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Average Price: $25,556
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Description
Step back in time with the 1955 Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty, a guitar that exudes elegance and prestige. This iconic instrument was among the first true redesigns of the Les Paul, distinguishing itself with a sleek, all-black aesthetic, gold-plated hardware, and exquisite white binding. It's not just about looks; the Black Beauty is revered for its incredible sound and playability. Known affectionately as the "Fretless Wonder," it features super low frets that make it a dream to navigate, whether you're bending notes or gliding through scales.
Under the hood, this model boasts a unique tonal prowess thanks to its combination of P-90 and Alnico V pickups. The resonant mahogany construction—including the body, top, and neck—paired with an ebony fingerboard, offers a warm, rich sound with a pronounced midrange that guitarists crave. Its versatile design elements, like the three-way pickup selector and classic Tune-o-matic bridge, provide a range of tonal possibilities, from smooth jazz to gritty rock.
Whether you're a collector or a performing artist, the 1955 Les Paul Custom is more than just a guitar; it's a piece of musical history. Played by legends like Jimmy Page and Neil Young, this guitar is a testament to Gibson's craftsmanship and enduring legacy.
Key Features:
- Single cutaway solid body style
- All-black finish with gold-plated hardware
- Mahogany body, top, and neck with an ebony fingerboard
- P-90 and Alnico V single-coil pickups
- Super low frets, known as "Fretless Wonder"
- Block inlays and headstock inlay
- Kluson deluxe tuners and black pickguard
- Three-way pickup selector, four control knobs
- Stopbar tailpiece and Tune-o-matic bridge
Videos
Carter Vintage Guitars
1955 Gibson Les Paul Custom played by Nick Perri
Reviews
Critic Reviews
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Based on 0 Reviews and 4 Ratings
Artist usage
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In this live performance of "Working Class Hero" (a cover song of the original one by John Lennon), we can clearly see Billie Joe using this quite rare guitar.
We can see him holding it in some photos from a photobook too.
This guitar mixes the perfection of a Custom Shop Gibson with the aggressivity of two P90 pickups. And it's very good-looking too!
In a video by Gibson TV titled "The Collection: Director’s Cut, Part One," Kirk Hammett is shown with his 1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom featuring "staple" pickups, which previously belonged to Mick Ralphs, around the 18:00 mark.
“1955 Gibson Les Paul Custom fretless wonder. Mr. Polfus’s favorite version of his signature model. His theory and correctly so was the lower the frets the lower the action hence the faster you play. He was right until the advent of extreme bending of strings in the blues rock world made the custom in its stock forum virtually unplayable. This particular guitar is a ok not a spectacular version of the 55 Custom. Proving not everything old is great," Joe Bonomassa says, on his website.
Peter Frampton talks about his customized 1954 Gibson Les Paul, dubbed the "Phenix", in this video.
On page 21 of this article from Guitar Interactive Magazine there's a video of Phil Harris with Paul's custom Black Beauty. Phil says about the guitar "it’s a great guitar because it actually signifies the start of Paul Kossoff’s interest and passion for the Les Paul."
Al can be seen playing a Gibson Les Paul Custom with P-90s during a Beach Boys performance with Elton John.
Album Usage
The Gibson Les Paul Custom 1953-1957 has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Gibson Les Paul Custom 1953-1957, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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