When Gibson first launched the Les Paul™ Special in 1955, it was intended to be a fancier version of the Les Paul Junior, with two pickups instead of the Junior’s single pickup and a bit of enhanced visual appeal courtesy of a mother-of-pearl headstock logo inlay and a bound fretboard. This created an intermediate model that sat between the more elegant Les Paul Standard and the student model Les Paul Junior.

In 1958, the body was modified to a double cutaway, providing improved access to the entire length of the fretboard. The Les Paul Special hit its stride in 1960 when the neck pickup position was slightly relocated. The neck was changed to a faster-playing SlimTaper™ profile, resulting in improved neck stability and making it easier to play than ever.

Now, Epiphone is proud to introduce the Les Paul Special Double Cut, an Inspired by Gibson recreation of those early ’60s models. It features a slab mahogany double-cutaway body, providing unfettered access to the entire length of the fretboard. The glued-in mahogany neck features a ’60s SlimTaper profile and is fitted with a bound rosewood fretboard that boasts 22 medium jumbo frets and pearloid dot position markers.

The 1960s Kalamazoo headstock is equipped with Epiphone three-on-a-plate tuners featuring ivory buttons and a Graph Tech® nut for solid tuning stability and undeniable vintage appeal. The Epiphone logo is inlaid in mother-of-pearl. The strings are anchored at the other end with an Epiphone Lightning Bar compensated wraparound bridge that bolts directly into the body for enhanced sustain and resonance.

The Les Paul Special Double Cut is powered by a pair of Epiphone P-90 PRO™ single-coil Soapbar pickups, which deliver everything from sweet, sparkling cleans to mean, fiery, distorted tones. Each pickup is wired to individual volume and tone controls for even more tonal flexibility.

The new Epiphone Les Paul Special Double Cut is indeed special in every way and is now more accessible than ever. A premium gig bag is also included.