I am offering a Gibson Les Paul Custom '57 VOS Ebony from 2011, the handcrafted at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee (USA), Black Beauty Reissue luxury version of the 1957 Les Paul with one-piece mahogany body (without weight relief!), 2-piece maple top, set mahogany neck with long tenon and chunky “C” neck profile, bound ebony fingerboard with fat mother-of-pearl block inlays, two warm Gibson Custom Shop PAF humbucker pickups, high-quality Gibson Deluxe Double Line gold tuners and Gibson ABR-1 bridge with aluminum stopbar in a brilliant ebony nitrocellulose VOS finish with multi-ply white bindings and elegant gold hardware in excellent condition, including brown Gibson luxury hardshell case, manufacturer's papers and professional setup with 10-gauge Elixir strings.

In 1954, Gibson added an even more elegant version to the Les Paul Standard, which had been in production since 1952: the Les Paul Custom. Visually much more opulent than the comparatively simple Standard, it quickly earned the nickname “Black Beauty” due to its deep black finish. In 1957, it was finally fitted with PAF humbuckers developed by Seth Lover and Ted McCarty, and the Gibson Les Paul Custom has been manufactured in this form, virtually unchanged, to this day.

This Gibson Les Paul Custom '57 VOS Ebony from 2011 is the luxury Black Beauty reissue version manufactured at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee (USA), which is uncompromisingly based on the legendary custom instruments of the 1950s and deliberately dispenses with modern weight relief in favor of maximum substance, resonance, and authenticity.

The hand-selected, one-piece mahogany body without weight relief, together with the two-piece maple top, provides a powerful, dense fundamental tone with pronounced mids, long sustain, and excellent dynamics. The classic ebony nitrocellulose VOS finish gives the guitar the characteristic, subtly aged look of an original Black Beauty and allows the wood and hardware to blend harmoniously.

The set-in mahogany neck with long tenon and chunky C neck profile corresponds exactly to the historical specifications of 1957 and offers a rich, stable playing feel with excellent vibration transmission. The ebony fingerboard with large mother-of-pearl block inlays and white binding ensures a fast, precise response and underlines the luxurious character of this model. The five-ply bound headstock with custom mother-of-pearl logo rounds off the classic look.

On the amp, the two Gibson Custom Shop PAF humbuckers deliver an open, three-dimensional vintage sound that produces both warm, woody cleans and a sustainable, silky overdrive – at the same time, they respond extremely sensitively to touch and volume controls – very much in the spirit of the early PAF era. The classic electronics with separate volume and tone controls per pickup allow for the finest sound gradations.

A sound sample of the model can be found above at the end of the photo gallery.

The Gibson ABR-1 bridge in combination with the aluminum stopbar tailpiece ensures excellent sustain and authentic vibration transmission. The hardware is complemented by Gibson Deluxe Double Line gold tuners, which fit perfectly with the overall historical concept, both visually and functionally. The multiple white bindings, the elegant gold hardware, and the black pickguard make this Les Paul Custom one of the most iconic appearances in the Gibson portfolio.

Technical specifications:

• Origin: Nashville, TN, USA
• Year of manufacture: 2011
• Body: One-piece mahogany body, solid (without weight relief!)
• Top: 2-piece maple top, solid
• Neck: Mahogany with long tenon, set-in
• Neck profile: Chunky “C”
• Fingerboard: Ebony with mother-of-pearl block inlays, bound
• Fingerboard radius: 12"
• Frets: 22 medium jumbo
• Nut: 42.9mm, nylon
• Headstock: Black face with split diamond mother-of-pearl logo inlay, 5-ply bound
• Pickups: 2x Gibson Custom Shop PAF humbucker
• Electronics: 3-way switch, 2x volume & 2x tone controls
• Tuners: Gibson Deluxe Double Line Tulip Button
• Bridge: Gibson ABR-1
• Tailpiece: Aluminum Stopbar
• Hardware: Gold
• Body binding: White/black, 7-ply, Aged
• Pickguard: Black, 4-ply
• Finish: Ebony VOS, Nitrocellulose
• Scale length: 628mm
• Weight: 4.18kg
• Serial no.: 7 11787
• Includes brown Gibson Lifton luxury hardshell case, manufacturer's papers (including C.o.A.)

This Gibson Les Paul Custom '57 VOS Ebony is in excellent condition and technically flawless. Visually, there is only occasional fine wear (see pictures). The frets are immaculate.

The instrument has been professionally set up with 10-46 Elixir Optiweb strings, and I (a long-time guitar teacher) will ship it fully insured with DHL for €49.99 within Germany or €129.99 within the EU. Worldwide shipping available—individual shipping costs upon request.

All pictures shown are of the actual instrument for sale.