One-off Les Paul 'Reduced Weight' Custom Shop special

[pippy]

 

I'm sure I'm not the only old-salt here who remembers someone at the Custom Shop reshaping a (raw-wood) flame-top Les Paul body by introducing a belly-cut, carving the back in a similar fashion to the front-carve; adding a small cutaway at the bass-side neck/body join and removing much of the heel - as was later to become the practice on the LP Access(Sp?).

 

The final instrument was finished in a tasteful classic Heritage Cherry Sunburst with a dark(?) cherry back and neck and was stunning.

Sadly no plans were made to put it into production as it stood then although the Axcess(Sp?) has some of these features.

 

There was a whole raft of info back in the day including pretty much day-by-day progress pictures at many points in it's development.

What was it called? Does anyone know how to find it on the web?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Pip.

[Rabs]

You mean this

 

[Rabs]

I know the picture you mean.. Cant find them yet but im on the hunt

 

This is the best ive found so far

 

Gibson Custom Shop “Less Paul” by Master luthier Bruce Kunkel – Bruce was asked by the Custom Shop to design what he envisioned as the “Les Paul of the future” He made several versions of this hand sculpted model. This guitar features a AAA+ triple flamed book matched maple top in translucent black. The binding is all hand inlaid mother of pearl as is the markers on the ebony fingerboard. We had the metal parts anodized to match in flat black including the pick up covers – a 490 and 491. There is no way to describe the amazing result that Bruce achieved in working on this design for the future.

[pippy]

You mean this?...

YES!!!

 

Except I had forgotten about the black one...Nice Find!

 

The original was a lovely regular Tiger-Stripe as opposed to quilted maple and was a rich cherry sunburst sprayed onto a particularly nice bit of figured maple.

I keep on having the name D!ck Schneider pop into my head as the craftsman but surely he would have retired from Gibson by then?.........................

 

What happened to all the build-as-it-happened story? Is it still floating around? Did they even actually produce a limited run??? Now that you post the black quilt I do remember having seen it but can't find out any more of the story and it's nagging!

 

But thanks for the pic, Rabs!

 

 

Pip.

 

EDIT : I was typing at the same time as you wrote the last bit.

So Bruce Kunkel - who also did the recent Shark Noir acoustics. That figures. Good Man to have aboard.

 

again!

[Rabs]

I can go one (or two) better :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pippy]

You get a tick and a star for the Sherlocking, Rabs!

 

Why on Earth don't Gibson make THAT! Gorgeous and extremely playable (if that matters). I'm at a loss to understand Gibson's thinking here. They've been trying out all sorts of new stuff - some of which works; some less so - but this (original?) style of 'Less Paul' would be a hit for sure. Not for the 'Purists', of course, but for a new audience? They'd accept them without hesitation.

 

Hell; I'm a self-confessed Luddite myself and I'd have one in a heartbeat!

 

Thanks for your work here!

 

 

Pip.

[Rabs]

No worries sir :)

 

And yes I totally agree. I liked this design the first time I saw it.. Its an evolution of what they already do.. Which is what I think people want from Gibson... and that shape gives them everything. Those new DCs are a step sideways... And they should be USA models, cos the custom prices are silly.

[4Hayden]

 

 

That's one sharp guitar