RARE 1996 Limited Edition Premium Plus Gibson Les Paul Classic Trans Red OHSC

Description: This is an excellent playing and sounding Les Paul Classic Premium Plus from a great time in Gibson USA history. The neck is a 60's or r0 profile but has a bit more shoulder than a rounded C profile. It measures .81" at the first fret and .89" at the 12th. Great neck for leads yet enough mahogany for comfy chording. The mahogany back is one piece. It's currently set up with 10's with medium-low action and slight relief to the neck. The factory fretwork is fantastic.. there's no wear to them and no buzzes up and down the fretboard when played unplugged. There arent any noticeable dings but the clear coat has experienced checking, especially at the headstock front which has 'delamination' common from this era of Gibsons. Besides the typical 'nitro sink' to the top, which is a natural thing which is only noticeable in some lights/angles (which I angled with some glare to show), the back has some checking lines going from about the neck heel to almost halfway down the back. A few of these checking lines show a bit by the top strap button. But there aren't any noticeable dings and no structual issues... it sets up and plays like a dream. I don't even like red guitars but I've kept this as it's my best player. Some extra details... The Classic lineup began in late 1989 and had vintage inspired features like a real ABR-1 bridge, ink-stamped serial, and smaller peghead with push-in bushings. In fact to set them apart from reissues Gibson changed the headstock script from "Les Paul Model" to "Les Paul Classic" in 1993 when the Custom Shop was introduced. This particular lineup had hand-rubbed aniline dye finishes, gold hardware, and 490r/498t alnico pickups as opposed to the ceramic 496r/500t pickups all 90's Gibson USA Classics got. Because these were a limited edition and had wild finishes and gold hardware these actually got the "Les Paul Model" silkscreen since there'd be less chance of mistaking it for a Custom Shop reissue. These aniline dye finishes often don't stand the test of time due to UV exposure. The blue and green ones turn brown or even orange and these rare red ones can fade to a salmon color. The previous owner(s) must've been careful not to leave it in front of a window since there's no fading or discoloration to the top. As a hand-rubbed dye finish the figuring is very active and the maple is highlighted well with the aniline dye. The pickups measure at 7.7k for the 490r neck and 13.1k for the 498t bridge. Everything on the guitar is original except for new gold tailpiece studs and keystone gold Grovers. I went with longer, historic length studs since this guitar has a steeper neck angle and the tailpiece has to be lifted a bit more than usual for the strings to clear the ABR-1 body. This isn't a defect and I believe this contributes to the comfort of playing this guitar. The ABR-1 posts still have plenty of clearance over the thumbwheels. The original studs have hand-rest wear to the gold plating and are includef. The Grovers function great and the extra holes from the original Klusons have been filled and dabbed with nitro by a professional. I've recently set it up with DR Titefit 10's, conditioned the board, and tested the functioning of the truss rod in the process. There are no twists to the neck and the guitar is a fantastic player. It'll be shipped to you just as clean as photographed, except with the switch tip stowed away in the case compartment. The case is in excellent condition but has sone scuffing around the Gibson USA logo. Barely any wear/weathering to the gold hardware and the silky shroud is nearly mint. The only case candy included is the combo lock leaflet. It's rare to find a Gibson USA with a flame red/cherry top and natural back.. except for the Custom Shop they usually have cherry backs. I've included some info on the series in the next to last pic, compiled by the dedicated owner/mod of the Les Paul Forum. I've also included a picture of a (pre-internet) promo pic at the end. It weighed in at approx 9.9 pounds on my digital scale.

Price: 3660 USD

Location: Bloomington, Illinois

End Time: 2024-11-28T18:57:54.000Z

Shipping Cost: 100 USD