playing or did you throw in the towel?
Oh man, you‘re in for something…
@@flowryan5829 ya I'm still at it lol
How ya fairing now?
I finally looked up some of Les Paul's music with the sped up parts an octave higher. It's definitely different than anything else from that time. I'm sure Les was ecstatic when he figured that all out. Imagine being the first to pioneer a sound that makes you stand out from literally everyone else. Not only a sound but an entire recording and production process. He was an innovator, that's for sure.
The John Moses Browning of guitar!#🎸/🔫
He even invented the harmonica holder neck thing!
Les Paul said that he invented the four track recorder, The Beatles showed him how to use it. Check out the two albums with Chet Atkins and Les Paul: "Chester and Lester" and "Guitar Monsters".
I am confounded and constantly amazed how Gibson will fight customer needs and requests, from early years till this very day. So damn foolish
Isn't it amazing? It seems like no matter who ran the company, they wanted it to fail! It's like it's cursed or something. :)
@@xderiwx totally. i still hope one day they'll get it right and we will all breath a collective sigh of relief....well one can dream.
God bless the "knock-offs" built like we want.
It almost parallels with the foolhardiness exhibited by Capital Records between the time when the Beatles were first getting stoked to come to the United States and roughly 20 years later when the label resisted signing or promoting Tina Turner. People wanted the Beatles, and people wanted Tina Turner, but Capital Records feigned deafness.
@@Diesel257 Which are the best of the knock-offs?
I *want* but can't yet justify a real Les Paul or ES-175 :'(
That bobbin bit got a chuckle out of me. Just proves that guitarist will reach beyond the realm of reality to explain why another guitarist sounds better instead of just practicing lol. “He’s not a better player, he has better bobbins!”
Customers: all we want is a good sunburst Les Paul
Gibson for 20 years: mmmmm no you don't
@@TjSi there's lots of badly made Les Paul's out there. Badly filed nuts, bad glue joints, wrong neck angles, inconsistent finishes, terrible fret crowning, terrible fret leveling, terrible fret polishing, horrible set ups from the factory, cracks etc. The list goes on and on. You name it, and Gibson has repeatedly fucked it up over and over again. Especially over the last couple decades.
@@TjSi They're so not the same in construction. 50's LP's had single piece bodies, long tenon joints, hide glue, light ABR1 bridges on posts that went into the wood, lightweight aluminum tailpieces. The traditionals have 2 piece bodies, short tenon, titebond, ABR bridges that sit on metal nashville studs (kills sustain) and heavy zamac hardware.
@stephentherarabear This guy gets it. I thank God every day that I've got an R9 which perfectly meets my needs, and my quest is over. I don't care what dye it's got.
won't swap $3000 gibson LP for my Burny LP
@@greystone2880 thinner neck is nice.
I just purchased a Gibson Les Paul Classic (Translucent Cherry). I don’t know how to play guitars if my life depended on it, but I’ve always wanted one since I was little and I’m determined to learn how to play this guitar. I’m so happy I was able to afford this guitar and one item on my bucket list is complete.
I just got my first Gibson Les Paul Classic, after 20 yrs playing Epiphone. The quality and the sound of Gibson is stunning.
This video also shares so much information that is priceless.
Me too- for Christmas 2020. I had an old The Paul back in the 80s and 90s. I did however just mod my Classic basically into a Standard. I love it.
I think you forgot the infamous "play authentic" era. Perhaps the most defining era for gibson!
We are watching you!
." so stop covering up the name ...we wanna work with you " ($$$$$)
I know I'm not the only one who watches these history of videos over and over again.
Especially the Junior, Special and Custom model ones.when I can't be with my babies I can atleast hear about, look at and learn about them, as always Thanks, may the gods of guitars bless 5 Watt World.
I forgot my squire for band today so I got to play my teachers les Paul... I’m gonna forget my guitar more often
Just save those pennies, Cody.
so let me get this straight, you went to ''band'' that day.... and just ''forgot'' your guitar?? haha what was you smoking
@@brosettastone7520 The good stuff , otherwise , no excuse . :)
@@youme112233 nah bro it happens. We recently changed our lunch dates so I forget my kit all the time... only issue is I'm lefty so I have to play Hendrix style. Nightmare
Gary Moore will always be my favourite Les Paul player. Stunning aggressive blues playing!
He had arguably the best Les Paul sound in the early 90s.
Other Les Paul players with a fantastic sound are John Sykes and John Norum.
go listen to Pat Travers live with Pat Thrawl
The Super-400CES at 6:24 used to be mine, the shot taken on my sofa ..... It belonged to a pro player in Britain, who bought it the US, already re-finished (by the looks of it a factory refinish) but with all the original parts. Now it's with a collector in France.
Les Paul was so far ahead of his time in many ways. The “log” he built in the early 30’s had stacked coils that were reverse wind and polarity making them the first stacked humbucker. His 54 Custom that was the prototype for the LP Custom had a cavity he routed between the P90s with dummy coils for each pickup and a cover to hide them.
Favourite guitar ever. Nothing comes close. Looks, sound, history and legacy. The Les Paul has it all.
the strat?
@@PeterGriffin-in5ut Too tinny sounding for me, if I’m gonna play a Strat it needs at least a bridge humbucker.
@@TheMusicfan189 that’s a good idea I might do that to my strat
@@TheMusicfan189 definitely going to invest in a hh strat pickguard, seymor duncan humbuckers, and chrome pickup covers
Problem with Gibsons is that the headstock always comes off.
I met les Paul back in 93’ i think. He was a really cool guy.
Yes I remember seeing him show up at the NAMM show they would have in New York every year, This was back in the 80s and someone asked him if synthesizers would be a threat to the electric guitar and he immediately said No, ,,,,,, and he was right, RIP Les Paul
i'm just lovin my les Paul Standard, what a great guitar.
@Stephen Docherty 🤔
Finally Hypes!! I have been waiting weeks for this!
just kidding.
Rick Beato just casually sitting here in the comments with 6 likes
How aren't you verified?
@@brown22sugar25 332
I love Les Pauls. This is a great teaching on the history of this great guitar. My 2 favorite electric guitars are the Les Paul and the Fender telecaster. Both guitars tones are unique and can be picked out in any mix!! But there is just something fabulous about the Les Paul. Thank you for another great informative video
The history of Gibson is so fascinating. Ups and downs as demand surges and wanes and new management comes in to either go back to its roots or cut costs. There never seems to be an in between period. Either they are doing great or cutting costs and their guitars suffer.
They lost me with the move to Nashville which was for no reason but to remove employees from having any collective bargaining power ie: The South, where I lived and worked my whole life, is full of "Right to Work" states, which is a euphemism for "Employees have no rights, security, or hope to make a living wage" Typical Republican double talk. I may be a hillbilly, but I'm a militant Democratic Socialist hillbilly and there's no middle class because of the bad faith actions of "patriotic conservatives" who are really greedy sociopaths who do the bidding of the corporate donors/masters and forsake their constituents , many of who are dumb enough to puppet their bosses propaganda and denounce unions and socialists when they no nothing about either. But I digress,....
Les Paul, Leo Fender, Bob Moog and Dave Smith are deserving of Mt. Rushmore status. Probably a few others too, but those four... No brainer! Thanks Keith!
I know about the first three, but who's Dave Smith?
He gave us MIDI, among other things. :)@@GameyRaccoon
I worked with a Dave Smith - must be a different one
@@GameyRaccooncreator of the first polysynth - the prophet 5
Watched your stories of Tele, Strat, and now Les Paul in that order. Such an amazing series and best digestible summary I've ever come across on this subject. So much mystery and fog for many years has been cleared from these three essential videos! Much thanks from Fine Grit Music!
I’m glad you liked them. Honestly I think the newer ones are better but the big three are …well…the big three. Welcome to five watt world.
This guy on crack?
You could do an entire episode on the Lover P.A.F. Pickup. A fascinating subject. I don’t know exactly how or why but there have been hundreds, maybe thousands of contemporary pickup manufacturers who’ve attempted to capture the magic of the originals but none have been able to.
I have a '78 Standard with an orange to red to black sunburst that covers most of the guitar. The back of the neck, even the top of the headstock is burst. Growing up in a musical family in Michigan, it was my 1989 Christmas gift at 16 years old. Apparently the previous owner worked for Gibson and we THINK was responsible for the amazing burst. It's still my main player to this day.
What a great narrator. Intellect, Professional, Speed (but not too fast). Great tone. Subjects a lot of people want to know about.. By all accounts your a great narrator with great videos
Thanks Mitchell
Arguably, without Les Paul, rock music and music in general would not be anything like we have ever seen, or are seeing now. This man singlehandedly changed music. His guitars, his recording techniaues, the man even created the looping machine.
NICE JOB. That took a lot of work.
That 54 Custom with gold hardware must have been a showstopper at NAMM
This is getting predictable, I see a post from Five Watt world and I immediately press like. Great work, keep them coming. The effort you put into these videos is appreciated. Great bite sized histories that are incredibly informative and easily accessible.
"questionable decisions, the volute was removed" RIP volute, the one thing that was def not a questionable design change.
The Volute was a good thing
Volute sucks.
@@olecranonrebellion9976 Yeah, "volute sucks" - Olecranon and I just love taking our broken headstocks down to the local guitar tech, thinking he'll just glue it back together that afternoon, after he does a couple of setups... 🙄
@@daleyoung87 I agree bring back the volute
Etymology: Derived from "volume" and "lute" ...
QED: Makes it a lot louder.
You're welcome ;-)
I like the opening statement of “the most music with the least gear.” Something to be said for that. I’m a proponent of this!
Your research, articulation, and expertise accuracy....etc. IS TOP DRAWER... I am going to make a video about the vintage/value and many changes trying to focus on the why....since I am a Fender guy, mostly, I so much appreciate your many superb videos....to help with the exhaustive research...including learning your perspective on Ted, who is one of those I have great respect for... YOU ROCK in all the good ways.. Sincerely Michael Wilson, Stratford ON, Canada
what a detailed info-mative minute in time . Les Pauls are the THE GUITAR. what a great feature . cant talk enough about 1968's thank you poster....
Thanks for watching BB!
@@melvynobrien6193 not really, keep hating.
I just purchased a 1981 Gibson The "Paul" firebrand because of your guitar history series. You mentionned the "SG" model in The Gibson SG: a short history video and it made me curious about that line. I made some research and it made me wanna own one. Thank you!
What a wonderful documentary about Gibson’s history.
I watched it while looking at my new Les Paul “Unburst.”
I’ve had it less than two weeks, and I’m already falling in love with it!
Thank you. Very informative.
Can you do a video on the Gibson SG, please.
This is still on the list. Just have to do them one at a time.
Keith
And this time don't forget to include Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the players roll call!!
JCsaxophile She’s the first one up! Writing the research up right now.
Good news my friend
@@bean_____Boi There you go Evan.
Keith, this fifth edition of your tutorial is truly a musicians dream. As with theory, charts, written music and just great information, you gotta love this stuff. Your’s, as well as Mr. Beato’s stuff is something to keep on file and make my music better. I’ve commented before, so I think you know where you stand on my gurus list. Thank you, Peace , Rocky.
Thanks so much Rocky. These earliest history videos are a little rushed, so much to squeeze in, so I’m glad you still dig them.
Just want to say this channel is quickly becoming the coolest guitar channel on the Web! Seriously, this was a great short history of one of the greatest guitar designs ever. Les Paul guitars have always held a special place in my guitar journey. My first was a '55 Les Paul Junior sunburst, that I one day gave away to a friend. Now that I am downsizing, I sure miss that guitar. C'est la vie! Your videos are setting a new bar of excellence for the guitar channels on YT. Thank you for your efforts,
Forgot my 1978 The Paul les paul and bought the 2019 re-issue as well, great guitars.
I own a 79 The Paul and I love it.
Great documentary on arguably the most iconic rock guitar, the mighty Gibson Les Paul.
I grew up in Milwaukee and remember hearing of Les Paul's passing (I was 12 at the time). My dad took my friend and I to his visitation at Discovery World, attached to the Les Paul exhibit. Wisconsin has got some great musicians and inventors but he by far eclipses the great many of them.
the image of Mike Bloomfield playing a white tele @ 21:49 is an eerie image of things to come, the string from his strap drapes over the upper bout of the guitar to resemble a double cut away . Which is what happened when he sold the Tele to a left handed friend of his ,who ended up cutting his own cut away which ruined the guitar..
The Les Paul is a love-hate thing for me: I love the look, i love the scale length, radius and general playability, I love the control layout....I hate the ergonomics and limited adjustability of the tune-o-matic and neck. *Super* legit video as usual!
? neck is adjustable with trussrod. tune-o-matic is one of the most adjustable and easy to use bridges around. sure you can't raise saddles separately, but what's the point when you would want them radiused either way.
@@LfunkeyAfor me thr strat type bridge is superior in every way from ergonomics to dual function as a vibrato and ease of adjustment. And you can adjust the neck angle of a bolt neck far more easily should the need arise...or just replacement in general. That's what I was referring to
I love the growling and urgent sound.
םםןוטארךלחיעכ.
💵💴⏲
@@sonsauvage the vibrato is fun but sloppy, it's pointless to adjust saddle height individually unless you have some super specific play style. the need to adjust a neck or replace it hardly ever arises. yes, a gibson head stock can break if you're negligent, but that can be fixed. i think fenders are just as flawed if not more than gibsons. it's all about feel in terms of what you love. i love an LP because of the mellow tone and nice neck/scale feel.
We need
Five Watt World a Short History: A short history, from early years as a player to TH-cam creator
I've never really been a Gibson guy (I don't own one and never have), but this was incredibly interesting.
Those cherry faces and deep tiger maples are some of the most gorgeous finishes I’ve ever seen on guitars! Only one of my sons got into guitars - my youngest - and his interest in bass guitars. He got into a band in high school who did local and a few road gigs before he went off to college. He got married last year and took all his guitars and electronics to his house. He even took off with my electric 6 string, my Marshall amp and my electronic keyboard equipment. But, he has made better use of them than I ever did so it’s cool.
Your knowledge, level of research, and manner of explanation is the best I've ever encountered. Thank you, and best of luck to you!
Five Watt World has become by favorite TH-cam channel. Love what you’re doing Keith.
Very well done. A nice delivery and packed with information. I have discovered over years it seems a fair part of the picture, but Keith, you put so much more into it and then put a bow on it. Impressive! I am a fan.
Kossoff's burst is still my favourite. I just love that 'dirty lemon' finish (sounds even better). One of Ace Frehley's looks pretty similar too
So great. I could listen to this historical goodness for hours and hours! It's especially great, along with your other videos, to have playing in the background while I'm working on my guitars (and guns).
Thanks again!
Hi you haven't mentioned the "Recording" model which was what LP actually played live on stage. It had totally different pickups and phase control switches. My cousin had one. It was bliss to play.
Can we have a burst?
Nope. Here’s a gold top, jr, deluxe and another 100 reissues of the deluxe.
Hate to burst your bubble...
It's amazing how diffrent Fender and Gibson are in 2019.
@Sean Mondout New price on a Les Paul, down $500
Les Pauls -The custom, the standard, the traditional, the jr, the studio, the bells, the whistles, the wank.
Fender - A Strat is a Strat you know what your getting.
@@croweater6814 not really. Did they figure by now that 2-screw bridge shouldn't be premium feature? Or saddles without sharp screws sticking out? Or spring cover with big convenient hole, instead of stupid 6 tiny holes? Or proper tremolo arm with retainable spring? And don't get me started on retarded wiring which basically makes bridge pickup unusable.
Yeah, all that shit can be fixed by modding or buying high-end models (which cost even more than LP Standard) but don't make idol of Fender.
I'd say that all players should try both LP and Strat and then pick what is not best, but what fits their playstyle. Or just have both, which is option I took myself.
@@croweater6814 not really. a les paul is also a les paul. the others aren't as much variations on the les paul as they are different models. when you say 'les paul', the average person will assume 'les paul standard', unless said person is a scumbag Fender purist like yourself.
@@LfunkeyA _Fender purist_
I'm not a Fender purist, I just recognise the fact that Les Pauls attach far more wank to their range than fender. A strat is a strat. A cheap Strat is a cheap Strat an expensive strat is an expensive strat, but they are both strats. The LP range is far more convoluted and never as clear cut.
I worked in Kalamazoo last year & stopped by Heritage Guitars, tho I was too late that day for the tour. Nice folks. I kind of felt sad that Gibson had left K'zoo...a lot of history there.
That operation is no longer similar to the Gibson operation. Heritage was bought by another group and the production was shifted to a different site and modernized - a bunch of the original employees were either fired or walked out.
wwmt.com/news/local/14-heritage-guitar-workers-off-the-job-as-company-heads-in-new-direction
The youtube video of the modernized production makes it look like any other guitar factory (my opinion), but I'm sure as with many things, modernization of production brings costs down. Not so great for nostalgia and wondering if your guitar is being made the same way as don felder's burst.
The Gibson Les Paul isn't my favorite Gibson model but damn, such a gorgeous design and iconic sound...Les was a GENIUS!!!
Just superb. The complete history including a fair bit of detail of the Les Paul in just 38 minutes. Well done.
Thanks man! Welcome to five watt world.
Superb recap of a storied history! I’m proud to own a very early serial number 80 Heritage Elite.
These 'Deep Dives' into these guitars is stunning in it's attention to details. 5 watt, you really should be proud of yours work .
Thanks Kerry
Cool videos! I got hooked on them about a week ago upon my most recent auction win. Yup, it's story time once again. My older brother, a 'nam era Marine, got to where he couldn't TCB any more. So the state got a lawyer and his outfit to sell his house and 5 acres of land. And, as you may've guessed, everything in it. Well, I was to find that there hadn't been any heat or power in that house for Lord knows how many years? A tragedy in the case of some relics of true heirloom status to be sure. As I was looking through the auction site's pages of the estate's lot numbers with their related pics and all-too-brief descriptions ( that's the way it's done these days), I stumbled across a very familiar memory! That red Les Paul that had belonged to a fella from the Bronx, NYC that my older brother had brought home one day in Elyria, OH. One Marty Fillmore, a street kid himself, who became part of our family in the late 1960's. With rosewood fret board, natural colored binding and white pic guard/pickup frames, with clear gold speed knobs. I remembered first watching him play the guitar in our backyard in 1969, when I was 13 years old. A square-jawed fella with dark hair and tall broad shouldered build. He played rock-n-roll on that thing that sounded like it just had to come from that style of Gibson! Flash forward to about 3 weeks ago now. I was to find, after paying $200 for it, that it was a Davison Les Paul, a cheapo made out of Alder and capped with the familiar book-matched flame maple archtop of the original Gibson's. Oh well, at least it has some great memories attached to it. It was grody, with an unknown number of years of dried funk on it, and the metal covers on the old soap bar pickups looked like rusty car bumpers from back then. I removed the strings that weren't broken. Then tried to use Nevr-Dull to clean the metal pickup covers to no effect whatsoever. Damn, now what I thought to myself? I broke out the small pump spray bottle of Gibson guitar cleaner/polish and sprayed it all over the top of the guitar. That stuff cleaned off every bit of crud like Windex on a dirty window! So I repeated that all over the guitar, finding it to look like brand new at that point! I need to restring it and give it a try when I get my sons to bring my Fender Rock Pro 1000 half stack downstairs into the man cave. That day will be a good day!...
Loved that little laugh at the end. 😄 I'm guessing because of the age of this video, Trogly wasn't really on the scene yet. However with the years since this release, this really did feel like a brief list of just about every Les Paul he's ever had his hands on! An enviable job if ever there was one! Thanks for the great history Keith. Very enjoyable!!
five watt world An hours editing for one minute air time. I didn't realise just how much we owe you for these great informative adventures. Thanks, Keith.
No problem Skinny. It’s the gig.
Great video! Great piece of research!
I really appreciate the way you do your videos. Congrats, and please keep them coming! I am a happy subscriber to yoyr channel, always looking forward to the next videos to come because I learn a lot from them.
Regards from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!
Hellooooo Rio! Thanks for watching man and thanks for subbing. The community is one of the reasons I do this. It makes it all worth while.
@@fivewattworld poor research, you missed where they got the idea for the shape and look of the guitar. an inventor came to gibson in 1941 and presented a solid body guitar that looks very similar to the les paul.
@@fivewattworld And we appreciate it, mate. Been a subscriber myself for quite awhile and I like to re-watch these (strat, tele and Lester) every once in a while.
Cheers from Lisbon
@@rohadtanyad8908 Napravi ti bolje istrazivanje i klip ako mozes..
I have an Epiphone SG plays as smooth as silk and sounds even better I also have an Epiphone Les Paul PRO series also smooth as silk and the sound is awesome But a bit heavy I love them both.
A more credible theory about the TV name is that a lot of TVs used that same color for their casing (it was a popular color for furniture at the time, so a lot of TV cabinets were painted to match this).
Gibson used GM paint names for their guitars. TV= Buick's Transparent Venetian. The Sherwin Williams paint code for Venetian Yellow is SW-1666, roughly coequal to GM's 246-5819. "Translucent" denotes a 50% mixture of clear nitrocellulose laquer.
The best potted history of the Les Paul on you tube bar none. Excellent work, thank you sir.
This cat should win an Oscar in many categories !
@five watt , how many freaking hours do you put into a video like this? Incredible job! Thank you!
About an hour of editing for each minute of video. Thanks for watching.
Keith
@@fivewattworld wow. Thanks for your work Keith!
That was INCREDIBLY well done. ... I feel better now about the INSANE money I spent on my Custom Shop '59 Burst Reissue. .... SUBSCRIBED!
Welcome to five watt world Mark!
Thanks Keith. .... delighted to be here. .... I've shared this outstanding documentary to all of my FB Gibson and Les Paul Groups.,
@@fivewattworld Thanks Keith. ... delighted to be here. .... I've shared this outstanding documentary to all of the FB Les Paul Groups I belong to.
if you want a burst top, it's only worth spending money on pre-owned R8s. R9/0 is only if you've got throw away money.
It's amazing how these companies got the design right on the first time.
They did have the Bigsby-Travis (or Bigsby-Travis-Grohs? www.vintageguitar.com/1807/bigsby-merle-travis-electric-guitar/ ) guitar and other Bigsby solid-bodies to learn from, as well as some more obscure early things like the Rickenbacher Electric Spanish th-cam.com/video/hafGI5B6aC4/w-d-xo.html and the Tutmarc bass th-cam.com/video/aF6usTMwicM/w-d-xo.html .
They stole from others, and havent done shit since but crank out the same ole shit at premium prices. Fuck Gibson.
They got it all right, wont stay in tune, design flaw in headstock, robotuners, etc. Dumb fuck.
@@RobertELee420 not really, still the best guitar around.
I was lucky enough to play the goldtop and the custom. Excellent!!!
Great video !!! I can remember in the late 80's when all you saw on MTV was Strat style guitars with floyd roses . I believe it was the "Sweet Child of Mine" video where Slash plugs his cable into he Les Paul and starts one of the most famous rock lick , intros of all time . Slash went left when everyone went right . His look at the time was crazy cool . Top hat , Aviator glasses , cigg in mouth , t-shirt with sleeves rolled up like the 50's greasers, leather pants, with a Gibson Les Paul FUCKIN A !!! It's so crazy how Gibson never really took advantage of recreating the 1958-1960 Les Paul's till recently . I have a 2012 Gibson LP traditional and it is horrendous compared to my 2016 R9 . See , the way I see it a guitar is played but a HUMAN !!! And a computer making the thing is not going to say "This feels like crap " LOL . The factory line at Gibson has be pretty crappy for a long time . I did buy a 2019 Flying V and matching Explorer and I have to say , Gibson might have listened . No reason a $1600 -$2500 should feel worst than a Epiphone which sadly is made in China .
Great Video about the Gibson Les Paul
Hello Keith. Long time musician. Started in the 70s. Started playing in the 80s professionally. I really enjoyed this and your other videos. Although I worked in guitar stores for 10 years and I am a bona fide gear junkie, I did not realize many of the things that you pointed out here.
I would like to ask you if you have ever thought about doing one of these on an acoustic guitar? Something like the Martin dreadnoughts that came out before the war, Gibson J 45 or J 200? Maybe the Mossman line of guitars?
Thanks and keep up the good work
Good to see you mixing it up with a denim shirt!
Thanks. Did you like the video? ;)
@@fivewattworld Just finished. Holy cow, that was exhausting... so much info. Fantastic research. I love the bit about publishing the wrong patent number on the PAFs.
Yeah, clearly my favorite detail too. Can you imagine that meeting at Gibson? “Well now that we have the number, what number should we use?” (heads slowly and knowingly nod in appreciation.)
This Gibson video and his Fender video is Relentless with knowledge! Melted my brain!
Carve them up into smaller pieces. That's how I wrote them, :).
I am binging all of your histories, and after each one plaging a tune on each one that have teles, strat, LP, SG, and Gretsch pro jet... I love guitars! Thank you Keith!
Thanks for watching Marty!
@@fivewattworld Thank you for putting out fantastic content. I'm a musician, singer that plays guitar on maybe 1/4 of the set list. My main job is fronting and singing..I have been blessed to have some seriously amazing guitar players in my bands the last 25 years.. Your channel came up in a conversation during one of our breaks in between sets last night.. You are held in high regard, brother. Cheers from Tampa Town!
For the record: The pancake bodies started in late '69 and ran through the middle of '76. I actually preferred the maple necks with the volutes -- if you ever drop it, the headstock won't break and they don't affect the tone. Nice video.
It's amazing that for over 40 years now, Gibson has tried to re-create a single guitar from the late 50s and has failed miserably.
shred5 the volume isn’t the only thing changed; they changed the angle of the headstock from 17 degrees to 14 on those voluted guitars and people do swear this has an impact on tone.
The volute didn’t help anything, it was in the incorrect place... Interesting huh?
@@allthings1150 only some had 14 degree headstocks, but zero impact on tone. maybe feel, but I highly doubt it
@@shred5 if they had the heal, they had the 14 degree headstock, not some did and some didn’t.
Les Paul + Marshal = Rock
Ya..., Ya........ Hendrix would not agree.
Rock is a style or gender, not a tone. A good rock guitar player, like Phil X, Jack White, could rock the hell out of a Tele, or a Gretsch or like EddieVan Halen, a Srat. There's so many different rock tones. @Thomas Grey
finally someone gives the internet some purpose! thanks for this! waiting on your channel to upload the history of gibson SG and fender pro reverb (my setup!) cheers
I love my 52' gold top! It sounds awesome through a Hologram Microcosm and an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff.
An episode on the japanese "lawsuit" Les Pauls would be a much interesting and needed addition
Thanks Keith, great history. ⚓️
Oh yeah, I got to play one of the Beano Les Paul replicas at CME in Chicago about 6 years ago. $8995. I’m telling ya, it sounded pretty average, good. I said I couldn’t believe the price, but in the back of my mind I knew I would have bought it if I could lol!
Great history here. Thank You !!
so, on my birthday, 5/28/57 the SF Giants were born, being granted leave from NY. Vote held.
then a year later, The 'Burst.
sweet.
Excellent resource, I learnt more about my 58 junior and my 76 standard with full size pups
I have to say shout out to Dave wearing The Killing Joke t-shirt who does your intro and outro for this video awesome band one of the greatest in the world!!!!!👍👍👍👍👍
Really great video. Learned so much!
I dig Hertiage guitars made in the original factory, completely unaffiliated with Gibson. They're glorious.
I would love to try one . Back in the late 80's , the music shop I used to visit in my teens had a model called a Sweet 16 (I think) - they kept it in a glass case next to a NOS Gibson The Paul Deluxe . I don't think anyone under 40 was allowed to breathe on them lol 😊
I purchased a new one a few months ago and I am really happy with my purchase. Tuning is perfect, great tone and well built. Funnily enough, much cheaper than a standard in Australia.
You’re doing a good thing here. Thank you for your chronicles sir!
Kieth... TV white is a yellowed white, because of TV station lighting and black and white TVS, a real white guitar would glare the TV studio lights like crazy, so they off colored it to look white on TV. Love these videos!
Great video with excellent research and well told. Very fascinating story of a piece of musical history.
Thanks Mark. What's the Les Paul in the icon?
Its a 2016 Standard. It plays nice and sounds great but i will be getting a Reissue 59 in the near future.
@@fivewattworld I use it in all my videos on my channel if you want to have a listen. Thanks.
@@MarkPritchardGuitar Pretty guitar. Dig the Shadows cover!
Thanks Keith, really enjoy your channel, very informative about cool gear.
In total I have four "Les Paul's, one "Burst" and three "Gold Tops", not counting four "SG's". I've been playing "Gibson's" since I started in 1962. They never have been in the shop for anything other than a loose pick-up wire (and that was in an "SG"). I like Gibson's products,.!
@ mr. jdoxes yeah it's a really good video it's an excellent video like to ask you some questions for that matter even the guy doing this video You're clearly a neurotic Les Paul player so am I got some questions for you I'd appreciate it I leave my email but then again I could just as well just leave my email. SSABP8@GMAIL.COM lower case lettering
I love the gold type ,,, had the chance of a 1972 one ,,, I got a epiphone sg the now it a good guitar for being cheap
When I was 19 (1979) I had a guitar teacher who said I needed a "real guitar" he arranged for me to buy a 1969 les paul sunburst guitar for $400 with the understanding that it would soon need a fret job. It was VERY heavy and it had a thick 3 piece maple top. the body and neck were mahogany. I showed it to a friend who was a real good player and he said I would need to replace the bridge pickup or have it fixed. My rig was a silver faced fender deluxe and an original tube screamer. Unfortunately I was stupid and some guy talked me into trading the les paul for an ibanez jazz guitar (oooops) since I have become a luthier I made a Les Paul out of Warmoth parts that has a chambered body a real maple top with a decent flame and a bolt on gibson style neck with a gibson profile headstock. I kick myself for trading the real gibson but I love my warmoth.
www.owappleton.com/ " In 1943 Appleton took his guitar to Gibson, to see if they had an interest in manufacturing the model. They told him that they couldn't imagine someone playing a solid-body electric guitar.
App attempted to patent his instrument, but as a musician from the small town of Burlington, Iowa, he didn't have access to a patent attorney. He sent letters and money to folks who advertised themselves as patent attorneys in the back of Popular Mechanics Magazine, but they merely took his cash. During World War II, as manufacturers dedicated their factories to the war effort, all guitar production ceased. Appleton stopped pursuing a patent.
Almost ten years later, in 1952, Appleton received a letter from a friend at Gibson. The letter read, "Well, App, you see our competition (editor's note: that would be Fender) has finally forced us to come out with your solid guitar. Sure wish we had listened to you back in 1943." Included with the letter was a brochure for the new Gibson Les Paul Model. In frustration, App threw the letter out. "
Ted McCarty was such an important person in guitar history. Your nailing these guitar history videos. I’m a guitarist and history geek so this is nice! Cool to learn about some things I didn’t know about too! Keep up the great work!
Love all the history behind every little bit!
So I guess you didn’t want to talk about robot tuners lol? Great video!