Up for sale, a 1997 Gibson Les Paul Standard in 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case and hangtags. This Standard hails from the lauded period of Gibson production referred to as the “good wood” era, loaded with a pair of 490R/498T humbuckers and boasting a gloss Honey Burst nitro lacquer finish.

This Les Paul was also ordered by Gibson’s Japanese distributor Yamano; Gibson’s USA-made guitars distributed via Yamano are often considered to be among their absolute best, featuring the highest quality woods picked for Gibson’s discerning Japanese audience (this Les Paul features the Japan-specific “Premium Quality For Japan” hangtag).

Weighing 9lbs 14oz, this Les Paul has a lively, powerful acoustic voice with a two-piece carved maple top, mahogany body, and one-piece mahogany neck capped with a bound rosewood fingerboard. The 490R and 498T humbuckers have a wide tonal palette, with the Alnico II magnets in the neck pickup offering more chime and warmth, while the Alnico V bridge pickup cuts through with classic Gibson roar. This Les Paul Standard benefits from a professional setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 10-46 stings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

• Wood: Mahogany
• Shape: '60s-style C (medium depth), measuring .835” 1st fret, .980” 12th fret
• Fretboard: Rosewood, 12” radius, pearloid flared trapezoid inlays
• Frets: Medium jumbo, light wear favoring the plain strings on frets 1-7
• Scale Length: 24 3/4”
• Nut: 1 11/16”
• Tuners: Grover Rotomatics
• Serialization: Eight-digit stamp dates to 1997

Body Specs:

• Wood: Maple, mahogany
• Pickups: 490R/498T humbuckers
• Harness: Untouched solder, Gibson-embossed pots
• Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector
• Hardware: Nashville bridge, stopbar
• Plastics: One-ply cream pickguard, gold speed knobs

The headstock has W-shaped repair, cleanly executed and smooth to the touch, perfectly stable at full string tension with no lacquer overspray. Beyond this repair, cosmetic wear is quite minimal, and the gloss Honey Burst nitro lacquer finish shows faint buckle scuffing and some minor marks across the back while the top presents quite cleanly. The nitro gloss on the neck profile is clean and smooth, with just a few shallow nicks.

The original brown Gibson USA hardshell case is included, along with the Gibson/Yamano hangtags.