CONDITION: great condition for a fifty year old fretless wonder LP Custom; everything works as it should. The guitar has dings, dents and scratches as it should for a well played and loved guitar. It's gorgeous and presents well for its age; very vibey. All the parts seem to be original.

CRAIG'S POV
Gibson guitars from the 1970s have a reputation for being inconsistent, and honestly, that's mostly deserved. Most collectors will tell you to stick with earlier decades if you want the real deal. But every once in a while, you come across a '70s Gibson that defies expectations.

This 1974 Les Paul Custom 20th Anniversary is one of those exceptions. At 9.5 pounds, it's actually reasonable for the era when Gibson was churning out boat anchors. The neck is what really won me over - it's a medium C-shape that measures .83" at the first fret and .99" at the 12th. Gibson tends to go overboard with chunky necks on Les Pauls, but this one feels just right.

The guitar is quite resonant for a '70s LP, which surprised me. Unplugged, it has that response you want, and when you plug it in, those original T-Top Patent Number pickups deliver that classic vintage Gibson tone - warm, thick, bright and shimmering. The pots and wiring are original, dated 1974, and the Grover tuners appear to be original to the guitar as well.

You can tell this guitar hasn't just been played over the decades, it's been cared for, too. The kind of honest wear that adds to the vibe rather than detracting from it. The 20th Anniversary models aren't easy to find, especially with that commemorative "Twentieth Anniversary" inlay still intact at the 15th fret.

This is a no excuses excellent playing and sounding vintage Les Paul Custom that certainly stands out from the era it was built. The 20th Anniversary models aren't easy to find with that commemorative inlay still intact, and it's both a solid player and collectible. A beautiful example of a real deal 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom 20th Anniversary in original Black Beauty finish, and it comes with a nice original Gibson hardshell case.

YEAR 1974
SERIAL # 505333
BODY 3-piece "pancake" mahogany with maple center layer and maple cap
FINISH ebony (black) nitrocellulose lacquer
NECK 3-piece mahogany with volute
NECK PROFILE medium C-shape (.83" at 1st fret, .99" at 12th fret)
FINGERBOARD ebony with cream binding
INLAYS mother-of-pearl blocks with "Twentieth Anniversary" at 15th fret
FRETS "Fretless Wonder" low profile
NUT WIDTH 1 11/16"
SCALE LENGTH 24¾"
BRIDGE ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic with wood-mounted studs
TAILPIECE stop-bar, gold-plated
PICKUPS Gibson Patent Number T-Top humbuckers
CONTROLS 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way toggle
TUNERS Kluson "waffleback" style, gold-plated
HARDWARE gold throughout
WEIGHT 9.5 lbs