Gibson 1978 "The Les Paul" #47/77

From the listing

Seller's description

"It was a spectacular limited edition notable for its use of fine woods for virtually the entire instrument. Many parts that on a normal electric guitar would be made from plastic were hand-carved from rosewood, including the pickguard, pickup surrounds, backplates, controls and truss-rod cover. Raw bodies and necks of attractive maple, including the back, and an ornate ebony and rosewood fingerboard were produced at Gibson's Kalamazoo factory. Further work on the multiple coloured binding, abalone inlays and handmade wooden parts was continued at the workshop of freelance luthier Dick Schneider, about a mile from the factory in Kalamazoo. Schneider worked on The Les Pauls together with his brother Donnie and Abe Wechter from Gibson...Very few of The Les Pauls were made, and while an unfortunate four-figure misprint in Gibson's own records precludes an exact total, it's most likely that there were well under 100 produced between 1976 and 1979, with most made during the first year...As the limited stocks of Schneider's handmade wooden parts ran out, so normal plastic items were substituted, as well as less ornate binding. Each example of The Les Paul had a numbered oval plate on the back of the headstock" (Tony Bacon, 50 Years of the Gibson Les Paul, p. 72). Well, there you have it! Number 47 of a very limited 77, The Les Paul model was beautifully made with nearly every component that could be made of wood. This example is in incredible shape with little wear anywhere to be found. It does not include the original case or paperwork.