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1958 – First semi-hollowbody guitar, the ES-335 

1961 – SG body style introduced in the Les Paul line

1963 – Firebird guitars and Thunderbird basses introduced

1969 – Les Paul Personal and Professional with low-impedance pickups introduced

1979 – L.P. Artist with active electronics introduced

1982 – First solidbody acoustic, the Chet Atkins CE

1983 – Les Paul Studio introduced

1990 – Les Paul Classic introduced

1996 – Les Paul SmartWood introduced

1998 – Double-Cutaway Les Paul Standard introduced

2002 – Gibson Digital Guitar introduced

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Summary of Contents for 1934-L5

Page 1: ...OWNER S MANUAL ...

Page 2: ...0309 04 GUS 10 04 ...

Page 3: ... 2004 Gibson Guitar Corp ...

Page 4: ... s most famous electric guitar from the leader of fretted instruments Please take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the information in this booklet regarding materials electronics how to care maintenance and more about your guitar And then begin enjoying a lifetime of music with your new Gibson ...

Page 5: ...f Gibson Electric Guitars 8 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Body 14 Neck and Headstock 14 Pickups 15 Controls 17 Bridge 19 Tailpiece 21 CARE AND MAINTENANCE Finish 22 Your Guitar on the Road 23 Things to Avoid 24 Strings 25 Install your Strings Correctly 26 String Gauge 27 Brand of Strings 27 ...

Page 6: ...ody Electric Guitar Featuring a Les Paul Standard in Heritage Cherry Sunburst 12th Fret Marker Inlay Neck Fret Nut Headstock Fingerboard Tuning Keys Machine Heads Truss Rod Cover Single Cutaway Pickups Body Tone Controls Input Jack Three way Toggle Switch Binding 4 Volume Controls ...

Page 7: ...s of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Featuring a V Factor Faded in Worn Cherry 12th Fret Marker Inlay Neck Fret Nut Headstock Fingerboard Tuning Keys Machine Heads Truss Rod Cover Pickups Tone Control Input Jack Volume Controls Pickguard Body Three way Toggle Switch 5 ...

Page 8: ...c guitar the ES 150 1947 P 90 single coil pickup introduced 1948 First dual pickup Gibson the ES 300 1949 First three pickup electric the ES 5 1949 First hollowbody electric with pointed cutaway the ES 175 1952 First Les Paul guitar 1954 Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Jr introduced 1955 Les Paul Special introduced 1957 First humbucking pickup 1958 Flying V and Explorer introduced 6 ...

Page 9: ...es Paul Personal and Professional with low impedance pickups introduced 1979 L P Artist with active electronics introduced 1982 First solidbody acoustic the Chet Atkins CE 1983 Les Paul Studio introduced 1990 Les Paul Classic introduced 1996 Les Paul SmartWood introduced 1998 Double Cutaway Les Paul Standard introduced 2002 Gibson Digital Guitar introduced 7 ...

Page 10: ...up that was introduced on the E 150 an aluminum body lap steel Early in 1936 the pickup was put in a midline archtop model and named the ES 150 ES for Electric Spanish 150 for the retail price of 150 for the guitar and amplifier set The original ES 150 bar pickup with its hexagonal housing is now known as the Charlie Christian pickup because it was installed on the ES 150s and ES 250s that Christi...

Page 11: ...then became the first company to offer a three pickup model with the introduction of the ES 5 in 1949 Although the advantages of a solidbody guitar had been known to Hawaiian steel gui tarists for almost twenty years it took the persuasive powers of Les Paul the world s most famous guitarist in the early 1950s to convince Gibson to make a Spanish style solidbody Gibson designed the new model with ...

Page 12: ...it was when it was introduced In 1954 the growing popularity of the Les Paul Model prompted Gibson to expand the line On the high end the Les Paul Custom sported an ebony finish and low frets for fast action and it immediately gained two nicknames the Black Beauty and the Fretless Wonder On the more affordable end the Les Paul Jr featured a flat slab top and a single pickup and it became the best ...

Page 13: ...dbody and came up with a completely new type of guitar the semi hollowbody ES 335 McCarty also designed two radical ly modern solidbody shapes the Flying V and Explorer The body of the Les Paul Jr received a pair of rounded horns to become Gibson s first double cutaway solidbody And the finish color on the Les Paul Model was changed to Cherry Sunburst which let the grain of the maple top show thro...

Page 14: ...on continued into the 1960s when Ted McCarty hired leg endary automotive designer Ray Deitrich to design a Gibson The result was the Firebird series and the companion Thunderbird bass series of 1963 The Firebirds reversed conventional designs with their elongated treble side horn and treble side tuners They also introduced neck through body construction and smaller mini hum bucking pickups to the ...

Page 15: ...ars of the Les Paul Gibson has offered more than 100 different variations In 2003 Gibson honored Les Paul for his achievements as a performer recording innovator and guitar designer by presenting him a special Artist for Eternity award As Gibson celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Les Paul in 2002 the company rocked the guitar world once again by introducing the first digital electric guitar It...

Page 16: ... a solid maple Les Paul Model would have been exceedingly heavy A compromise was reached with lighter weight mahogany used for the main part of the body and maple for the top cap Most of the carved top Les Pauls have the combination maple mahogany body while the slab or flat top models have a solid mahogany body Flying V s Explorers and Firebirds have a solid mahogany body Neck and Headstock Mahog...

Page 17: ...e only on the BluesHawk Scale length string length is 24 3 4 on the Les Paul X Factor and SG models 25 1 2 on the Chet Atkins Americana and Hawk models and 34 on basses Pickups Humbucking double coil Most Les Pauls have double coil humbucking pickups which were designed to do what their name says buck the hum caused by fluorescent lights rheostats and other electrical interference They accomplish ...

Page 18: ...es Paul Specials and Melody Makers have single coil P 90 pickups Some have the original dog eared covers those without the dog ears are nicknamed soapbar because the original cream colored plastic covers on the 1952 Les Paul Model resembled bars of soap When the P 90 was introduced in 1946 it was the most powerful pickup of its kind And it still is Among the many examples of the P 90 sound are Car...

Page 19: ...otter Controls The standard Gibson electronic configuration is two pickups four knobs and a pickup selector switch The four knobs provide individual tone and volume control for each pickup Models with only three knobs provide individual volume and master tone control Single pickup models have only two knobs for volume and tone control and no pickup selector Volume controls The two knobs closest to...

Page 20: ... in maximum reduction of tre ble and produces the darkest sound The tone control turned clockwise to its maxi mum position allows the pickup s full harmonic frequencies to pass through produc ing the guitar s brightest sound Pickup selector switch The selector switch has three positions The position toward the neck selects only the front or neck pickup The position toward the bridge of the guitar ...

Page 21: ...er Action adjustment up and down is set at the factory to the correct height for playing comfort and for buzz free action Raising the bridge will result in stiffer action lowering the bridge will result in faster action but may also result in fret buzz Climatic or humidity changes or changes in string gauge may necessitate a bridge adjustment Any change in bridge height string gauge or climate can...

Page 22: ...t hand without pressing it all the way to the fret If the fretted note is higher than the harmonic the string should be lengthened by mov ing the saddle toward the tailpiece until the two notes are the same If the fretted note is lower than the harmonic the string length should be decreased The tune o matic bridge was designed to adjust for string changes gauge or type and other physical changes b...

Page 23: ...opbar tailpiece may be adjusted up or down to change the downward pressure across the bridge There is usually no need to adjust the stop bar unless the strings are moving out of the saddles in which case the stopbar should be lowered 21 ...

Page 24: ... heavy fingerprinting dust and grime from on the job usage are unavoidable However a minute or two spent with Gibson s instrument care products guitar polish fretboard conditioners string cleaner lubricant and polishing cloth will restore a finish to like new condition Gibson s nitrocellulose lacquer finish not only looks great it is also easily repairable by a professional Minor scratches and din...

Page 25: ...atures and humidities but not to sudden changes in temperature or humidity Just as a hot drink will crack a chilled glass the finish of a Les Paul will crack if a guitar that has been sitting in the trunk of a car in wintertime is suddenly exposed to the warm air of a heated room In these conditions let the guitar warm up gradually inside the case before opening the case Rain Water wipes off the i...

Page 26: ...r warranty We recommend covering the rubber parts of the stand with a soft cotton cloth such as a guitar polishing cloth and using a guitar stand only for tem porary storage of your instrument Avoid sharp blows to any part of your instrument Be particularly alert to possible blows to the back of the headstock machine heads tuners and in the neck heel area Many headstock breaks are the result of a ...

Page 27: ...to maintain the brightest edge on their sound More casual players may only need to change strings every month or two For some players even light perspiration shortens the life of their strings The sound of the strings is the only sure way to judge whether or not they need to be changed And if one string needs to be changed the others can t be far behind To maintain tonal balance change the whole s...

Page 28: ...s for specialized purposes Install your strings correctly Improperly installed strings can slip which will cause your Gibson to constantly go out of tune To correctly install strings 1 Be certain the first winding of the string around the machine head stem tuner post goes over the exposed tip of the new string The rest of the winding should then go under the exposed tip of the new string When pres...

Page 29: ...ngs have the same amount of ten sion ensuring that the action and the volume will be consistent across the entire fin gerboard Gibson offers 9 s 11 s and a variety of other gauges and compositions all of which are balanced for consistent tension What brand of strings should be used Gibson has been offering its own strings since 1907 and Gibson has more experience than any other string maker when i...

Page 30: ...usical div idends for generations to come Your investment in the world s finest electric guitar is supported by the 1 Customer Service team in the musical instrument industry To contact a Gibson Customer Service Representative call 1 800 4GIBSON or email us at service gibson com For more information on Gibson products and accessories please visit www gibson com or call 1 800 4GIBSON ...

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Page 32: ...309 Plus Park Boulevard Nashville TN 37217 USA 1 800 4GIBSON www gibson com ...

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