Gibson Custom Shop 1954 Les Paul Goldtop VOS RESERVED

The Gibson Custom Shop '54 Les Paul Goldtop VOS: The P90-Les Paul that started it all

Before the humbucker dominated the scene, there was the Goldtop with P90s. The Gibson Custom Shop 1954 Les Paul Goldtop VOS brings that instrument back in its most authentic form: one-piece lightweight mahogany body, two-piece plain maple top with hide glue fit, two Custom Soapbar P90 pickups, and a wraparound bridge, exactly as Gibson built them in 1954. This isn't a reissue trying to capture the vibe. This is the Custom Shop reconstructing the original with the precision that only decades of experience can provide.

The P90 pickups are the heart of this guitar. They sound different from humbuckers: more open, more direct, and with a raw attack that responds immediately to how you play. The Custom Soapbar versions in this Goldtop are unpotted and tuned to the output and character of the original '54 pickups. Clean, they sound warm and full with a clear presence in the upper mids. Turn up the amplifier, and a grinning, characterful overdrive blossoms that you won't find in any humbucker. The gold nitro VOS finish gives the instrument a subtle vintage patina that feels like a guitar with history.

The body is made of one-piece solid lightweight mahogany with a two-piece plain maple top, joined with hide glue for optimal coupling. The neck is solid mahogany with the '50s Rounded Medium C-profile and an Indian rosewood fretboard with aged cellulose nitrate trapezoid inlays and 22 frets. The scale length is 628 mm. The wraparound bridge and Kluson Single Line tuners are nickel-plated. The electronics consist of two Custom Soapbar P90 pickups with CTS 500k potentiometers and paper-in-oil capacitors. Delivered in the Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch case.

The Gibson Custom Shop '54 Les Paul Goldtop VOS is proof that the best ideas stand the test of time.