Gibson Les Paul Special Double Cutaway VOS Guitar Review

The Gibson Les Paul model has been through countless variations and incarnations. Since being introduced in the fifties, it quickly became and has remained one of the best selling models on the guitar market. Gibson, naturally realizing this, offers a myriad of options for the potential buyers. Today, this includes the 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cutaway VOS electric guitar. It is modeled exactly after one of the original '60s Les Pauls, and is available for a premium price. Let's take a closer look at it.

Features: The body of the 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cutaway is made of solid mahogany. As you could probably guess by the name, the body isn't shaped like a normal Les Paul. Instead of a single cutaway on the bottom, both sides are cut. There is just one finish available, which Gibson has named "TV Yellow". At the time of its original manufacture, this finish was cutting edge. Today, it has a very vintage, almost antique look and feel. The neck of the Les Paul Special Double Cutaway is set into the body, and is also made of mahogany. It has a rosewood fretboard with twenty two frets and pearloid dot inlays. The hardware of the Les Paul Double Cutaway, in true form to the original, is all nickel. This includes the bridge and tuning heads. Electronically, the LP Double Cutaway has two P-90 single coil pickups, two volume and two tone controls, and a three way selector switch for tone variation.

Playability: Back in 1960, the original Les Paul Double Cutaway was designed for intermediate players to hone their skills. The body is a little lighter than a full fledged Les Paul, which makes it easier to stand up and play for long periods of time. Also, the strings that come with the guitar are light gauge for easy bending. They won't tear up your fingers quite as much as some other stock strings. The neck is a little thick, as it's designed as an exact match to '60s era Gibson necks. This will make complicated chords and shredding a bit more difficult.

Sound: The two P-90 pickups make for an interesting, versatile sound combinations. When the neck pickup is activated, it has a thicker tone similar to that of a Gibson with humbuckers. When the bridge pickup is going, it will sound much like a Les Paul Junior. And, when both are running concurrently, the Les Paul Cutaway has a sound all its own.

Overall: The 1960 Les Paul Double Cutaway is a great addition to any collector or serious musician's repertoire of instruments. The fact that it is an exact replica of the older guitar means it might not be very well suited for those looking to play punk or metal. But for era appropriate music, it's hard to beat. You can find the Les Paul Special Double Cutaway in music stores for about $2,500.