1978 Gibson Les Paul Artisan Vintage Sunburst

Summary: The Gibson Les Paul “Artisan”- highly appointed and inlayed with pre-war era heart and flowers and flashy gold hardware, this one is a stunner. Its’ 3 original humbucker pickups sound stellar and the tobacco-sunburst finish ties in the vintage look, all framed in by a multi-ply w/b/w binding which has yellowed considerably with age. There’s some wear through the finish on the slim maple neck and some buckle rash on the back but it plays and sounds spectacular thanks to a pro set up by our in-house guitar tech and a fresh set of 10s. It ships in its original hard-shell case professionally packed and fully insured.

Body: Solid mahogany body with maple top, tobacco-sunburst finish, multi-ply w/b/w binding on the front and back and topped with a 5 ply b/w/b pickguard.

Neck: Slim 3 piece mahogany neck, bound ebony fingerboard, mother of pearl flower inlays, 24 ¾” scale length and 1 11/16” nut width, 22 frets.

Pickups/Hardware: 3 epoxy backed humbuckers, gold hardware, Gibson branded tuning machines with keystone pegs, gold tune-o-matic bridge with micro tuning adjustment tailpiece, 3 way toggle, 2 volume and 2 tone knobs.

Cosmetics: There is plenty of yellowing to the finish and binding areas, some wear through the finish on the back of the neck, small splits in the binding and chips in the paint around the edges, wear through the gold plating on hardware, big ol’ buckle rash wear through the finish that looks like it was buffed out at some point, scratches in the top and some haze in the finish in certain spots. There are also some minor dings here and there and wear through the finish by the strap button which is likely from a strap. Overall this guitar is in good vintage condition, it was certainly used and played but never abused and has never suffered any breaks, cracks or structural issues. The back of the headstock is faintly stamped “second” from the factory and there is a shiny patch where a sticker was removed and some scratches around the area where it has been wiped over the years.

Playability: Our in-house guitar tech has just inspected, setup and restrung this guitar with a new set of 10s. The neck is straight, the truss rod is fully functioning and the action has been setup low and comfortable. The original frets are in great shape with no major grooves or divots from use and it plays beautifully up and down the fingerboard with no dead spots or choking out. It looks like the frets have recently been leveled, crowned and dressed so they feel and looks great.

Modifications: n/a

Weight: 11 lbs, 1.5 oz.

Case: This beauty comes with the original hard-shell case & we will ship it professionally packed and fully insured!