AEG-Electrolux GIBSON USA User Manual
OWNER’S MANUAL
0309-04-GUS—10.04
© 2004 Gibson Guitar Corp.
To the new Gibson owner:
Congratulations on the purchase of your new Gibson electric guitar – the world’s most famous
electric guitar from the leader of fretted instruments.
Please take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the information in this booklet regarding
materials, electronics, “how to,” care, maintenance and more about your guitar.
And then begin enjoying a lifetime of music with your new Gibson.
The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar 4
Gibson Innovations 6
The History of Gibson Electric Guitars 8
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Body 14
Neck and Headstock 14
Pickups 15
Controls 17
Bridge 19
Tailpiece 21
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Finish 22
Your Guitar on the Road 23
Things to Avoid 24
Strings 25
Install your Strings Correctly 26
String Gauge 27
Brand of Strings 27
4
Strap
Button
Input Jack
Stopbar
Tailpiece
Tone
Controls
Tune-o-matic
Bridge
Binding
Volume
Controls
Pickups
Three-way
Toggle Switch
Body
Marker/Inlay
Single
Cutaway
12th Fret
Neck Fret Nut HeadstockFingerboard
The Components
of the Solidbody
Electric Guitar
Featuring a Les Paul
Standard in Heritage
Cherry Sunburst
Truss
Rod
Cover
Machine
Heads
Tuning
Keys
Strap
Button
Three-way
Toggle
Switch
Input Jack
Body
Stopbar
Tailpiece
Tone
Control
Tune-o-matic
Bridge
Volume
Controls
Pickups
Pickguard
12th Fret
Neck Fret Nut HeadstockFingerboard
Marker/Inlay
The Components
of the Solidbody
Electric Guitar
Featuring a V-Factor Faded
in Worn Cherry
Truss
Rod
Cover
Machine
Heads
Tuning
Keys
5
6
Here are just a few of the Gibson innovations that have reshaped the guitar world:
1894 – First archtop guitar
1922 – First ƒ-hole archtop, the L-5
1936 – First professional quality electric guitar, the ES-150
1947 – P-90 single-coil pickup introduced
1948 – First dual-pickup Gibson, the ES-300
1949 – First three-pickup electric, the ES-5
1949 – First hollowbody electric with pointed cutaway, the ES-175
1952 – First Les Paul guitar
1954 – Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Jr. introduced
1955 – Les Paul Special introduced
1957 – First humbucking pickup
1958 – Flying V and Explorer introduced
1958 – First semi-hollowbody guitar, the ES-335
1961 – SG body style introduced in the Les Paul line
1963 – Firebird guitars and Thunderbird basses introduced
1969 – Les Paul Personal and Professional with low-impedance pickups introduced
1979 – L.P. Artist with active electronics introduced
1982 – First solidbody acoustic, the Chet Atkins CE
1983 – Les Paul Studio introduced
1990 – Les Paul Classic introduced
1996 – Les Paul SmartWood introduced
1998 – Double-Cutaway Les Paul Standard introduced
2002 – Gibson Digital Guitar introduced
7
8
A BRIEF HISTORY OF GIBSON ELECTRIC GUITARS
Gibson’s legendary acoustic engineer, Lloyd Loar, was experimenting with electric
instruments in 1924, at the dawn of electronic amplification. However, Gibson’s struggle to dominate the banjo market took precedence through the 1920s, and it wasn’t
until the mid-1930s that the company once again turned its attention to electric
guitars. In 1935 Gibson’s Walt Fuller designed a pickup that was introduced on the
E-150, an aluminum-body lap steel. Early in 1936, the pickup was put in a midline
archtop model and named the ES-150 – ES for Electric Spanish, 150 for the retail
price of $150 for the guitar and amplifier set.
The original ES-150 bar pickup with its hexagonal housing is now known as the
“Charlie Christian” pickup, because it was installed on the ES-150s and ES-250s that
Christian used to establish the new concept of electric jazz guitar.
Gibson made several improvements in pickup design before World War II, although
many players still consider the “Christian” pickup to be the best jazz pickup ever
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