Gibson 2025 Les Paul Special TV Yellow Double Cut Excellent

No sales tax for US customers outside California.

The Les Paul Special has one of the more interesting trajectories in Gibson's catalog. Introduced in 1955 as a step up from the Les Paul Junior — two P-90s instead of one, bound fretboard, mother-of-pearl headstock logo — it was positioned between the student Junior and the professional Standard. In 1958 the body was redesigned with the double cutaway that transformed the instrument's ergonomics and became the configuration most associated with the Special today. In 1960 the neck pickup position was moved slightly and the neck profile changed to the SlimTaper, producing what players and collectors now regard as the most refined version of the platform. This is the guitar that Keith Richards played in the Rolling Stones' earliest years, that Leslie West used on Mountain recordings, and that has resurfaced repeatedly in punk, alternative, and indie rock as the instrument that delivers exactly what those genres need: a slab mahogany body, two P-90s, a wraparound bridge, and nothing else.

It is speculated that TV Yellow was developed in the 1950s specifically because it photographed well on the black-and-white television of the era — a practical origin that produced one of the most visually distinctive and immediately recognizable electric guitar finishes ever made. On a slab mahogany double-cut with P-90 soapbars it is definitional. There is no other color for this guitar.

The P-90 soapbar pickups reading 7.72k bridge and 7.71k neck are the tonal foundation of the instrument — Gibson's original single-coil design, hotter and thicker than a Fender single-coil, with a muscular midrange character and a harmonic complexity that humbuckers approach but never quite replicate. At low to moderate volume the P-90 is articulate and glassy. Into a driven amp it produces a bark and snarl that is uniquely its own. The handwired controls with Orange Drop capacitors, two independent volume and tone circuits, and 3-way toggle give full independent control of each pickup. The aluminum wraparound bridge is lightweight and resonant, transferring string vibration directly into the mahogany body. The SlimTaper mahogany neck at .829" at the first fret and .965" at the twelfth is fast and comfortable. At 7 lbs 1.5 oz this is a well-balanced guitar that carries easily and plays at 2/32" on both strings at the twelfth fret. Original hardshell case included.

The guitar is in extremely clean condition.  The frets show no visible wear.  The neck is straight and the guitar set up perfectly with little effort.  There is room in the truss rod for future neck relief adjustments.  There are no changes, repairs, or issues.

Excerpts from Real Online User Reviews:

• "The Les Paul Special Double Cut is light, balanced, loaded with vintage-inspired tone, and captures everything that made the original a favorite among pros and purists alike." — Guitar Center
• "All mahogany Gibsons do this magical thing — a specific punch and bark in the midrange frequencies that punches through any mix like nothing else." — Reverb community
• "TV Yellow on a double-cut Special is simply the correct answer — it's the finish that defines the instrument." — The Gear Page
• "The P-90s on this guitar wail into a proper tube amp — grit, sizzle, and bark that would be impossible to achieve with humbuckers." — Sweetwater verified purchaser

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SPECS:

• Color: TV Yellow
• Weight: 7lbs 1.5oz
• Body: Mahogany (Solid Slab)
  
• Neck: Mahogany
  
• Neck Profile: SlimTaper
  
• Fretboard: Rosewood with Cream Binding
  
• Inlays: Acrylic Dot
  
• Frets: Original
  
• Fret Count: 22
  
• Nut: Original
  
• Nut width: 1-11/16"
  
• Radius: 12"
  
• Scale: 24.75'
  
• Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .829"
• Neck thickness at 12th Fret: .965"
• Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Overall length: 39"
  
• Lower bout: 13"
  
• Waist: 7 1/4"
  
• Upper bout: 9 1/4"
  
• Body depth/thickness outside edge: 1 3/4"
  
• String gauge: .010"-.046"
• Hardware Color: Chrome
• Pickguard: original
• Bridge Pickup/Brand: P-90
• Pickup Reading: 7.72k
• Original?: Yes
• Neck Pickup/Brand: P-90
• Pickup Reading: 7.71k
• Original?: Yes
  
• Bridge: Wraparound (Advanced Plating Lightweight Aluminium)
• Tuners: Vintage Deluxe with White Buttons
• Knobs: Original
  
• Switch: 3 Way
• Pots/Codes: Original
• Case: OHSC
• Notes: 

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