1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst Electric Guitar w/ HSC – Vintage Gibson

Gibson offered a few custom finishes during the “Norlin” owned era of the company. They offered Alpine White, Wine Red, Ferrari Red, Pewter Ebony, Vintage/Cherry Sunburst, & of course Silverburst. The Silverburst finish was introduced from Gibson in 1979 and was later discontinued in 1982. This short-lived finish wasn’t super popular during its production time but has gained a cult following in recent years with Gibson re-introducing the finish in limited quantities.

This example of the guitar comes from the year 1981 and lives up to its legendary legacy. The guitar features a slim taper neck profile that’s super skinny at the 1st fret and gradually fills out the farther you up the fingerboard. The neck doesn’t have much shoulder until you reach closer to the 12th fret. Gibson was discontinuing the Volute design by 1980 but this particular guitar still features the design. Gibson’s Silverburst finish has yellowed out dead center of the burst to a nice green/yellow, very common for this finish. The Gibson Schaller Speed Winder Crank Flip Out Tuners are fully functional and turn smooth with no resistance. The T-Top humbucking pickups are very well balanced with lots of bite from the bridge pickup and smooth low end from the neck pickup. Unfortunately, the pickup covers were misplaced years ago and are not included with the guitar.

This 1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom is in very good condition. This guitar shows signs of wear across with light scratches, dings and dents. The binding has aged to a nice yellow with cracks here and there on the backside. The back of the body has buckle rash closer to the control cavity. There is some light checking in the finish on the sides of the guitar closest to the output jack. Frets are low but still have some life left. The tune-o-matic bridge, stop tail piece, and strap buttons have been replaced. The guitar includes an aftermarket case with stickers.