Gibson

The beginning of the Gibson legend

Gibson's success story begins in 1898, when founder Orville Gibson applied for a patent for a mandolin that could be produced in large numbers. This marked the beginning of the ambitious and gigantic company that Gibson is to this day. Despite Orville's death in 1918, the company never stood still. In fact, in 1936 their very first "Electric Spanish" model was introduced. We now know that instrument as the ES-150. Although this was the foundation for the company, Gibson really started to build its stature after the company appointed the now legendary Ted McCarty as its new big boss in 1950. And then all of a sudden it went fast...

Introducing the Les Paul

In 1952, Gibson wrote history without them knowing it at the time, because in that year the company introduced the Gibson Les Paul. The '52 Les Paul Goldtop guitar was characterized in appearance by its round shapes, single cutaway and beautiful Goldtop finish. The basis for the instrument was the combination of a Mahogany body with a Maple top. In addition, the dual P90 configuration was also a characteristic feature of this guitar. The P90 was Gibson's answer to the single coil found in early Fender guitars. Initially, the Les Paul was intended as a signature model for the hugely popular guitarist Les Paul, but during the 1950s the guitar increased in popularity and became a star in its own right. The Les Paul branched out into different versions such as the Les Paul Standard, Les Paul Custom, Les Paul Junior etc. with different pickup configurations such as the aforementioned P90s on the early models, and the much sought after and often imitated PAF (Patent Applied For ) Humbuckers. These elements would eventually become a legend in themselves. And this would eventually be the starting gun for the largest guitar brand in the world.

The guitars

Gibson has released quite a few models over the years. As we mentioned earlier, the Les Paul has been marketed in various versions. For example, the Les Paul Standard is a guitar that focuses on the late '50s models with Figured Maple tops and Dual Humbucker configurations. In addition, there are also reissues of the first Les Paul Goldtop with two P90 pickups, and a Les Paul Junior with a single P90 and without a Maple top. In addition to the famous Les Paul models, Gibson is also known for their tough SG. This model was initially intended as the new version of the Les Paul, but Mr. Paul himself thought the model was ugly and did not want to give it his name. That's why the '61 Les Paul got the name SG after this year. The ES-335 is also a legendary model, and one of the most popular semi-hollow guitars ever.

A new start for Gibson

In the 21st century, Gibson had a significantly less successful period, even resulting in bankruptcy in 2018. A restructuring of the company was necessary, and Gibson decided to focus again on what made them big: very good guitars with a 50's and 60's mindset. James Curleigh came over from Levi's and started the new phase for Gibson. We have now received the new 2019 models and the signs are good. We dare say Gibson is back!