Introduced in 1969 (though none shipped until 1970) just after the Les Paul was revived in Gibson’s lineup after a brief absence from 1960-1968, the Les Paul Deluxe quickly replaced the Les Paul Standard as the foremost Les Paul in Gibson’s lineup.

While the Goldtop “Standard” model was, oddly, a reissue of the mid 1950’s P90 loaded LP, the Deluxe was a bit more of a hearkening back to the “bursts” of the 1950’s, though major difference included a “pancake” style body (stacks of two cuts of mahogany instead of one chunk, often leading to heavier guitars), a three-piece neck, larger headstock, and, most definitively, the addition of the new to the Les Paul (but not new to Gibson) mini-humbucker, as opposed to the larger, Seth Lover designed humbucker of pretty much every model Gibson had previously.

This example, most likely from 1971 (given the lack of stamped pickup covers) is therefore quite an early Deluxe, probably numbering in the early hundreds of the 35,000 or so that were made throughout the 70’s and 80’s.

In pretty much new condition, this guitar is a remarkable time capsule, playing quite well and looking even better.

Comes with a vintage, but most likely non original case.