Description
The Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom VOS in Olive Drab brings a distinctive, understated personality to one of Gibson's most iconic electric guitars. Since its introduction in 1954, the Les Paul Custom has represented the more luxurious side of the Les Paul family, combining elegant appointments with the substantial feel and powerful sound that made the design a favorite across rock, blues, and countless other styles. This particular Custom Shop build takes that familiar formula in a different visual direction, replacing the traditional Ebony finish with a unique Olive Drab color and pairing it with gold hardware and a lightly aged VOS treatment. The result is a Les Paul Custom that feels both classic and refreshingly unconventional.
The body combines a plain maple top with a mahogany back featuring nine-hole weight relief, providing the familiar maple and mahogany tonal foundation while reducing some of the weight associated with a traditional solid Les Paul Custom. The maple contributes clarity and definition, while the mahogany provides the warmth and midrange presence that players expect from this design. Seven-ply black and white top binding and five-ply back binding maintain the elaborate appearance associated with the Les Paul Custom, while the Olive Drab finish extends across the top, back, neck, and rims. Gibson's VOS treatment gives the instrument a subtly aged appearance rather than the pristine shine of a new gloss finish, allowing the muted green color and gold appointments to work together beautifully.
The mahogany neck features Gibson Custom's Modern Medium C profile, measuring approximately .820" at the first fret and .965" at the 12th. This provides a comfortable, supportive feel that balances traditional Les Paul substance with a more contemporary neck shape. The 24.75" scale length offers the familiar Gibson playing experience, while the ebony fingerboard provides a smooth, firm playing surface with a clear attack. Reissue Jescar FW45100 frets and tapered mother-of-pearl block inlays give the neck a combination of practical playability and classic Custom elegance. White fingerboard binding, black side dots, and a Corian nut complete the neck appointments.
The hardware follows the traditional Les Paul Custom formula with a gold Tune-O-Matic bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece. Gold Grover tuners with kidney buttons provide smooth tuning adjustment, while the adjustable bridge allows precise intonation setup. A five-ply Les Paul Custom pickguard, black speed knobs, gold jack plate, and black switch washer with gold lettering complement the Olive Drab finish. The headstock retains the unmistakable Les Paul Custom identity with its split diamond inlay, while a gold Custom Shop decal on the back provides another subtle finishing detail.
For electronics, Gibson Custom pairs a 490R humbucker in the neck position with a 498T humbucker in the bridge. The 490R delivers the warm, rounded response associated with traditional Gibson neck humbuckers, making it well suited to expressive leads, full chords, and smooth clean passages. The 498T offers a hotter, more aggressive bridge voice with pronounced midrange presence and plenty of drive for rock and heavier styles. Together, they provide a versatile combination that moves comfortably between articulate cleans, bluesy overdrive, and saturated lead tones. A traditional four-control layout and three-way pickup selector keep the electronics familiar and straightforward.
At Cream City Music, we think this Olive Drab Les Paul Custom is an especially compelling example of how a carefully chosen finish can give a familiar design an entirely different personality. The muted green color, gold hardware, ornate binding, and classic split diamond headstock create an appearance that is distinctive without being overly flashy. Beyond the aesthetics, the weight-relieved maple and mahogany body, Modern Medium C neck, ebony fingerboard, and 490R/498T pickup combination make it a practical, versatile instrument with unmistakable Gibson character. It's a Custom Shop Les Paul that stands apart visually while staying true to the sound and feel that have made the Les Paul Custom a favorite for generations.
Specifications:
- Model: Les Paul Custom
- Body Shape: Les Paul
- Body Style: Solid Body
- Top Material: Plain Maple
- Back Material: Mahogany
- Weight Relief: 9-Hole
- Body Binding: 7-Ply Black/White Top, 5-Ply Black/White Back
- Finish: VOS
- Color: Olive Drab
- Finish Coverage: Top, Back, Neck, and Rims
- Neck Material: Mahogany
- Neck Profile: Modern Medium C
- Neck Thickness: .820" at 1st Fret, .965" at 12th Fret
- Scale Length: 24.75"
- Fingerboard Material: Ebony
- Fingerboard Binding: White
- Fingerboard Inlays: Tapered Mother-of-Pearl Blocks
- Side Dots: Black
- Fret Wire: Reissue Jescar FW45100
- Nut Material: Corian
- Truss Rod: Modern Teflon Wrapped
- Truss Rod Cover: Non-Vintage Les Paul Custom
- Headstock Veneer: Les Paul Custom Fiber with Split Diamond Inlay
- Headstock Face Color: Black
- Headstock Back Decal: Gold Custom Shop
- Tuning Machines: Gold Grover with Kidney Buttons
- Bridge: Gold Tune-O-Matic
- Tailpiece: Gold Stop Bar
- Hardware Finish: Gold VOS
- Pickguard: 5-Ply Les Paul Custom
- Pickguard Bracket: Gold
- Control Knobs: Black Speed
- Switch Tip: Cream
- Switch Washer: Black with Gold Lettering
- Jack Plate: Gold
- Neck Pickup: Gibson 490R Humbucker, Gold Cover
- Bridge Pickup: Gibson 498T Humbucker, Gold Cover
- Pickup Mounting Rings: Black
- Pickup Selector: 3-Way Toggle
- Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
- Case: Gibson Custom Hardshell Case
Sku: LPCM2M04437
