Les Paul wanted two colors used on the Gibson guitar that would forever bear his name: gold (for its connection to all things fine) and black (because a player's hands would be easily visible against a dark background). Les got the gold in 1952, but had to wait for the black. The Les Paul Custom was introduced in 1954 and featured elegant appointments like gold hardware, multiple binding, and an ebony fretboard. The '54 Custom was also the first solidbody Gibson guitar to use the ABR-1 bridge, the familiar piece of hardware we've all come to know as the Tune-O-Matic.Underneath it's luxurious inky finish, this historic re-creation of the original 1954 Custom features a carved mahogany top, a solid mahogany back, one-piece mahogany neck with long neck tenon, an early '50s rounded neck profile, 24-3/4" scale length, and a 1-11/16" nut width. It also has multi-ply white/black binding on the body and headstock, with white single-ply binding on the fingerboard. Its finer appointments include gold hardware, an ebony fingerboard, large pearl block inlays, pearl headstock inlay, and kidney bean tuners. The original circuitry is preserved with the use of CTS pots and bumble bee capacitors in the signal path and the unique pickup array of a vintage P-90 pickup at the bridge and a rare Alnico V pickup at the neck.The Alnico V pickup was designed in 1952 by Seth Lover and Walt Fuller for Gibson to succeed the P-90 pickup on several of Gibson's distinguished archtop jazz hollowbodies, most famously the L5 CES, ES-5, and Byrdland guitars. Similar to the P-90 in appearance, the Alnico V is easily recognized by its distinctive rectangular pole pieces. It gets its name from the stronger Alnico V magnets, while each coil has 10,000 turns of 42-gauge wire to achieve its clear, round, ringing sound. It made its debut on a solidbody Gibson in the Fretless Wonder of 1954; the Les Paul Custom, or Black Beauty.Vintage Original Spec series instruments receive a special nitro-cellulose finish treatment yielding the patina of a gently-aged vintage guitar while handcrafting enhances comfort and playability. Each VOS model has a solid mahogany back; historically accurate long-neck tenon for strength and sustain; and period-correct neck profile, hardware, and electronics.

• New bridge with improved bent-steel saddles for increased resonance and sustain • New tinted neck treatment for a richer look • Thinner finish undercoat lets the body breathe and improves resonance • New Fender-exclusive SKB molded case • Beautiful new finish options The Fender American Stratocaster Electric Guitar is a Fender icon. Juicy upgrades include a richer, deeper neck tint for a more elegant and expensive appearance. Glossed neck front for improved looks with satin back for smooth playability. Bent steel Fender saddles with classic look and great tone. String spacing narrowed for modern playability, saddle height screws re-sized to reduce rough feel, and string slot on saddle elongated to reduce string friction or breakage. Copper Infused Cast Strat® Bridge Block (steel with copper- 100% metal) for increased mass and improved tone. This Strat features the original headstock shape but has staggered machine heads losing one string tree and improving string angle over the nut. Custom staggered pickup magnets improve string-to-string balance and give the G-string better tone. Cosmetics include parchment/black/parchment pickguard and parchment pickup covers, knobs, and tips.The return of the American Standard Series Strat continues Fender's tradition of commitment to the people who play Fender instruments out there in the real world. Today's American Standard Stratocaster guitars are worthy heirs of their revered ancestors-mindful of player needs and taking full advantage of modern advances, yet remaining completely true to the elements and spirit that made these instruments legendary in the first place. Improvements include redesigned bridges, neck and body finishes, and a Fender-exclusive high-tech molded case. Still there are the beloved hand-rolled fingerboard edges, alnico V pickups and staggered tuning machines for tone and stability guaranteed to last a lifetime (with its limited lifetime warranty)! So make history with the redesigned American Standard!Redesigned American Standard Strat® Bridge Gives sought-after tone with modern smooth trem travel. Block retains the mass and tone of a vintage bridge block, but is chamfered for access to deeper dives. Saddles have the classic look and tone, but with modern improvements (spacing, slot elongation, height screw length).Bridge Component Specifics 'American Standard' saddles- The original vintage-style Fender bent steel adjustable saddle is one of the components that give vintage Fenders their tonal 'mojo'. Fender conducted tone comparison tests, and fell in love with them all over again. They have a wider tonal range and more character many other saddles. Then Fender improved them; narrowing the spacing to afford more room (and complement the bigger frets and rolled edges), and also elongated the string slot to reduce friction and string breakage, while improving the string break angle over the primary contact point.'Tone-fusio

The Gibson SG Supreme Electric Guitar with '57 Humbuckers has 24 easy-to-reach frets. A flamed maple top with stunning burst finishes and a bound ebony fretboard featuring split-diamond inlays result in one of the sweetest-looking SGs ever. Stadium-ready tone comes from the amazing '57 humbuckers that dictated a whole generation of rock 'n' roll sound. Alnico II magnets, vintage enamel-coated wire, nickel-plated pole pieces, nickel slugs, maple spacers, and 2-conductor braided wiring make these true vintage heavyweights that dish out creamy clean tones, screaming sustain, and gravelly crunch. Gibson's classic wood combination of maple-on-mahogany body with a mahogany set neck adds resonance and sustain. 1959 slim-tapered neck furnishes a fast feel. Includes Gibson hardshell case.A Little SG History In 1961, the Les Paul was redesigned with a thinner body and 2 sharp cutaway horns that making the upper frets more accessible while lowering production costs. The new guitar was popular, but Les Paul the guitarist did not like it and asked to have his name removed. Gibson renamed the model the "SG" which was short for "solid guitar". Though Les Paul's name was officially removed from the model in 1961, the plastic Les Paul nameplates (positioned between the rhythm pickup and fingerboard) were in abundance in the Gibson factory and SG models having these nameplates were built and sold by Gibson up to end of 1963. SGs have been the choice of world-class artists such as Pete Townsend, Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, and Angus Young.