I am offering a Gibson Les Paul Custom Ebony from 2012, a handcrafted at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee (USA), Black Beauty luxury version of the Les Paul, featuring a solid mahogany body (without weight relief), 2-piece maple top, set-in mahogany neck with long neck tenon and rounded neck profile, bound Richlite fingerboard with bold mother-of-pearl block inlays, two hot Gibson Open Coil 490R and 498T humbucker pickups, high-quality Grover Rotomatics Keystone chrome tuners and Gibson ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge with stoptail tailpiece in a brilliant ebony nitrocellulose high-gloss finish with multi-ply white binding, elegant chrome hardware, and black pickguard in excellent condition, including original Gibson CS luxury hardshell case, certificate (C.o.A.), and professional setup with 10-gauge Elixir strings.

In 1954, Gibson introduced an even more luxurious version to complement the Les Paul Standard, which had been in production since 1952: the Les Paul Custom. Visually much more opulent than the comparatively simple Standard, it quickly earned the nickname “Black Beauty” due to its deep black finish.

This special beauty, crafted in 2012 by the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, features a resonant solid mahogany body topped with a two-piece maple top and set-in mahogany neck. Weighing in at 4.42kg, this Paula is no lightweight, but it offers a particularly creamy sustain, a powerful punch, and the rich tone typical of the early Custom models.

At the heart of this Custom are the two Gibson 490T and 498T humbuckers, which come factory-equipped in the open-coil version without pickup covers and produce powerful, singing qualities with direct response and extremely dynamic tonal behavior. Great growl and clarity at the bridge, a balanced and detailed middle position, and a warm, full-bodied neck pickup ensure a lively and versatile tone—whether playing clean or in a high-gain context.

A sound sample of the model (from 2015 only) can be found above at the end of the photo gallery.

The rounded neck profile fits comfortably in the hand, and together with the 42.9mm-wide nut and the 628mm scale length, it results in extremely comfortable and smooth playability.

Technical Specifications:

• Origin: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
• Year of manufacture: 2012
• Body: Solid mahogany (no weight relief)
• Top: 2-piece arched solid maple top
• Neck: Mahogany with long tenon, laminated
• Neck profile: Rounded
• Fingerboard: Richlite with mother-of-pearl block inlays, bound
• Fingerboard radius: 12"
• Frets: 22
• Nut width: 42.9 mm
• Headstock: Angled mahogany headstock with custom mother-of-pearl logo inlay, 5-way binding
• Pickups: 1x Gibson 490R humbucker (neck), 1x Gibson 498T humbucker (bridge)
• Electronics: 3-way switch, 2x volume & 2x tone controls
• Tuners: Grover Rotomatics Keystone
• Bridge: Gibson ABR-1
• Tailpiece: Stop Bar
• Hardware: Chrome
• Body binding: White/black, 7-ply
• Pickguard: Black, 4-ply
• Finish: High-gloss Ebony, nitrocellulose
• Scale length: 628mm
• Weight: 4.42kg
• Serial No.: CS203175
• Includes original brown Gibson CS hardshell case, manufacturer’s papers (incl. C.o.A.)

The Gibson Les Paul Custom is no longer manufactured in this configuration.

This Gibson Les Paul Custom is in excellent original condition and technically flawless. Visually, there is only occasional fine superficial wear (see photos). The frets are flawless.

The instrument has received a professional setup with 10-46 Elixir Optiweb strings, and I (a long-time guitar teacher) will ship it fully insured with DHL for €49.99 within Germany or 119.99€ within the EU. Worldwide shipping possible - individual shipping costs on request.

All images shown are of the actual instrument for sale.