"Ladies and Gentlemen, Jimmy Page!"

(The photos above are from an e-bay auction.)

I bought this Les Paul Custom new in 1988 (it's an '87 see previous articles). I rarely played it because it's a little heavy and thick sounding. I tried flipping the pickups so all the adjustable poles are toward the treble side or bridge side and this helped. When Gibson announced the Jimmy Page Custom (links and press release below) I had my idea.



Now to execute it, splitting pick up coils using push pull pots is well documented here and suppliers of hardware is available.


The 6 position toggle is not available from any supplier I regularly use and that may be a problem.





Ok, cases were expensive. Brian's Guitars of New Haven (screw you Brian where ever you are. [He lives by me and I played golf with him a few years back] would charge $100 for a case. I was buying guitars every few months and that would have cost me a guitars so.... to the left is a solution. Not road worthy but good enough for home.










http://www.gibsoncustom.com/
From the Gibson Press Release:



JIMMY PAGE LES PAUL CUSTOM

No one has had a bigger impact on the style and sound of hard rock guitar than the deservedly legendary Jimmy Page. As the musical mastermind of Led Zeppelin, Page’s tone, playing, and Phrasing made him one of the most influential musicians of the past 50 years.



In Zeppelin’s early days, Page relied heavily on a three-pickup 1960 Les Paul Custom “Black Beauty” with a Bigsby tailpiece.



Unfortunately, the guitar was stolen in 1970 at an airport and never recovered. Page has always felt that that particular guitar was “the one that got away.”Gibson proudly returns Page’s cherished lost guitar in the form of the new Gibson Custom Shop Jimmy Page Les Paul Custom—a painstaking recreation of that iconic instrument, with the addition of some of the most innovative electronics to ever grace a Les Paul.



The Gibson Custom Shop Jimmy Page Les Paul Custom is Gibson’s heartfelt tribute to a true legend, and to the guitar he loved and lost.


http://www.gibsoncustom.com/ 1.800.4GIBSON




Body & Hardware: Carved Mahogany top Solid lightweight mahogany back Multi-ply white/black binding on top and back Ebony finish Gold hardware ABR-1 Bridge Bigsby or lightweight stop-bar tailpiece


Neck & Headstock: 1-piece mahogany neck 22 fret ebony fingerboard Pearl block inlays Single-ply white binding ‘60s neck profile24 3⁄4” scale length, 1 11/16” nut width Holly headstock veneer


Electronics & Strings: Jimmy Page custom pickups2 volume, 2 tone, push/pull pot Jimmy Page custom 6-way switch Vintage .009 strings


Includes Custom Shop case, certificate of authenticity The first 25 instruments signed and played by Jimmy Page



JIMMY PAGE LES PAUL CUSTOM Passion. THE CUSTOM SHOP DIFFERENCE It burns in the heart of every player who purchases a Gibson Custom Shop guitar... and it burns in the heart of every employee who helps build our world-class instruments. We vow to continue infusing every instrument that passes through our doors with that same passion. It’s what makes our guitars the best. From initial wood selection to final assembly, we sweat the details so that when you pick up your guitar, your dream, it exceeds every expectation you could possibly have.

Body & Hardware:
Carved mahogany top
Solid, lightweight mahogany back
Multi-ply white/black binding on top and back
Gently-aged Ebony finish
Worn Gold hardware
ABR-1 bridge (original designation for Gibson s Tune-O-Matic)
Bigsby tailpiece
Neck & Headstock:
One-piece mahogany neck
22-fret ebony fingerboard
Pearl block inlays
Single-ply white binding
60s neck profile
24-3/4 scale length,
1-11/16 nut width
Holly headstock veneer
Electronics & Strings:
Jimmy Page custom BurstBucker humbuckers
2 volume, 2 tone
Push/pull pot splits bridge humbucker into single-coil
Jimmy Page custom 6-way switch:
Position 1 NECK
Position 2 BRIDGE + NECK
Position 3 BRIDGE
Position 4 NECK + MIDDLE
Position 5 NECK + MIDDLE + BRIDGE
Position 6 MIDDLE + BRIDGE
Vintage .009 strings
Custom Shop case
Certificate Of Authenticity



For 2008, we will continue to strive for excellence, remain faithful to our history, and never lose sight of our goal to build the finest guitars in the world. Pick one up for yourself. Feel the passion that we put into our guitars and release yours.