1973 Gibson Les Paul Recording! SOLD!
Click any picture for supersize view!
Lots of guys talk about Les Paul tone but you wanna know what real Les Paul tone is? The Les Paul Recording! They actually sound like Les Paul himself! No muddy woman tone here (although you could dial it in), just big Hi-Fi sounds. Les always spoke highly of the Recording as well as the similar LP Personal model. They got closest to the sound in his head. The LP Recording may get close to your sound too thanks to an array of switches and controls that would make a Space Shuttle pilot sweat. Bass and treble knobs, a preset 3 way tone color switch, the mysterious and subtle decade knob, as well as a phase switch. There's a Hi/Lo impedance switch that allows you to plug directly into a mixer without a direct box or into a conventional amp. The trick is the low impedance pickups. As Les would always tell you, the low impedance pickups were superior to high impedance units and allowed greater frequency response, dynamic range and lower noise. In layman's terms, they had more highs and lows, you could use longer cords and they had greater detail. Maybe Les was onto something. Funny aside: rumour has it that these pickups were made by the folks that would become EMG. All of those bullseye painted, EMG equipped, Zakk Wylde Les Pauls now have a weird connection to the Recording. Check out some crazy period demo recording of the guitar by clicking here. Lots of sounds! Of course even with all of the gadgets, it wouldn't be a Les Paul without a big old mahogany body. Les wanted sustain just like all of those whipper snappers plugging into Marshall stacks wailing pentatonics and shaking their long hair. The 3 piece mahogany neck features a bound rosewood fingerboard with block inlays. Dig on the crazy half fret at the end of the neck. Les must have zipped right up there for How High the Moon or Vaya Con Dios or something. A Stopbar tailpiece (with factory goofhiders, it was the 70s afterall), Harmonica Tuneomatic and Grover tuners keep it rock solid. The finish is oh-so-70s natural walnut lacquer. It will make you want to redecorate your living room in Earth tones to match. The overall vibe is a little country, a little rock n roll I guess with some pipe smoking jazz thrown in. What a cool guitar!
This is a nice sounding and playing Les Paul. The frets show some normal wear but feel good. The neck is straight and the action is fine. The pickups sound very cool and all of the gizmos and electronics work as they should. Condition wise, this is a nicely taken care of 38 year old instrument. It shows wear that you would expect but was obviously cherished by its owner. Normal scratches, dents, dings, and wear. A good looking guitar. Comes in a sort of beat Gibson protector case.
I've always been a fan of these guitars and have watched them go up in value in recent years. A lot of folks realized that they have a lot of great sounds as well as a neat historical connection to Les himself. Expand the arsenal and branch out a bit. The Les Paul Recording is a great tool for any guitarist looking for versatility.
ST#SGX9X6XUSAX129X030XX122011
