There are lots of alternate versions of the famous and popular Les Paul guitar. One too is the Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar, which is probably the high end models offered by Gibson and is intended for veteran guitarists or collectors. The Custom was designed by its namesake, Les Paul, who first teamed up with the Gibson Company in 1952.
The base Les Paul guitar was a response to the Fender Telecaster, which had pioneered the single body electric guitar design that was sweeping the rock, country and blues music scenes. The Les Paul had some differences, such as the strings being attached differently than other guitars. The Les Paul also differentiated itself by coming in many boldly colored designs.
From the start, the Les Paul Custom guitar was designed with a more formal look in mind. It features a completely black finish, which where it got its nickname the Black Beauty. Les Paul said the design was inspired by a tuxedo. Its top was mahogany, rather than the maple the surface of the standard edition. Starting in 1957, the Custom came fitted with Gibson's new humbucker type of pickup, which gave the guitar a thicker, warmer tone.
The Custom of today has a sharper tone because of its ebony fretboard. The frets are also somewhat lower than those on your standard guitar, which has led to some calling the Custom the fretless wonder.
Many notable popular musicians have used the Gibson Les Paul custom guitar as their instrument of choice at one point or another. Artists from Carlos Santana to Peter Frampton to Eric Clapton have used Customs.
The modern custom costs several thousand dollars brand new. It has branched out from its roots as the Black Beauty and is now available in different colors and finishes including Cherry Sun Burst, Wine Red and others.
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