free web tracker
Pat's Guitars ~ Custom Guitars Built to Order!
    HOME | CUSTOM GUITARS | UPGRADES | ON SALE & READY TO SHIP | ENTER THE VOODOO LOUNGE | GALLERY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1997 Gibson Custom Shop

 

Les Paul Elegant

 

Butterscotch Flame Top Beauty

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus FREE Insured Federal Express Ground Shipping!!

 

Only The Best!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There have been many variations on the timeless Gibson Les Paul design. The features chosen by Gibson for this Les Paul Elegant produce a package that I think is simply perfection. I guess Gibson agreed, because they described the Elegant model as "the Custom Collection's premier figured top guitar," up until 2005, when this outrageously fine Custom Shop model went out of production.

The Elegant, like most Les Pauls, features a figured maple top over a mahogany body. But the Custom Shop sculpts "tone chambers" into the solid one piece mahogany body on the Elegant, which gives this guitar extraordinary resonance and sustain, with less weight. This Les Paul Elegant weighs just 8.25 pounds! The Les Paul Supreme model also used a similar chambered strategy, however, the Supreme uses a "sandwich" approach, and a carved back with no control cavity access, which will inevitably create a dilemma when you need to clean a scratchy control pot or switch. The Les Paul Elegant, on the other hand, has a traditional back with easy full access to the controls.

The figured bookmatched maple top has a flame pattern. Gibson no longer builds Elegants at all, and the flame top version was discontinued even earlier -- buyers then settled for quilted maple for the final few years of production. The finish over the flamed top is Gibson's gorgeous transparent "Butterscotch" in gleaming nitrocellulose lacquer. The hardware is all nickel. The top and neck have beautiful cream binding. The color scheme is gorgeous and the intense bookmatched flame figuring in the maple is simply extraordinary.

The pickups used in this guitar are Gibson's '57 Classic Humbuckers, which provide growling full, fat, creamy Gibson "Patent Applied For" tone.

One of this guitar's biggest "secret weapons" is the neck and fretboard. The set-in solid mahogany neck features the classic Les Paul rounded back profile. The fretboard is made from the finest jet black ebony and features a unique "compound radius." What is that? Well, all fretboards have some curvature. Vintage guitars tend to have a more round curvature, as round as the surface of a circle with 7.25 inch radius. The old vintage radius was comfortable for the basic chords on the first few frets. On the other hand, many newer necks tend to have a flatter radius of 9.5" to 12" or more. These necks allow for easier lead work and are more comfortable on the higher frets. The Gibson Custom Shop's ingenious compound radius actually gives you the best of both worlds. On the low frets the fretboard is more rounded, and as you work your way up the neck, it grows more flat, so the radius is always optimal for the kind of playing you are doing in whatever position your hand might be on the board. You can lay the action as low as you want to over the frets, and you can bend notes until they cry for mercy. Your friends will pick up this Les Paul and they'll notice it plays more easily than other guitars, even if they can't put the finger on the reason why. The truth is that their finger already IS on the reason why ~ it is the compound radius fretboard.

Of course, the fingerboard has 22 medium-jumbo frets laid into a beautiful ebony (not the usual rosewood) fretboard. Note how Gibson brings the binding right up over the perfectly cut fret ends...that's quality! Another unique design feature of the Elegant is the fact that the trapezoid fingerboard inlays are not the usual plain white pearloid acrylic material, but instead are made from choice pieces of real abalone shell, which flash glints of fiery color from the jet black ebony background. The original Elegants, including this fine example, include a gorgeous Custom Shop inlay on the peghead that was not found on the more common examples made in later years.

Like the Les Paul Custom, the Elegant is built with Grover tuning machines (instead of the common light, plastic button "vintage type" machines) as standard equipment. The back of the headstock has an ink-stamped Custom Shop serial number. These Elegants really are quite a bit more "elegant" in every way than your average Les Paul.

This guitar has been babied, and the condition is as close to perfect as any previously owned guitar you will ever find. Other than the most faint indications of use, the guitar is otherwise totally immaculate, as the photos clearly show. There are no chips, dings, dents, scratches, buckle marks, or fret wear. The Elegant comes to the winner inside the original Custom Shop case (rare early style), also in excellent condition. The case features a richly padded interior, and the Gibson Custom Shop logo embossed in gold on the exterior of the case. A full owners kit from the Custom Shop is included, with pickguard, cable, polishing kit, truss rod tool, all papers, and more.

If you shopped for a quilted Les Paul Elegant before they were discontinued, you know that the model's final list price was $5,690.00, and it can be a challenge to locate a nice example. If you ordered a quilted Elegant from one of those sources, you would have expected to pay at least $3,700.00. Today it is unlikely that Gibson would even be able to produce a top quite this fine, and given all the price increases over the 13 years since this guitar was built, it would likely need to retail today for over $6,000. The Elegant was always built in limited quantities, and this first limited run is extremely collectible. Fine examples like this one from the initial production run, with the spectacular headstock inlay, are becoming ever more scarce, and the investment potential for this unique configuration is unlimited. If you appreciate the unique "Elegant" feature set, the premium flame maple and abalone, and the bold beauty of transparent butterscoth, don't miss this opportunity!

This 1997 Near Mint 1997 Butterscotch Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Elegant Model can be shipped immediately upon payment. Free insured Federal Express Ground shipping is included in the terrific price of just $4,129. Bank checks, money orders, bank transfers, money transfers, and personal checks (with a 10 day holding period unless you are a repeat customer) only for this great deal.

This stunning first run Les Paul Elegant is something very special and so is the price, so what do you say? Contact me if interested, and thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE REMEMBER: This guitar is ready to ship NOW!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE REMEMBER: This guitar is ready to ship NOW!