If you're looking for one of the coolest and most underrated Gibson guitars of the late ‘70s, this 1978 Gibson L6-S absolutely deserves your attention. Most people picture these guitars in the standard natural maple finish, but far fewer were produced in this stunning Tobacco Burst, making this one stand out immediately from the crowd. You simply do not see these come up nearly as often, especially in clean, well-preserved condition. Some vintage dealers and collectors even estimate the Tobacco Burst examples to be produced in far smaller numbers than the natural finish versions. 
Designed during Gibson’s experimental Norlin-era collaboration with legendary pickup designer Bill Lawrence, the L6-S was built to be incredibly versatile. The six-position rotary selector gives you everything from thick humbucker punch to brighter, almost single-coil-style tones, making this a guitar that can genuinely cover a huge range of styles. These guitars have been used by players like Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola, Paul Stanley, and even members of DEVO, which says a lot about just how unique and adaptable they are.
The maple body and neck combination gives the guitar a snappy, articulate response with tons of sustain, while the Tobacco Burst finish gives it that classic smoky late-‘70s Gibson vibe that just screams vintage cool. It has the kind of look that immediately catches your eye across the room, especially compared to the far more common natural versions.
A lot of vintage guitars are bought purely for collectability, but the L6-S has become increasingly appreciated because they are genuinely fantastic player’s guitars too. They have a feel and tonal character that sits somewhere between a Les Paul and something more aggressive and modern. They’re comfortable, fast-playing, and incredibly inspiring guitars to have in your hands.
The neck is straight and the truss rod turns in both directions. Whoever ends up with this one is going to own a seriously unique piece of Gibson history that stands apart from the sea of standard natural finish L6-S models. If you’ve been wanting a vintage Gibson that’s unusual, versatile, collectible, and still affordable compared to many other late ‘70s Gibson models, this is the kind of guitar you’ll be very glad you snagged before somebody else does.

Layaway plans are also available. Message us for details.



Fast shipping! We ship, same day or next business day. Feel free to message us with any questions before purchasing or you can Google our shop: “GuitarFinds”, if you want to speak to an actual human regarding this guitar.



We package each guitar professionally.

Listed20 days ago
ConditionVery Good (Used)
Very Good items may show a few slight marks or scratches but are fully functional and in overall great shape.Learn more
Brand
Model
  • L6-S Custom
Categories
Color Family
  • Brown
Neck Construction
  • Set-Neck
Right / Left Handed
  • Right Handed
Number of Strings
  • 6-String
Body Shape
  • Single Cutaway
Neck Material
  • Maple
Finish Pattern
  • Sunburst
Model Family
Finish Style
  • Gloss
Body Type
  • Solid Body
Bridge/Tailpiece Type
  • Stop-Bar
Pickup Configuration
  • HH
Scale Length
  • 24.75"
Fretboard Material
  • Ebony
Model Sub-Family
Number of Frets
  • 24

Product safety information may be available here.

GuitarFinds

Benicia, CA, United States
Joined Reverb:2013

Reverb Protection

Simple Returns, Secure Transactions, Human Support

Learn more

Secure Checkout

Promoted similar listings













Product reviews

Reverb Gives

Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music.

Oops, looks like you forgot something. Please check the fields highlighted in red.