This 1981 Les Paul Artist is definitely a bit off an oddball in the world of Gibson, but that definitely adds to its charm. The artist model was fitted with Moog electronics but was still able to maintain all of the weight and sustain of its Les Paul Custom cousin.

This one is in very good condition for the age and by all means appears all original. There is no cracks or breaks. The top is in good shape and free from major dings and dents. There is some normal wear around the edges and quite a bit of buckle rash on the back. The back of the neck also has some wear but not overly bad considering the age of the guitar.

The neck is straight. The frets do show normal wear but still work as is. Action is low. All electronics are original and functioning.

Comes with original case

Weight: 10 lbs 10 oz

The Les Paul Artist is a handsome guitar with some very unique features besides the Moog circuit board and active electronics. All Artists were made in Nashville. The Artist has a unique peghead logo with the letters "LP" in script style, a gold truss rod cover with the "Les Paul Artist" inscription, brass nut, TP-6 fine tuning tailpiece,gold hardware, two potted gold plated Gibson Humbucking pickups, five piece laminated maple neck with volute, a bass, treble, and one master volume pot, brass nut, new design "scarfed" cutaway back, black speed knobs, gold jack plate, Nashville bridge, block fingerboard inlays, multi-ply binding on the top of the body, neck, and peghead, and three mini-toggle switches for compression, expansion, and brightness. The tone controls are active, with a notch in the midway ("0") position. With the tone controls at this mid-point, the sound of the Artist is close to a traditional Les Paul tone. The tone controls below this mid position (selections numbered 1-5) or above mid position (also numbered 1-5) actively "cut" or "boost" the tone, respectively. The active circuitry is enabled (and battery drain occurs) when a cord is plugged into the guitar's phone jack.