One of the First Three Les Paul Signature Basses

This very rare and super-playing bass weighs just 8.60 lbs. and has a nut width of just over 1 5/8 inches and a full scale length of 34.50 inches. Double-bound offset double-cutaway thinline laminated hollow maple body with two "f" holes. Gold Top (a la Les Paul) and stained Walnut on the back and sides. Three-piece mahogany neck with a nice medium profile and rosewood fretboard with 20 frets and inlaid pearl trapezoid position markers. Headstock with silkscreened "Gibson" logo and "Les Paul Signature" in gold. Two-on-a-side Kluson right-angle tuners with large cloverleaf metal buttons. One cream plastic covered low-impedence humbucking pickup with an output of 3.81k. Two controls (one volume, one tone) plus three-position tone switch, all on lower treble bout. Gold plastic "speed" knobs. Combined bar bridge/stop tailpiece. Original single-layer cream plastic pickguard. Original chrome bridge cover. Two jack inputs - one low impedance and one high impedance. The serial number ("114559") is stamped on the back of the headstock. This guitar is in near mint (9.25) and totally original condition. Housed in a modern Epiphone black hardshell case with dark gray plush lining (9.50)

The Gibson Les Paul bass was first manufactured in 1969, just after the relaunch of the Les Paul guitar in 1968. Initially it was a short scale bass guitar, like the EB0 and EB3. It featured the latest low impedance circuitry, especially designed for recording in the studio, and sometimes goes under the name of the Les Paul recording bass. Like the solid-body EB basses, and the Les Paul guitar, it had a mahogany body with set mahogany neck.

In 1971 the model was redesigned slightly, and given the name Les Paul Triumph. This model had built in switching to change from low to high impedance, but was, in essence, much the same, using the same woods and construction.

A hollow body version was created in 1973, named the Les Paul Signature bass. This was a long scale bass (34 1/2") with double cutaways. Very different from the preceding models, but still bearing the Les Paul name.

According to the Gibson shipping records just three Gibson Les Paul Signature Basses were shipped in the first year of production in 1973.

All Les Paul Bass models were discontinued in 1979.