The Gibson Les Paul™ Special was first introduced in 1955 as an upgraded version of the Les Paul Junior, a somewhat stripped-down yet high-quality solidbody electric guitar initially intended as a student model and first released the previous year, in 1954. Like those early Juniors, the Les Paul Special originally featured a slab, single-cutaway mahogany body. The Les Paul Special also added a second pickup and additional controls for it, along with a pickup selector switch, binding for the fretboard, and a fancier mother-of-pearl headstock logo.

While a bit more ornate and feature-rich, it retained the Les Paul Junior’s simple wraparound bridge and tailpiece and no-nonsense attitude while expanding its wide tonal range even further. It was quickly embraced not only by students but also by numerous professional musicians. In 1958, the Les Paul Special transitioned to a double-cutaway body, offering improved access to the upper frets. The model really hit its stride in 1960 when Gibson repositioned the neck pickup slightly further from the neck, allowing for a more stable neck-to-body joint, and a new SlimTaper™ neck profile made it faster and easier to play than ever before. 

Now, Gibson is proud to bring the Les Paul Special Double Cut back to the core Gibson product lineup. It returns to the classic design that made it relevant, played, and loved—shaping sound across generations and genres of music. It features a double-cutaway mahogany body with exceptional balance when worn on a strap and easy access to the entire length of the fretboard. The mahogany neck features a comfortable SlimTaper profile and is capped with a bound rosewood fretboard, adorned with acrylic dot inlays, and outfitted with 22 medium jumbo frets. You’ll find smooth turning and precise Gibson Vintage Deluxe tuners with white buttons on the headstock, which also includes the Gibson logo inlaid in mother-of-pearl. The tuners, along with the Graph Tech® nut, ensure solid tuning stability. The other ends of the strings pass over and anchor to a simple wraparound bridge/tailpiece that is fitted with two intonation adjustment screws and bolted directly into the mahogany body, contributing to the excellent tone and sustain that the Les Paul Special Double Cut is famous for. 

A pair of Gibson’s acclaimed P-90 Soapbar pickups, each hand-wired to individual volume and tone controls, power the Les Paul Special Double Cut. The tone circuits use high-quality Orange Drop® capacitors. The Les Paul Special Double Cut is available in three classic colors - Ebony, Vintage Cherry, and TV Yellow. A hardshell case is also included to help keep it safe when you’re on your way to your next gig. Isn’t it time you played something Special? Here it is. Order one today and see for yourself why so many people sing the praises of this legendary guitar.