Gibson Les Paul Supreme In Trans Black
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Gibson Les Paul Supreme in Trans Black
Considered the most elegant solid-body electric guitar on the planet
Gibson USA Les Paul Supreme
Since the arrival of a sunburst finish on its carved maple top in 1958, the Gibson Les Paul Standard has been considered the most elegant solid-body electric guitar on the planet. Occasional examples of these rare guitars from 1958-'60 showed off gorgeously figured wood beneath their translucent 'burst finishes, setting a standard for the marriage of art and luthiery. Taking this look to its extreme, the Gibson USA Les Paul Supreme marries a carved Grade-AAAA figured top and back to the classic Les Paul design, for a guitar of unprecedented beauty.
This model bears all the hallmarks of an ornate custom-made instrument, with seven-ply top binding, three-ply back binding, a bound ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl (MoP) split-block inlays, a showpiece headstock trimmed in five-ply binding with deluxe MoP globe inlay and "Supreme" banner, MoP Gibson logo, an engraved brass truss-rod cover, gold hardware, and even gold-tinted frets. With gorgeous flamed maple on both sides of a chambered mahogany body core, the Les Paul Supreme is nothing short of stunning, and your choice of translucent high-gloss Trans Black t finish shows off this exalted wood with real class.
More than just an incredible looker, however, the Les Paul Supreme is also a powerful tone machine. A pair of Gibson's most popular humbucking pickups with genuine Alnico magnets yield a wide array of voices, from sultry to scorching, while traditional Gibson constructional details such as a 17-degree back-angled headstock, a PLEK-cut Corian nut, and rock-solid Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece pairing team up to provide unparalleled sustain and resonance. Each guitar includes a plush-lined black hardshell case and full owner's manual and warranty literature.
Taking Beauty and Tone to the Extreme
The blending of mahogany's rich warmth and depth and maple's clarity and articulation has yielded a tonewood match made in heaven ever since it arrived on the first Les Pauls nearly six decades ago. This same combination is a part of what makes the Les Paul Supreme a superlative sounding guitar as well as a stunning looker, but in a gorgeous twist this model has a Grade-AAAA figured maple back in addition to its top, while its mahogany core is carefully chambered to reduce weight as well as enhance resonance.
Each piece of wood is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before it even enters the Gibson factory, and the final result of figured maple of this caliber is nothing short of stunning. The Supreme tonewoods don't end there, either, and Gibson USA brings a Grade-A mahogany neck to the table too. A fast but comfortably rounded neck carve with a thickness of .818" at the 1st fret and .963" at the 12th fret and a width of 1.695" at the nut makes this instrument sweetly playable.
Capping off the classically upgraded appointments here is an ebony fingerboard—long a staple of the Les Paul Custom and other high-end Gibsons—with distinctive split-block mother-of-pearl inlays in the tradition of the LeGrand and Super 400 archtops. But all of this superb craftsmanship would be nothing without the right pair of pickups to translate it to your amp of choice.
The Les Paul Supreme sports two of Gibson USA's most popular humbuckers, the 490R and 498T from the Modern Classics series. With the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, but with a slight increase in output and upper mid-range response, these are the perfect pickups for anything from classic rock to jazz fusion to more contemporary styles. The 490R is made with an Alnico II magnet for plenty of smooth vocal tones in the neck position. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490's ideal complement, and takes the design one step further by swapping the Alnico II magnet to an Alnico V, thus making it slightly hotter with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs. The pole pieces on the 498T are also aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge, which is different than the spacing of the strings at the neck.
Feed them with the solid sustain and rich resonance inspired by a classic Gibson hardware package, including an upgraded set of Grover keystone tuners, and there's no end to what this guitar can do. Consummate your own marriage of sonic beauty and visual splendor, and latch onto a Les Paul Supreme today.
Crafted from a highly figured Grade-AAAA maple top and back with a chambered mahogany body core, with painstakingly applied seven-ply top binding and three-ply back binding, the Les Paul Supreme is finished in your choice of Heritage Cherry Burst or Desert Burst in nitrocellulose lacquer, and hand-buffed to a high-gloss sheen.
The guitar's neck and headstock construction are inspired by the classic design of the original Les Paul’s but feature several modern refinements. Carved from a single piece of Grade-A mahogany, with a luscious ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl split-block inlays, the neck is topped off with a showpiece headstock with MoP globe inlay draped with "Supreme" banner, and five-ply binding.
The Les Paul Supreme sports two of Gibson USA's most popular humbuckers, the 490R and 498T from the Modern Classics series, which offer the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, but with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. These are routed through the traditional control array of two volume and two tone pots and three-way selector switch.
The Les Paul Supreme is equipped with Grover "keystone-button" tuners, a Tune-o-matic bridge, and a stop-bar tailpiece, all of which are plated in gold, and are among the most lauded hardware available for performance and solidity. The guitar carries traditional aluminum strap buttons, plated in brass.
Body
Top AAAA Figured Maple
Back Mahogany Core and AAAA Figured Maple
Binding 7-Ply Black/White Top, 3-Ply Black/White Back
Body Type Chambered
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Body
Neck
Species Mahogany
Profile Rounded Neck Profile
Truss Rod Traditional Adjustable
Joint Angle 5° (+/- 15 seconds)
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Neck
Neck Fit
Joint Mortise & Tenon
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Joint Angle Tolerance +/- .005"
Neck Fit
Fingerboard
Species Ebony
Frets 22, Gold Coated
Radius 12"
Binding 1-Ply White
Inlays Extended Super 400 (Split Blocks)
Nut/E.O.B 1.695"/2.260"
Fingerboard
Nut
Material Corian
Width 1.695
Slots Gibson PLEK System
Nut
Headstock
Logo Mother of Pearl "Gibson" Logo and Globe Inlay
Binding 5-Ply White/Black
Truss Rod Cover Gold Antique Bell, Engraved
Headstock
Tuners
Model Keystone Grovers
Plating Gold
Tuning Ratio 14:1
Tuners
Bridge
Type Tune-O-Matic
Material Zamak
Plating Gold
Bridge
Tailpiece
Type Stop Bar
Material Zamak
Plating Gold
Bridge
Hardware
Knobs Gold Speed Knobs Hats
Strap Buttons Aluminum
Strings .010 - .046, Genuine Gibson strings
Hardware
Pickups
Neck Position 490R
Bridge Position 498T
Magnet Material Alnico #2 (smooth), Alnico #5
Pickups
Electronics
Potentiometers 2 Volume, 2 Tone Controls
Type 300k Linear Volume, 500k Non-linear Tone
Coil Wiring Machine Wound
Toggle Switch Three-way Switchcraft with White Plastic Tip
Output Jack 1/4" Stereo
Electronics
Finish
Sealer Nitrocellulose
Process 1-1.5 mils
Trans Black
Case
Type Gibson Hardshell
Case Exterior Black Vinyl
Case Interior Plush Lining
Case
Accessories
Additional Materials Owners Manual
Important Note
Price errors and omissions excepted - An order is considered finalised on dispatch. No monies are debited from your card until the item is in stock or by prior arrangement.
