Gibson has announced new Mahogany Top TV Yellow Les Paul models in 50s and 60s variations. These are unique as most Standard Les Paul models have a maple top, and TV Yellow is rare for this model.
Mahogany Top TV Yellow
These new Gibson Mahogany Top TV Yellow Les Paul models are built using a mahogany cap rather than a maple cap. They also come in the TV Yellow gloss nitrocellulose finish with black binding, which makes them visually stand out from the standard look of this model.
It is an exciting take on the Les Paul Standard formula. It isn’t a huge change, but it should affect the overall tone. Like the all-mahogany Les Paul Customs, this guitar should offer a slightly warmer, more midrange-oriented sound.
50s & 60s
They are available in 50s and 60s formats, which give them either a 50s Vintage neck profile or a 60s-style SlimTaper profile. They both have a mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard and 22 medium jumbo frets with trapezoid inlays.
Burstbuckers
The 50s model has a pair of Burstbucker 1 (neck) and Burstbucker 2 (bridge) pickups, while the 60s model has the 60s Burstbucker humbucking pickups instead. They both use audio taper potentiometers and Orange Drop capacitors.
Each has subtle hardware differences visually, including Vintage Deluxe tuners with Keystone buttons for the 50s model and Grover Rotomatics for the 60s. They both use the ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge and aluminum Stop Bar tailpiece.
All the plastics are black to match the binding, and against the TV Yellow finish, these guitars stand out from the typical aesthetic of a Les Paul Standard.
Verdict
These have been added to the recent releases without much fanfare. However, they are pretty different from the standard Les Paul formula, and the finish option will most certainly have a lot of fans. I would love to compare A/B with a regular Les Paul to see if there is that much tonal variation. Hopefully, new owners will put their findings up online soon.
MSRP – GBP 2399 including Gibson hard case
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