Gibson Les Paul Guitar Ivory Poster

When we think of the solid-body electric guitar explosion, we inevitably think of the early to mid-1950s. But Les Paul’s story goes back even further. In 1945, Les Paul, already a respected guitar innovator, presented Gibson with the idea of a solid-body Spanish guitar.

A piece of pine wood ran through the center of the instrument – slightly deeper and wider than the fretboard – and hollow sides or “wings” were added to give it shape. Les named his prototype “The Log” – not exactly an awe-inspiring name, but perfectly appropriate for what was essentially a bolted-together pine plank.

Although Les recognized that the future of electric guitar manufacturing was solid bodies, Gibson initially did not share his enthusiasm. They mocked the concept and rejected the prototype.

However, by 1951, the guitar market was a very different place. Fender’s newly named “Telecaster” was creating a minor storm in the world of guitar playing and proving that Les Paul’s solid-body vision wasn’t as out there as Gibson had initially thought. Unsurprisingly, that same year, Ted McCarty and his team began working on what would eventually become the Les Paul model.

Gibson wanted a well-made, expensive instrument that lived up to their reputation as a high-end instrument manufacturer – a clone of the Tele was not it. In late 1951, they approached Les Paul with a prototype of their new instrument and an inquiry; they wanted to print Les’s name on the headstock to boost sales.

That original guitar featured many of the characteristics we now associate with the Les Paul; its distinctive shape, mahogany body, and the iconic “Gold Top” color scheme (chosen to reflect the guitar’s status as a high-end instrument). However, there were some differences too. The pickups were P90s, and the trapezoid tailpiece was similar to that used on Gibson’s hollow bodies of the time.

On the 1952 models, the tailpiece was actually applied incorrectly, which greatly upset Les Paul. The strings were wrapped underneath rather than over the top, as they should have been. This made right-hand string damping impossible.

The following year, after Les Paul’s protests, the tailpiece was corrected. While this greatly improved the playing experience, intonation issues persisted. Consequently, Gibson abandoned the trapezoid altogether in 1954, and the now-iconic tune-o-matic bridge was born.

The story of the classic sunburst Les Paul might have ended here, had it not been for the influence of a guitar legend. In 1964, Keith Richards purchased his 1959 Sunburst instrument, becoming the first guitarist on the British scene to use the instrument. His peers followed suit. Eric Clapton switched to a Les Paul in 1965, inspired by Freddie King. By the late 1960s, Peter Green, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page were spearheading the Les Paul’s resurgence.

The most popular guitar model, and arguably the most popular electric guitar in the world at the time, was a model that was no longer in production. In response to increasing pressure from the guitar-playing public, Gibson re-released the Les Paul in 1968 – its legendary status finally confirmed. It has remained in production ever since.

This frame has soft lines, is tested and approved for children's rooms, and is available in many sizes. The plastic front protection is safe and gives the print a good look.

Features

You can easily hang the frame with nails or screws and decorate your walls with pictures.

It can be hung horizontally or vertically to fit the available space.

The plastic front protection makes the frame safer to use.

What's in the box?

1 frame with print

Frame: Particleboard, Paper foil

Front protection: Polystyrene

Print: Ultra Premium Photo Paper

Packaging