Here for sale we have a Gibson Custom, Art & Historic 'Cloud 9' Chambered Reissue 1954 Les Paul Standard. Made in the USA in 2004, this guitar comes from one of the early iterations of what is today called the Gibson Custom Shop. Whilst Gibson have long been producing 'custom' special orders for customers & artists, it wasn't until late 1993 that a dedicated division was set up. Originally, the Custom, Art & Historic division produced historic reissues alongside special versions of USA line guitars that included unique features not available elsewhere. By 1996 the first Artist models were produced, beginning with the Joe Perry Les Paul & Ace Frehley in '97 which both went on to enjoy Gibson USA production runs. In 2007, Gibson renamed the division to simply 'Gibson Custom', simplifying its name but continuing to develop the finest & most exclusive instruments that Gibson offers.  
 
This guitar comes from the Chambered Reissue or 'Cloud 9' series that was introduced in 2004. The 'CR44022' serial number of this instrument indicates that it is an early example of this series. The aim of the 'Cloud 9' series was to reduce the quite considerable weight of the instrument whilst retaining the tone & sustain of the original. Gibson USA weight relief is much simpler, and can be thought of as 'Swiss Cheese' routing where holes are routed out to keep the weight down. Whilst this method does reduce the weight, it can negatively impact the resonance of the guitar. This series uses a fully chambered design routed into the body & underside of the top. This produces an acoustic chamber inside the instrument which provides the best of both worlds -  reduced weight but retained tone & sustain.
 
The Mahogany neck plays very well, with the '50s Rounded ‘C' profile feeling nicely substantial in the hand. Whilst certainly on the thicker side, there is still plenty of scope for fast articulate playing - the neck is no ‘baseball bat’ as some ‘50s reissue instruments can be. The guitar feels sprightly on the shoulders thanks to the chambered body, weighing in at just 7.35lbs. This means it's perfect for long gigs & rehearsals without a hint of back or shoulder fatigue. It’s easy to see why this era of Les Paul has endured & been celebrated so long - the smooth lines of the body are comfortable in both seated & standing positions, the controls are well placed & the cutaway offers unrestricted access to the top frets. 
 
The pair of Gibson P-90 pickups installed in this guitar deliver a thick and raw sound, with a solid output that pushes the front end of an amp very nicely. The lows are full-bodied yet tight, the midrange is punchy and powerful- easily cutting through a mix. Along with the biting high frequencies, there is a well rounded tone on offer here which is well suited to a wide range of genres & playing styles. The pickups are very dynamic, more so than the slightly compressed nature of humbuckers, while offering more power than is usually associated with single coils. This is a wonderful early example from a highly desirable series of vintage reissues.  
 
Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide.