Gibson.com: Gibson Custom 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard

Neck and Headstock

Neck Species
The neck of the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard is constructed from one solid piece of genuine mahogany that is quarter-sawn for improved strength and resonance.

The luthiers in Gibson’s Custom Shop carefully match the grain and weights of these guitar bodies and necks to optimize tone and sustain. Neck Species

Tonal Characteristics
Every detail counts in the effort of bringing authentic ‘60 Les Paul tone to the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard, and the angled, classical-style peg head and mahogany neck work together to provide exceptional tonal richness and resonance from the neck, with a good string definition and sustain. Neck Profile
The neck on the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standards are carved to three distinct profiles:

Version 1: Carries Gibson’s rounded ’50s D profile, a full yet comfortable neck shape that accurately recreates the feel of the neck on a genuine ’59 to early ’60’Burst.

Version 2: Has a thinner, yet still rounded, “elliptical” profile that accurately represents the shapes of many transitional necks of mid 1960.

Version 3: Wears the fast, sleek slim-taper profile of the Les Pauls of late 1960.

Joint
Every detail counts in the effort of bringing authentic ‘60 Les Paul tone to the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard, and the angled, classical-style peg head and mahogany neck work together to provide exceptional tonal richness and resonance from the neck, with a good string definition and sustain.

Headstock Angle
Just like the original Les Pauls of 1958-’60, and many classic Gibson models, the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard headstock is carefully angled at Gibson’s traditional 17 degrees.

This subtle yet crucial element of the guitar’s design increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain.

Truss Rod
Gibson’s traditional truss rod is highly responsive to the individual adjustments you’ll want to make to personalize and optimize string action and sustain.

Logo
The traditional, period-correct Gibson logo is inlaid in mother of pearl across the top of a holly headstock veneer, with “Les Paul Model” silkscreened in gold along the center of the headstock face.

Joint Angle
4° (+/- 15)

Fingerboard and Nut

Fingerboard Species
The Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard carries a rosewood fingerboard, the traditional fingerboard of the original Les Paul Standard. Rosewood is both hardwearing and sonically superlative, adding sweetness and depth to the guitar’s overall sound. Frets
The Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard’s fingerboard carries 22 frets, all immaculately dressed and polished. Frets

Tonal Characteristics
Rosewood fingerboards are known for their rich, round tone, which contributes added depth and dimension to the overall complexity of the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard’s voice. Radius
Just like that of the original ’Burst, the 12-inch radius of the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard fingerboard provides smooth note-bending capabilities and eliminates “dead” or “choked out” notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with lesser radiuses, and is another feature that has helped to make this guitar a blues-rock legend.

Inlays
The Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard fingerboard carries aged acrylic trapezoid position-marker inlays, echoing the traditional look of the original Les Paul Standard. Inlays

Nut Material
The nut on the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard is made from nylon in the image of the original 1960 Les Paul. It is installed into the top surface of the neck, butting up to the end of the fingerboard to ensure proper tone and sustain transfer, and its nut slots are cut with Gibson’s PLEK system to ensure precise fit, break angle, and string spacing. Nut Width
The width of the nut on the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard is approximately 1-11/16”, the traditional nut width of Gibson electric guitars from 1960.