Gibson Les Paul Artisan (1977) | Walnut

The Les Paul Artisan took the familiar Custom formula and turned the decoration up considerably. This early example pairs a Walnut finish with an ebony fingerboard covered in elaborate mother-of-pearl Hearts & Flowers inlays, a motif that continues onto the bound headstock alongside Gibson’s old-school script logo. Gold hardware, multi-ply binding and the three-pickup layout finish off a look that could only really have come from this era.

Underneath all of that ornamentation is a carved maple top, mahogany body and three-piece maple neck. It’s a fascinating piece of late-’70s Gibson history and one of the more distinctive variations of the Les Paul to come out of the decade.

The Artisan was produced in relatively small numbers Nearly 50 years later, finding one is uncommon enough; finding one that has been preserved in this kind of condition is another thing entirely.

Weight: 10lbs 5oz
Year: 1977
Body: Mahogany
Top: 3-Piece Carved Maple
Finish: Walnut
Neck: 3-Piece Maple
Neck Construction: Set Neck
Fingerboard: Ebony
Fingerboard Inlays: Mother-of-Pearl Hearts & Flowers
Headstock: Bound with Mother-of-Pearl Hearts & Flowers Inlays and Pre-War Style Gibson Script Logo
Frets: 22
Scale Length: 24.75"
Nut Width: 1 11/16"
Pickups: 3x Humbuckers, Currently Unidentified
Pickup Configuration: HHH
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
Switching: Free-Way 6-Position Switch
Bridge: Gold Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece: Gold Stopbar
Tuners: Gold Tuners
Binding: Multi-Ply Body and Headstock, Bound Fingerboard
Pickguard: Multi-Ply Black
Neck Volute: Yes
Made In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Case: Hardcase
Notes: Excellent for its age. Please refer to all photos for condition. The pickups, tuners, bridge and tailpiece have been replaced. The original selector switch has been replaced with a Free-Way 6-position switch, providing multiple pickup combinations.