Like the Les Paul Standard, the Les Paul Custom was replaced with the SG body style at the end of 1960. The original Les Paul and Les Paul Custom were not brought back until 1968. Upon its reintroduction, the Les Paul Custom differed from those of the '50s in number of ways: the headstock was a slightly steeper angle, the control cavity in the body was cut in a different manner, and the neck tenon was longer. Starting in 1969, the Custom also adopted a multi-ply body construction with a Maple top like the Les Standard, where the original Les Paul Custom used an all Mahogany body. By 1977, the traditional two ply was again the standard on the Les Paul Custom. The neck volute introduced in 1970 was also phased out by 1980. 

Years of Production: 1953 - 1960 (switched to SG body), 1968 - present

Body Style: Single cutaway solidbody

Wood Composition: Mahogany body, Maple top, Ebony fingerboard

Design Elements:  Two humbucker pickups, block inlays, four control knobs, three-way pickup selector, black pickguard, bound fingerboard, stopbar tailpiece and Tune-o-matic bridge, nickel hardware, headstock inlay

Notable Les Paul Players: Jimmy Page, Slash, Neil Young, Alex Lifeson, Pete Townshend