Gibson Les Paul Model (1953)

A one-owner '53 Goldtop that flat out rocks - this Les Paul has some serious power with the classic early 50s P90 voice.

This 1953 Gibson Les Paul Model just recently came in via the son of the original owner, and we're totally knocked out by this thing! Super clean with an amazing playing neck and some of the most powerful P90 pickups we've heard in a 50s LP, it has firmly planted itself at the top of our vintage LP chart.

This is such a well-preserved example, and according to the family, the guitar was only played a handful of times before being cased up indefinitely. Based on the very clear ink stamped serial number, it's one of the last of the "trapeze" models to leave the factory before Gibson fully transitioned to the wraparound tailpiece.


We elected to replace the original under-wrap bridge with a Music City Trapeze bridge, reducing the string height to accommodate the neck set and allow for much better tuning stability, intonation, and a smoother playing experience. This reversible mod makes a HUGE difference, and really brought out the true potential of the guitar. Already quite resonant and lively in its stock formation, the MC wraparound further enhanced the acoustic properties.

Let's talk about these P90s for a minute. It's quite common for P90s from this period to register in the low to mid 7k range for output, and this LP punches a lot harder due to a higher wind in each respective position. The neck pickup is full sounding with great warmth overall, and yet still remains quite clear. The bridge pickup is ripe with midrange punch and top end sizzle - an absolute monster sounding pickup through a pushed amp or with some overdrive in the mix.

With the exception of the input jack plate and the aforementioned bridge swap, the guitar is otherwise entirely original. Frets, tuners, nut, pickguard, knobs, electronics...all untouched. The finish is in truly exceptional condition, with very little fading on the gold, and a clean natural lacquer finish on the body and neck. There's even some evidence of the guitar having worn its original toggle switch card for a period of time long enough to create the slightest of UV shadowing adjacent to the switch. Super cool!

It includes its original Lifton 4-latch case, which is also about as clean as you'll find one of these cases. All latches function perfectly, and the interior is very clean.