1961 Gibson Les Paul Custom
The 1961 Les Paul Custom 'Black Beauty' — Gibson's luxury solid-body. Reissue-era production. On the SG double-cutaway body.
Current Market Value
* Prices are estimates based on recent market data. Actual value depends on originality, condition, and provenance. Pricing methodology
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Specifications
| Body Wood | Mahogany (SG double cutaway) |
| Neck Wood | Mahogany (5-piece on some years) |
| Fingerboard | Ebony |
| Scale Length | 24.750" |
| Frets | 22 |
| Pickup Config | HH |
| Bridge | ABR-1 Tune-o-matic with stop tailpiece |
| Tuners | Kluson Deluxe |
| Finish Options | Black ('Black Beauty') |
| Est. Production | 800 |
Pickups & Electronics
Two full-size humbucking pickups.
What Changed in 1961
Custom on SG body with three pickups. White finish option. Vibrola tailpiece available.
Collector's Notes
Check for original pickups and gold hardware. Ebony fingerboard, multi-ply binding. Weight varies in Norlin era.
How to Authenticate a 1961 Gibson Les Paul Custom
Check the serial number on the back of the headstock — ink-stamped numbers should fall within documented ranges for 1961. Potentiometer date codes are critical: look for CTS pots (code 137) with two-digit year codes matching 1961 or up to 18 months earlier. This is the most reliable dating method for Gibson guitars of this era. The finish should be nitrocellulose lacquer showing age-appropriate checking (fine crazing). Under blacklight, original nitro fluoresces a distinctive green-yellow — refinished instruments lack this characteristic. Verify original PAF humbuckers — Les Paul Customs from 1961 should have the correct number of pickups. Check baseplate stickers, magnet type, and DC resistance. Multi-ply binding on body, neck, and headstock is a key authentication point — verify correct number of layers. Ebony fingerboard should be genuine (deep black, tight grain). Gold hardware should show consistent aging. Original Kluson Deluxe should be present with no evidence of replacement (no oversized bushing holes). Original hardshell case adds provenance value.