1992 Orville by Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop Dark Back w/ Gibson USA Pickups & Case, Terada

Up for sale, a 1992 Orville by Gibson Les Paul Standard in near-mint condition and in perfect working order, complete with a hardshell case. A rare model with a Goldtop finish paired with a “Dark Back” on the mahogany, this Les Paul captures a late ‘50s appearance with nickel-plated hardware, vintage-spec plastics and a pair of Gibson USA humbuckers.

Made exclusively for the Japanese market and uncommon outside its country of origin, this Orville is an official Gibson-licensed guitar and a result of a partnership between Gibson USA and their Japanese distributor Yamano Gakki. Named after Gibson's founder, Orville Gibson, this long-since discontinued Orville model was crafted at the Terada factory.

Differentiated from the standard Orville-branded instruments, the "Orville by Gibson" guitars represented the highest tier of Japanese construction. Outfitted from the factory with Gibson USA pickups, this particular Orville has a unique pairing, featuring a ‘57 Classic PAF in the neck position with a 490T at the bridge. These medium output humbuckers offer a midrange-rich growl and cut in the bridge position, with a fat, round-sounding neck pickup that retains good cut. Lightweight for Les Paul at 8lbs 7oz, this Les Paul Standard has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

• Wood: Mahogany
• Shape: Slender ‘60s-style C, measuring .815” 1st fret, .945” 12th fret
• Fretboard: Rosewood, pearloid trapezoid inlays
• Frets: Medium jumbo, leveled/crowned, no wear
• Scale Length: 24 3/4”
• Nut: 1 11/16”, bone
• Tuners: Kluson-style, Gotoh
• Serialization: G2-prefix (1992 production), inked

Body Specs:

• Wood: Maple, Mahogany
• Pickups: Gibson TM490 humbucker x2
• Harness: Full-sized 500k Japanese pots date to 1991, replacement Neck Tone
• Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector
• Hardware: Nashville bridge, stopbar (nickel-plated)
• Plastics: Amber bonnet knobs, one-ply cream pickguard (factory film intact) and switch tip

The gloss Goldtop finish is paired with Gibson’s “Dark Back” on the mahogany body and neck, and the binding shows subtle ambering, reglued at the waist and inside edge of the cutaway. There are just a few tiny nicks on the back of the body, while the gloss on the neck profile is pristine.

An Epiphone hardshell case is included.