Gibson Les Paul LPR-6 '56 Reissue - USA 1994

The Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul ’56 Goldtop (Model LPR-6) is a faithful reproduction of the original 1956 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop. It has been crafted to capture the look, feel and sound of the original, and it does not disappoint.

The legendary Les Paul evolved throughout the 1950s, and the major ingredients really started to come together when the Goldtop earned a tune-o-matic bridge to join the two sweet P-90 pickups which had adorned the model since its inception in 1954.

Well balanced and acoustically resonant at 9.22lbs, this Les Paul has a very powerful and authoritative tone unplugged that translates well through the P-90 pickups. And the classic combination of a carved maple top and solid mahogany body delivers “that” sound.

This guitar has not been given a relic treatment. The gold nitro lacquer is quite stunning, and has some natural wear areas on the top bout and above the strings, giving it the vibe of a vintage guitar. The gold is a beautiful rich colour with natural checking, and stands out among other goldtops in store. But there is very little other wear to be seen. The hardware features that light patina on the nickel bridge and tailpiece that Gibson Custom applies at the factory.

The single coil Gibson P-90s on this guitar are powerful and complex, with an extremely musical set of tones that range from growl and aggressive cut in the bridge position, to detailed and harmonically rich sounds in the neck and combined positions.

Excelling both at cleans and high gain crunch, this Custom Shop R6 model epitomises the quality craftsmanship and attention to detail that has made Gibson’s VOS line a favourite with both players and collectors.

The quartersawn mahogany neck has a very comfortable ’59 medium C profile that’s far less extreme that the big & meaty neck depths seen on some R6 and R8 reissues. The shoulders are beautifully rounded and the gloss nitro lacquer finish on the rear is super smooth to the touch.

The rosewood fretboard is a rich, brown colour with tight grain, pearloid trapezoid inlays and aged cream binding that cleanly covers the ends of the frets as per Gibson factory spec. The frets show little wear, the truss rod is responsive in both directions, and this guitar plays beautifully with no buzzing or dead spots anywhere on the neck.

The headstock has all of the hallmarks of a true ’50s instrument, with the thin holly veneer, 17 degree angle, inked serial number, and Gibson Deluxe tuners. The 1 11/16” nut is Gibson standard width.

All of the electronics work as they should, with the original pots and wiring all in place. 

This one was bought second hand by its current owner and unfortunately its Certificate Of Authenticity was missing. Replacement certificates can be sourced (with some patience required) from Gibson USA.

Very simply, this guitar is a professional level top-shelf instrument which looks fantastic and delivers the kind of resonant, rich tones expected from a Gibson Custom Shop guitar. It is an absolute joy to play and the perfect blend of early Les Paul features and optimal playability.

Comes in its Gibson Custom hard shell case in good condition.

Features:

Action at 1st fret: 0.5mm

Action at 12th fret: 2.0mm

Neck depth at 1st fret: 23.46mm

Neck depth at 12th fret: 25.86mm

Nut Width: 42.64mm

12 fret width: 52.6mm

Weight: 4.18kg / 9.22lb

Body: Solid mahogany body with a carved maple top, finished in classic Goldtop

Neck: Mahogany neck with a 1956-style neck profile

Fingerboard: Rosewood with trapezoid inlays

Scale Length: 24.75"

Pickups: Gibson P-90 single-coil pickups (neck and bridge)

Controls: 2 volume knobs, 2 tone knobs, 3-way toggle switch

Bridge: ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge with a stopbar tailpiece

Finish: Gloss nitrocellulose lacquer with a Goldtop finish on the top and a natural back

Binding: Single-ply binding on the top, cream binding on the neck

Tuners: Kluson-style tuners 

Hardware: Chrome

Frets: 22 frets

Case: OHSC