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Gibson Releases the Robbie Krieger 1954 Les Paul Custom and ES-335 Lemon Burst

Gibson Releases the Robbie Krieger 1954 Les Paul Custom and ES-335 Lemon Burst
Robbie Krieger 1954 Les Paul Custom

The first 50 guitars—hand aged by Gibson—will also be played, approved and signed by Robby himself.

Nashville, TN (November 10, 2014) -- Robby Krieger’s 1954 Les Paul Custom became a constant writing companion, workhorse, performing partner, muse, and musical soul mate all rolled into one right from the time he acquired it used in 1968. Nicknamed “L.A. Woman” after its use on that classic track by The Doors, it contributed to many unforgettable hits, and remains in Robby’s possession to this day, a tried and true companion to a career that has continually evolved and inspired over decades. Now, through a close collaboration between Robby and Gibson Custom, a very limited number of hand-crafted replicas of the Robby Krieger 1954 Les Paul Custom will be made available to discerning collectors and players. Full and unrestricted access to the original guitar has yielded Gibson Custom’s luthiers the means of precisely recreating the feel, look and tone of this legendary instrument. And to take it all over the top the first 50 guitars—hand aged by Gibson—will also be played, approved and signed by Robby himself. A further 100 hand-aged guitars will be produced, with the final 150 of the run treated to Gibson Custom’s proprietary VOS process.

Every Robby Krieger 1954 Les Paul Custom is recreated based on hands-on examination, digital scanning, intimate photography, measurement, and study of Robby Krieger’s 1954 Les Paul Custom to insure a playing experience that’s as close to the original as humanly possible. Notable details include the closely matched dish carve and neck profile carve, the accurate ebony fingerboard with aged pearl block markers, accurate vintage multi-ply binding, after-market Seymour Duncan neck pickup, and painstaking hand ageing (150 examples) to match every ding, scuff and check line found in Robby’s guitar. In short, the Robby Krieger 1954 Les Paul Custom puts a guitar that would normally be untouchable into the hands of a limited number of discerning players. Reserve yours now at your authorized Gibson Custom dealer.

MSRP: $6,665


Gibson ES-335 Lemon Burst

The original ES-335 in natural, vintage sunburst, or cherry finish is a classic for both style and tone, but there was rarely much figured wood in the equation—or at least the kind of flamed maple that gives its solid-bodied cousin the Les Paul such elevated beauty. Enter the ES-335 Lemon Burst from Gibson Memphis, a guitar that reclaims a slice of lusciously faded elegance for the legendary semi-acoustic, while retaining all of the key ingredients of a killer dot-neck ES-335. Dressed in an irresistible rendition of the sun-drenched finish that’s so popular on many Les Pauls, the ES-335 Lemon Burst pulls no punches in the tone department, giving you everything you’d expect from the world’s most versatile electric guitar.

The ES-335 Lemon Burst from Gibson Memphis recreates the feel of the ‘50s original. A laminated maple top and back (with Grade-AAA outer face on the top) are joined to a solid maple core with carved spruce braces and basswood rim liners. The quartersawn mahogany neck is glued in, and carved in a comfortable, slim profile that measures .800” at the 1st fret and .875” at the 12th. The one-piece rosewood fingerboard has cream binding and pearl dot inlays, like the revered early-era ES-335s. To complement the gorgeous looks while ensuring full PAF-certified tone, a pair of DiMarzio Double Cream DP103 humbuckers with no covers takes pickup duties, wired through the traditional four-knob control section with Switchcraft™ three-way switch. And legendary Gibson Memphis craftsmanship plus a final set-up on the PLEK ensures that it all plays superbly. Put it all together and it’s a stunning sounding semi-acoustic, with the looks to go up against the most elegant guitars out there.

MSRP: $3,699

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