GIBSON INCORPORATED, KALAMAZOO, 1960, A SOLID-BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR, LES PAUL SPECIAL, TV

GIBSON INCORPORATED, KALAMAZOO, 1960
A SOLID-BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR, LES PAUL SPECIAL, TV
Inlaid at the headstock Gibson and ink stamped on the reverse 0 9972, with “TV Yellow” finish, with later hardshell case bearing a label inscribed GIBSON LES PAUL TV YELLOW #0 9972 and SERIAL NO. DG1063; accompanied by the original packing slip addressed to David Gilmour c/o Raindrop Productions, 555 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10022, dated 25th June, and the original retailer’s hang tag
Length of back 14 in. (35.6 cm.)

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Pre-Lot Text
THE LES PAUL SPECIAL
The Les Paul Special was introduced by Gibson in 1955 in an effort to fill a price point void in their catalogue. The original standard Les Paul Model, which the brand was built on, sold for $235 at the time. The more luxurious Les Paul Custom was priced at $360, while the single pickup budget priced Les Paul Junior sold at $110. Realizing that guitars at the lower end of the value range sold at higher volumes, while trying to compete with the less expensive Fender Telecaster, a two pickup version of the Les Paul Junior was introduced. The Special will always be associated with the “limed mahogany” finish unique to Gibson. Though referred to later as “TV Yellow,” the finish was a translucent blonde color, not too unlike a Fender finish, though of better quality. Like all Les Pauls, it had a solid-body with a single cutaway, until late 1959 when the body style changed to a double cutaway.