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1952-57 Gibson Les Paul Model

1952-57 Gibson Les Paul Model

 
The Les Paul was introduced in 1952, and was Gibson's 1st production solid body electric guitar designed by Gibson president Ted McCarty, with input and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul.  
 
They were known then as the Les Paul "Model", and were  Gibson’s response to Fender’s 1950 Broadcaster (renamed the Telecaster in 1951).  
 
1952-57 Les Paul's were only available in a gold finish, and as such are collectively known as “Goldtops"

  • History & Significance

    The 1st Generation Les Paul was introduced in 1952 as the Les Paul Model, with an Original 1952 MSRP $225 equivalent of ~$2700 in 2025  (Images #2, #6, #7)

    • Original "Goldtops" had a gold finish, a mahogany body, P-90 single coil pickups, trapeze-style bridge/tailpiece, and a maple top (per Les Paul’s request because it transferred clarity and brightness). 
    • Most were finished with gold only on the front of the body, but some were sprayed with gold paint on the back of the body, neck, and back of the headstock, which was Les Paul's favorite
    • The guitar’s fingerboard was originally unbound and the pickup screws on the cover were diagonal in relation to each other. 
    • There was also no rhythm/treble ring around the pickup selector switch, and for the first several months of production, no serial numbers. 
    • By mid ’52, Gibson added binding to the fingerboard and the pickup setscrews were repositioned.
    • The 1952-53 models use a flimsy trapezoid tailpiece (Images #4 left & #7), which along with a shallow neck angle causes stability and playability issues.  For this reason, '52-53 Goldtops are rarely collected to actually be played.  However, they are still valued as collectibles, with '52-53 models currently valued from $15,000-40,000.  Nobody knows exactly how many of these were made but experts estimate only 40-80 1952 Goldtops were made. 
    • In 1954 the trapeze bridge was replaced by the wraparound “stud” tailpiece designed by Ted McCarty (Images #4 center, #9, #10).  The first of these guitars with the new bridge still had a shallow neck set/pitch, but by early ’54 the neck pitch was accentuated to allow for easier bridge adjustments 
    • In 1956, the bridge became a tailpiece, and the Tune-O-Matic Bridge was introduced  (image #4 right, #11, #12)
    • In 1957 Gibson introduced the Seth Lover-designed "PAF" humbucking pickup and the last of the original goldtops were produced  (image #4 right, #11, #12)
    • Today, "Goldtop" Les Pauls, particularly the '57 models, are extremely prized by collectors

     

    Note:  Beginning in 1958, 2nd Generation guitars were rebranded as Les Paul "Standards" to better differentiate them from the recently introduced, more upscale Les Paul "Custom" line.  Because of this, it is now common to also refer the the 1st generation models as "Standards" although not technically correct...

  • Artists & Notable Guitars

    Interestingly, 3 of the most famous and valuable "Goldtops", are no longer "gold", having been refinished in different colors over the years.  These include the Most Expensive "Goldtop" ever sold - Jeff Beck's 1954 "Oxblood", George Harrison's 1957 "Lucy", and Neil Young's 1953 "Old Black".

     

    The Most Expensive "Goldtop" ever sold is actually no longer gold as the original Goldtop finish was stripped off in favor of a deep chocolate-brown finish, a color that turned out to exhibit some oxblood tints in certain light.  Jeff Beck's 1954 Gibson Les Paul "Oxblood" SN 27048 sold for $1,315,000 (Image #9)

    • "This guitar started out as a 1954 Gold top Les Paul that was traded to Strings and Things by a local Memphis musician.  A customer of ours from Dyersburg, TN asked us to customize it according to these specifications:  Finish it entirely in chocolate brown, replace all the nickel parts with Gibson gold plated parts, install full size humbucking pickups. There were a few other small modifications but that's the gist of the customization. When the guy returned to the store to pick up his creation, he took one look at it and said he didn't want it.  Jeff Beck came into the shop soon after and went nuts over the Chocolate Les Paul and said "how much?" - Strings & Things
    • After his 1975 tour, Jeff largely retired the Les Paul in favor of the guitar that he is most known for, the Strat.

     

    1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Duane Allman "Layla" SN 73312  - $1,250,000  (Images #12 & #13) 

    • This was Duane’s main guitar during the first two years of the Allman Brothers Band, and was used on the Allman Brothers debut album released in ‘69, as well as “Idlewild South” released in 1970. The albums featured the original versions of “Whipping Post,” “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” “Midnight Rider,” “Revival”.  It was also used on the Historic “Layla” sessions with Eric Clapton. The guitar was known as “The Studio Guitar” as Duane used this guitar the most in the studio.

     

    1952 Gibson Les Paul  Les Paul Prototype ‘Number One’  - $930,000  (Images #6)

    • Les Paul's personal guitar, and the first ever Gibson Les Paul model to be approved by Paul himself
    • The first public performance of Les and Mary on the new Gibson were at New York's Paramount Theater in June 1952.  The official corporate launch by Gibson was held the following month at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
    • The model was an immediate success for Gibson with 1,716 Les Paul Model guitars shipped in 1952 and another 2,245 shipped in 1953.

     

    David Gilmour's 1955 Gibson Les Paul ‘GIBSON LES PAUL ALL GOLD’ SN #5 8225  6/19/19  $447,000  (Images #10)

    • Used on the guitar solo on Pink Floyd’s hit single Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) as seen in footage and photographs from the shows at London’s Earl’s Court in 1980
    • “All Gold” variants are very rare among the 862 “Goldtop” Les Paul models produced in 1955

     

    1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard George Harrison "Lucy" SN 8789  (Image #14)

     

    1953 Gibson Les Paul Neil Young "Old Black"   (Image #8)

    • Was painted black prior to Neil acquiring it.  
    • Les Paul’s from the '50s had the serial number silkscreened, not stamped.  Since the headstock was repainted, the serial number is no longer visible...  
    • Per 1953 specs, it would have come stock with a trapeze style bridge and tailpiece and two cream coloured P-90 pickups.  At some point a Bigsby B3 was added along with an ABR-1 bridge.

  • Reissues & Replicas

    1968 Gibson Les Paul Standard  Original MSRP $395 (Images #11, #15)

    Technically, Gibson's 1st "Reissue" guitar came as early as 1968 with a reboot of the '56 Les Paul P90 model.  While they were actually quite popular, the sale of Gibson to Norlin brought in a different strategy, and this model was replaced by the Les Paul Deluxe around the middle of 1969. (Image #15)

     

     

    2009 Gibson Limited Edition Les Paul ‘52 Tribute Prototype “Goldtop”  Model # LPTBGTCH1  MSRP $4999 

    Only 564 made. Each guitar has one of the 94 years Les Paul lived on the back of the headstock and only 6 models were made to represent each year.

     

    2013 Gibson USA Limited Edition Tribute to Les Paul Bullion Gold ‘52 Tribute “Goldtop” Model # LPTRBGCH1LP MSRP $4999  (Image #1)

    Limited-Edition reissue with only 400 made,  recognized as the "Real" Les Paul Tribute guitar modeled after Les Paul's personal ‘52 and made to honor him 4 years after his passing

     

    1954 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue, Double Gold  MSRP $4699

    From Freddie King to Jeff Beck, many great pickers have been attracted the unique character of the "wraparound" tailpiece of a 1954 Les Paul Goldtop. Some believe its direct link to the body stud screws maximizes sustain while others believe the wraparound bar creates a distinct tonality and vocal quality. Whatever the case, there is certainly something special about this early year in the Les Paul Model's history and Gibson Custom Shop created this '54 Reissue to perfectly recapture the look, feel, and tone of the originals.

     

    2009 Gibson Custom Jeff Beck '54 Les Paul "Oxblood"  MSRP $9999

    Only 150 units produced (50 aged and signed by Jeff Beck, and 100 with VOS finish).

     

    2016 Gibson Custom Shop Collector's Choice #36 Charles Daughtry '57 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue “Goldfinger”   MSRP $6599 

     

    Gibson Goldtops | Vintage Guitar® magazine

  • The Mach Five Guitar

    2013 Gibson USA Tribute to Les Paul Bullion All Gold ‘52 Tribute “Goldtop”  (Image #1)

    • The Mach Five guitar is a Limited-Edition reissue with only 400 made,  recognized as the "Real" Les Paul Tribute guitar modeled after Les Paul's personal ‘52 and made to honor him 4 years after his passing.
    • The Les Paul Tribute is a recreation of the Les Paul Model in its first year of production, with a bridge adapted to the specifications of Les Paul´s own patented 1952 design, plus an all-gold finish on top, back, and neck, a rarity that adorned only a few guitars in the early years of production.
    • Commemorative details include a maple headstock veneer with laser-etched logo and Les Paul portrait, a steel truss-rod cover etched with “Les Paul,” a vintage cream pickguard hot-stamped with Les´s real signature, “Lester William Polsfuss”.
    • The Les Paul Tribute starts with the same foundation that made the original 1952 Goldtop such a powerful tone machine. Its body is made from two pieces of solid lightweight mahogany with no weight relief, capped with a carved maple top.
    • Its one-piece, quarter-sawn mahogany neck is set with Titebond to secure its long-tenon joint, and carved to a traditional rounded ´50s profile, with a solid rosewood fingerboard.
    • While the Les Paul Tribute carries the original trapeze tailpiece of the first Les Paul's, Gibson corrects the way this was used on guitars from 1952 to early ´53 by following Les´s original design, with an appropriate neck angle to allow the strings to be wrapped over the bridge, rather than under, for an improved playing feel.
    • The correct colored cream binding, gold Speed knobs, and TonePros™ vintage-style tuners complete the guitar´s period-correct appearance.
    • The Les Paul Tribute is more than just a trophy piece, however, and shares the same fat single-coil P-90 pickups that have made 1952-´56 Les Paul's such favorites with players for the past 60 years.  Gibson makes its P-90s today just like it did six decades ago, with two Alnico V bar magnets in each pickup and coils wound with approximately 10,000 turns of 42 AWG wire, for plenty of beef when you hit ´em hard, but crystalline clean tones when you back off the guitar´s volume controls. Orange Drop tone caps assist in that warm, singing “woman tone” when you roll back the tone controls, too.
    • All in all, it´s a stunning tribute, and a great playing and sounding guitar - just as Lester intended.

  • Image Descriptions

    1 - The Mach Five Guitar - 2013 Gibson USA Tribute to Les Paul Bullion Gold ‘52 Tribute “Goldtop”

    2 - 1952 Gibson Les Paul Les Paul Advertisement

    3 - Les Paul Goldtop Patents

    4 - Les Paul Goldtop Tailpiece & Pickup Evolution

    5 - Famous Goldtop Blues artists

    6 - 1952 Gibson Les Paul Les Paul Prototype ‘Number One’

    7 - 1952 Les Paul Jim Irsay Goldtop

    8 - 1953 Les Paul Neil Young "Old Black"

    9 - 1954 Les Paul Jeff Beck "Oxblood" SN 27048

    10 - 1955 Les Paul David Gilmour ‘All Gold’

    11 - 1968 Les Paul Brian Jones '56 ‘Gold Top’ Reissue

    12 - 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop

    13 - 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Duane Allman "Layla"

    14 - 1957 Gibson Les Paul George Harrison/Eric Clapton "Lucy"

    15 - 1968 Gibson '56 Reissues

  • Associated Music

    1957 PAF Goldtop - Eric Clapton & Duane Allman - Layla

    1957 PAF Goldtop "Lucy" - Eric Clapton & George Harrison - While My Guitar Gently Weeps

    1956 P90 Goldtop - Les Paul - What Is This Thing Called Love?

    1955 P90 Goldtop - PINK FLOYD ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART 2 EARLS COURT, LONDON 1980

    1954 P90 Goldtop - Freddie King - Let's Dance Away And Hide Away -

    1953 P90 Goldtop -  Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Hey Hey, My My ( Into the Black ) live 1991 HD

    1952 P90 Goldtop - Chris Buck - What does a 1952 Les Paul sound like?

     

  • Reference

    Exploring The Legacy Of Gibson's 1952 Goldtop

    Les Paul's historic 'Number One' Goldtop sells at auction for $930,000 | Guitar World

    The P90 Les Pauls: A Short History

    The Gibson Les Paul: A Short History

    The history of Gibson guitars in 20 defining moments | Guitar World

    Gibson Les Paul: how it changed from 1952 to 1978 | Guitar World

    Gibson Vintage - Guitars Collector

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