Les Paul may not have invented amplified music, but he perfected it almost single-handed. He started a revolution in fretted instruments and pickup design which is still going on. And the guitars he designed with Gibson have yet to be surpassed. The demand for them just won't quit. And the pressure to make more has never let up. Okay, you win. We are pleased to announce that more of the original Les Paul Gibsons are available.

This was what Gibson wrote in 1969 about the relaunch of the Les Paul. Swayed by popular demand, Gibson reintroduced the Les Paul to the catalogue in 1968, choosing the ‘56 Standard and the Custom as the candidates. Not an exact replica, the guitar featured a maple cap over its single piece mahogany body with some other design tweaks being a 14 degree headstock angle and a pair of humbuckers. 

This is a genuine 1968 LP Custom which is very rare to find. It is NOT an early 69/68 spec, or a 69 masquerading as a 68, this is one of the very few (thought to be around 400) genuine 1968 Les Paul Customs out there and is in superb condition.

It has of course the long tenon, one piece neck, one piece body, dot on the 'I' and pots dated to 20th week of 1968. It is a 516xxx serial number and a nice chunkyish neck like the early and first series had.

This guitar really looks the part. The top has a few very minor marks but nothing substantial and has very little in the way of checking. On the back there is some buckle rash but this has not gone through to the wood.

The neck too is in excellent shape with the only marks on the lacquer being evidence of a capo. This is nit picking though. The fretboard is in good shape and has had a refret which unlike some we have seen, is a decent job. The refret was done a while ago and with sensible size fret wire. Headstock is in good condition.

Hardware shows signs of wear as you'd expect with the gold plating having been worn off. The pickup covers have been taken off and lost a while ago too.

The plastics are in good condition.

Electrically everything looks correct and with the covers off we can see that the pickups haven’t been rewound.

The guitar comes with its correct Gibson Black Tolex hardshell case.

The guitar sounds as good as it looks with plenty of tonal options provided by the Patent Number pickups.

A rare thing indeed and much sought after, this won't hang around long…