The Gibson Les Paul Standard stands as one of the most widely played and universally recognizable guitars ever. First marketed as the Les Paul model in 1952, the Les Paul evolved throughout the '50s until the design was replaced by the SG in late 1960. Up until 1958, the Les Paul sported a gold finish, and guitars from this era are collectively referred to as Goldtops. Goldtop Les Pauls are extremely prized by collectors, and each year showcases the major innovations made by Gibson throughout the decade. 

Years of Production: 1955 - 1960 (switched to SG body), 1969 - present

Unique to this Year: First year of Les Paul production. In 1952, model uses flimsy trapezoid tailpiece and shallow neck angle which causes stability and playability issues. For this reason, '52 Goldtops are rarely collected to actually be played.

Body Style: Single cutaway solidbody

Wood Composition: Mahogany body, Maple top, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements:  Two single-coil P90 pickups, trapezoid inlays, Kluson deluxe tuners, four control knobs, white pickguard, bound fingerboard, trapeze tailpiece

Finish Specifications: All standard Les Pauls from before 1958 have a gold finish. Some early examples also have gold finishing on the back of the neck and body.

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