Gibson Original Collection Les Paul Standard ’60s

The Sound of the Rock Revolution

Though the Gibson Les Paul's birthday is in the fifties, it didn't achieve widespread prominence until the 1960s when rock music exploded onto the scene. During this wild-and-crazy decade, players like Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton all used Les Pauls to redefine what an electric guitar could do. These early rock stars caused the Les Paul's popularity to surge so mightily that Gibson resurrected it from the dead in 1968 after discontinuing the model entirely in favor of the SG in 1960.

In the ensuing years, many players gravitated towards these sixties-style Les Pauls because of their thinner neck profiles and figured tops, and they have become just as legendary as their fifties forebears. Now, Gibson pays tribute to the guitars that helped kick off the rock revolution with a delightful entry in their Original Collection: the Les Paul Standard '60s, available in Bourbon Burst, Iced Tea, and Unburst finishes.

The Secrets of Sixties Sound

The Les Paul Standard '60s follows the tried-and-true Les Paul formula for excellence to a T. An AA-grade figured maple cap adorns a mahogany body to continue one of the most legendary tonewood relationships in the history of lutherie. Mahogany produces a warm, midrange-forward tone with a bit of natural compression, while maple adds in extra treble cut and enhances articulation. Together, they give these fifties-inspired beasts a robust, full voice with incredible sustain.

Gibson has also outfitted the Les Paul Standard '60s model with a lightning-fast Slim Taper neck profile that is well-suited to many styles of play and techniques. And, each '60s Les Paul wears a vintage-style nitrocellulose finish that allows the guitar to breathe and resonate like a vintage Gibson.

'Bucker Brigade

Two of Gibson's stellar Burstbucker pickups build upon the inspiring foundation laid by the tonewoods. Burstbuckers take their inspiration from the famous "Patent Applied For" (or "PAF") pickups designed by Seth Lover for Gibson in 1955. They do an excellent job of recreating the vintage magic of the originals.

Specifically, the Les Paul Standard '60s features a slightly-underwound Burstbucker '61R in the neck position and a hotter Burstbucker '61T in the bridge. So, the neck position is pure vintage creaminess: broad, throaty midrange, rich low-end, and sweet, singing trebles. By contrast, the bridge position has more focused snarl, punch, and rasp in the midrange to go with taut, muscular lows and sizzling highs. In other words, these guitars nail the classic sound of the Gibson Les Paul.

A True Original

The Les Paul Standard '60s taps into the original wellspring of Gibson tone, and the results are truly inspiring. They are brimming with the spirit and sound that compelled thousands of Gibson aficionados to plug in, turn up, and play loud. We know that they will provide you with a lifetime of delight as they inspire you to reach new heights on your fretboard journey.