1952 Gibson Les Paul Model Goldtop Specs

The 1952 Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar built by Gibson. This single cutaway set neck guitar was manufactured in Kalamazoo, MI in the United States and is a Gibson Vintage Electric Guitar model. Key features include a Mahogany Body, Maple Top, Mahogany Neck, Rosewood Fretboard, Dual P-90 Pickups and Goldtop finish. The specs listed below pertain to the 1952 product year model pictured on this page. Note that the images listed here show a replacement bridge on the original tailpiece.

1952 was the introductory year for the iconic Les Paul. The specs from 1952 remain mostly unchanged through to this day. It's amazing how much Gibson and Les Paul himself got right when designing this first of its kind solid body electric guitar. The main feature that sets the 1952 apart from later iterations is the trapeze tailpiece. The original design saw the strings wrap under the bridge. This meant the strings were below the bridge making it near impossible to mute or rest your hands on the strings while playing. Additionally the neck angle on the 1952 model was very shallow and in later years the neck would angle back more to create better string tension and adjustability. The trapeze tailpiece would be replaced in 1953 by the more useful wrap-around tailpiece which saw the strings go over the top of the bridge. Early 1952 Les Paul models have no ink serial on the back of the headstock and are missing the rhythm/treble "poker chip" plate around the toggle switch. Some very early 1952 models have no neck binding. Many 1952 models also have tall speed knobs, though shorter ones appear soon after production begins.

Factory Specs

Mahogany Body
Carved Maple Top
Mahogany Neck
Rosewood Fretboard
Trapezoid Inlays
Bound Neck
22 Frets
Vintage Fret Wire
Les Paul Model Headstock Silkscreen
Inlaid Gibson Headstock Logo
Kluson Deluxe Tuners with Keystone Buttons
Multiply Truss Rod Cover
No Serial Number
Bound Top
Trapeze Tailpiece
Dual P-90 Single Coil Pickups
Cream Pickguard
Two Volume & Two Tone Controls
Gold Speed Knobs
3-Way Toggle Switch
No Toggle Switch Rhythm/Treble Plate
24.75" Scale Length
12" Radius
1.6875" Nut Width
Lacquer Finish

Reference Images

Visual reference gallery showing factory-correct details, finish, and hardware specifications for the 1952 Les Paul listed above. For larger pics, click on an image to open in a new tab.