The Guitar

Here's one of the most ornate Les Pauls Gibson has ever built, and one of the rarest: a 1978 Les Paul Artisan in Tobacco Sunburst, wearing all three of its original Tarback humbuckers. The Artisan sat above the Les Paul Custom in the Gibson lineup, below only The Les Paul itself, and it was Gibson's attempt to bring the ornamental tradition of their high-end banjos to the solidbody electric. The result is the hearts-and-flowers inlay pattern in mother-of-pearl running the length of the bound ebony fingerboard and across the multi-bound headstock, a design used on no other Les Paul.

The numbers on these are small. Gibson shipped roughly 2,220 Artisans total between 1976 and 1979, and nearly 1,500 of those left the factory in 1977 alone. Walnut was far and away the dominant finish, which makes Tobacco Sunburst examples genuinely scarce, and the three-pickup Tobacco Sunburst configuration scarcer still. On the Artisan's carved maple cap, the sunburst has real depth, and the gold hardware against the multi-ply binding front and back gives this guitar a level of presence that photographs never quite capture.

Underneath the ornamentation is a serious late-'70s Gibson: a solid mahogany body with a carved three-piece maple cap, a three-piece laminated maple set neck with volute, and a bound ebony board. It's a substantial instrument in the hand and it sounds like it, with the thick, dense sustain that late-'70s Les Pauls are known for. The three Tarback humbuckers are hot, dark, and characterful, and a previous owner rewired this one into a custom control layout, detailed in full below.

Condition: Honest & Detailed

This guitar has been played and it wears that history openly. There are dings and dents throughout consistent with a guitar that spent 47 years being used, and the back of the body carries a moderate amount of buckle rash. The finish shows the wear you'd expect across the top, back, and sides. None of it affects playability or structural integrity, but we want buyers to know exactly what they're getting before they click.

The good news is where it counts. The neck is in great shape and functions exactly as it should. The frets appear to be original and are in excellent condition, with plenty of life left and no dead spots or buzzing. This is a guitar that plays properly, not a wall hanger.

As with any instrument of this age, there may be additional minor marks or imperfections consistent with 47 years of life that are best assessed through the photos. Additional photos are always available on request.

It's the kind of honest wear that tells you this was a real instrument in someone's hands, not a guitar that sat in a closet and was never enjoyed.

Electronics & Modifications: Full Disclosure

All three pickups are the original Gibson Tarback humbuckers, which is the single most important thing to know about this guitar. Tarbacks are the late-'70s Gibson humbucker identified by the black epoxy potting on the baseplate, and they are increasingly hard to find in a complete original set of three. They are hot and thick with a darker voice than the T-tops that preceded them, and they are a defining part of what this guitar is.

Here is exactly what has been done to the electronics:

Two of the potentiometers have been replaced at some point in the guitar's life. All four function exactly as they should with no issues, and the remaining two apear to be original.

The wiring layout has also been modified from the factory Artisan configuration. Stock, these came with two volumes and two tones, and the pickup selector gave you neck only, middle and bridge together, and bridge only. This guitar has been rewired so that each of the three pickups has its own independent volume control, with the fourth pot serving as a master tone. The selector now works as follows:

∙ Treble: Bridge pickup only

∙ Middle: Bridge and middle pickups

∙ Rhythm: Neck and middle pickups

In practice this is a meaningfully more useful arrangement than stock. Independent volumes on all three pickups let you blend the middle pickup in by degrees rather than having it hard-wired to a single switch position, and a master tone keeps things simple. The original capacitor from the two-tone configuration is included with the guitar for anyone who wants to return it to the factory scheme.

If you'd prefer the original two-volume, two-tone Artisan wiring, we're happy to restore it prior to shipping at no charge using the included original capacitor. Just let us know when you purchase. Note that two of the pots are replacements, so the harness itself will not be fully original either way.

The bridge is a genuine Schaller TP-6, although not the original that shipped with this guitar. This model features an enclosed post design where the tail posts are covered and actually "slot" into the tailpiece. The bridge is a genuine Schaller roller bridge in perfect working order, again not original to the guitar.

The Case

Comes with a hardshell case, fully functional and protective.

Who Is This For?

This is a guitar for the player or collector who wants one of the fanciest Les Pauls Gibson ever produced and doesn't need it to be showroom perfect. The Artisan is a low-production model that has spent decades being overlooked in favor of the Custom, the appointments are genuinely unmatched anywhere else in the Les Paul catalog, and a complete original set of three Tarbacks in the rare Tobacco Sunburst finish is a combination you will not stumble across often. It plays well, the neck and frets are strong, the rewire is solid, and the wear is honest and fully disclosed.

Additional photos available on request, just send a message and we will be happy to show you anything you want to see.

Specifications

∙ Year: 1978

∙ Model: Gibson Les Paul Artisan (three-pickup)

∙ Country of Origin: USA

∙ Finish: Tobacco Sunburst, nitrocellulose lacquer

∙ Body: Solid mahogany with carved three-piece maple cap

∙ Neck: Three-piece laminated maple, glued set neck, volute at the neck/headstock joint

∙ Neck Profile: D-shape, typical late-'70s dimensions (approx. .76" at 1st fret, .93" at 12th)

∙ Fingerboard: Bound ebony, 22 frets

∙ Inlays: Mother-of-pearl hearts and flowers, unique to the Artisan model

∙ Headstock: Multi-bound, pearl split hearts/flowers and logo inlay, engraved "Artisan" truss rod cover, truss adjustment at the headstock

∙ Binding: Multi-ply binding on top and back, bound neck and headstock

∙ Fingerboard Radius: 12"

∙ Nut Width: 1-11/16"

∙ Scale Length: 24.75" (Gibson short scale)

∙ Pickups: Three original Gibson "Tarback" humbuckers (neck, middle, bridge)

∙ Electronics: Rewired; three independent volume controls (one per pickup) and one master tone, three-way toggle

∙ Switching: Treble = bridge only; Middle = bridge and middle; Rhythm = neck and middle

∙ Included: Original capacitor from the factory two-tone configuration

∙ Bridge: Schaller Roller bridge with Schaller TP-6 tailpiece.

∙ Hardware Finish: Gold, worn

∙ Pickguard: Raised, multi-ply black

∙ Modifications: Rewired to three independent volumes plus master tone with revised switch positions; two potentiometers replaced; all electronics fully functional; pickups untouched and original

∙ Cosmetic Notes: Dings and dents throughout consistent with age and play; moderate buckle rash on back of body; neck in great shape; frets appear original and are in excellent condition

∙ Production Note: Approximately 2,220 Les Paul Artisans shipped between 1976 and 1979; Walnut was the dominant finish, making Tobacco Sunburst examples considerably scarcer

∙ Case: Hardshell case included

Shipping

Local pickup in Snohomish, Washington is always welcome. All instruments shipped by KanaLei Guitars are shipped using Reverb's Safe Shipping option, so your purchase is protected from the moment it leaves our hands to the moment it arrives at yours.