I sold all of my epiphones and squiers to get my 2006 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Special. It’s so versatile and plays like a dream. Best decision I’ve ever made.
Thanks to both of you I have a Les Paul tribute it's wonderful but I had a unique opportunity to buy a SG special with Lyndy Fralins in it I spent my last dollar on it it's the sound I have been chasing all my life you both have influenced my love and playing and reconfirmed my love for the specials
@@fivewattworld True fact: I usually set videos to 2X speed. With your videos, I have to slow them to .75 speed to take everything in. These videos are a firehose of information. First rule of broadcast: Think fast and talk slow. 🙂
I thought I knew a lot about these….until now. As always Keith, your videos never ever disappoint and continue to be in the ‘stop everything and watch immediately’ class.
I got into P90's after playing Les Paul guitars for 25 years. I just never gave them a chance for some reason and then got a TV Yellow LP Special and it changed everything I thought I knew about LP guitars. Absolutely love them!
Thanks for mentioning Martin Barre. He's the ultimate reason I picked up guitar few years ago, being 36 years old, following meeting him after one of his shows here in Prague. "Guitars of Martin Barre" would be a great episode... 🙂
One more argument for the video - it seems he went from Specials and LPs via Hamer to PRS and now plays PRS (with piezo I would say) which makes it really interesting and he's probably one of the few "classics", who does not stick to G or F 70years old designs... AND I would bet he would be available to video chat about that! 🙂
I’ve always been a strat guy, 3 years ago I decided to buy a TV yellow LP Special. I can’t say I’m a complete convert but my LP Special gets as much playing time as the Strat. LOVE those P90s!
I truly enjoy these guitar histories. This one hit a little closer to home. I still keep looking for when the episode on Hamer guitars will come up. Soon? Joel and Paul really did lead the way on what became the 'boutique' realm of guitars. And what they accomplished had a much larger impact on the music industry than many people may realize.
My favorite LP special player who didn't get a mention: Paul Westerberg of the Replacements. His badly abused (he spraypainted it blue, and carved "For Sale" into the body right below the bridge) 50's special was used on their 1986 SNL appearance, and it's also on the cover of their live album For Sale: Live at Maxwell's.
You really do provide some of the best content on You Tube Keith. It's always a special pleasure when you bring out one of your short history videos. I missed your moustache terribly, but a few seconds with a Sharpie on my monitor screen and all was well...
I owned a '61 SG special from 1973 to 2011. I gave it to my grand daughter. It had such good action that I developed a light touch from playing it for so long. It also left me with a soft spot for P90s.
Even with 3 neck repairs (1 headstock, 2 neck body joints upper & lower) my 1959 double cut TV yellow was an amazing guitar, with amazing sound. That '59 neck. Man. None better. Great one Thank You Keith..
I dislike playing Les Paul's too, the Special is completely different. I had a 1962 many years ago and missed the P90's hence the newer Original Series I bought which are really great!
@@TeleCaster66 I still think the Special feels horrible, as it's literally the same in all the 'feel' ways, especially the neck. It has all the faults, like wound strings going over knife edged saddles, and a nut to turner AOA that would make a fighter pilot black out. I sold my 64 Special for a 2010 PRS Single Cut, and it's better in every way. I always tell newer players, 'play a PRS after you try a Les Paul, and you'll never buy a Les Paul".
@@kennethc2466 No knife edge saddles on mine, it has a wrap around tailpiece. The tuners on both of mine have the same tuning ratio as any other guitar I've ever had. I have no fault with them. A PRS is a very nice though, I'd play one. To each thier own, I owned lots of guitars and the Specials do it for me.
@@TeleCaster66 While the wrap around helps tuning, it is utter hell on intonation, as it's not compensated properly. Angle of Attack, AOA, is not about tuner ratio, hence my specificity of saying nut to tuner AOA. I see you love your guitar very much, but I don't do the brand fanboy thing, and amy quite willing to say my PRS Single Cut has flaws of it's own. Even my beloved Tele's have their own problems, that I'd admit readily. No guitar is without faults, just like any other product.
I was kind of surprised that Johnny Thunders & Mick Jones didn't get a mention until I did some quick research and discovered that they both used JP Jrs and not Specials. This was a great video though, the LP special is easily one of my top 5 guitars of all time, especially the double cut and "SG" body styles. Good enough for Pete Townshend is good enough for me.
Thunders played a TV Special in the NY Dolls (he's playing one on the cover of their second LP), then switched to Jr's in the Heartbreakers and beyond.
Johnny Thunders played a special on the Midnight Special (as well as other shows) a d is pictured with it on the Too Much, Too Soon cover with the New York Dolls.
P90’s in a Mahogany guitar is a magical thing. Local artist and one of my favorites (covers: Punk, R&B, Surf, Rockabilly to Jazz in one show) uses nothing but Juniors, Specials and old P90 equipped Les Paul’s into Fender amps, straight in. One of the best live tones.
@@andychase7693 Simon Chardet NYC He’s a lot more obscure these days? Back in the 90’s, early 2000’s he was ripping it up back when there were clubs and bars where bands could play. Simon and the Bar Sinisters, Joey Miserable and the Worms before that.
Another marvellous production. I recognized Rick's signature model in the thumbnail. 🥰 I have a Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 in Worn White that has essentially become my number 1. It's wonderfully flexible, offering everything from glassy refinement through to nasty snarling. My kinda guitar.
Fun fact, marley’s special’s pickup toggle housing was broken when the guitar was dropped, hence the strange oval shaped poker chip that was carved out of an old pickguard. Truly one of a kind.
Great player, and one of the classic Gibson tones, but he didn't use Les Paul Specials. He used single pickup Les Paul Juniors, and much of the 'singing' was due to his monstrous Sunn PA amplifier.
Good to see Uncle Jarred James Nichols on this. I hung out with him on his 30th birthday in Poughkeepsie when he opened up for John 5. So yeah, we homies. My brother! 😊
In 1991 traded my Gibson Howard Robert's Jazz Fusion Black ,, on Sunset Blvd at Gtr. Center for a Gibson 1960 LP Special . I was melding from pop jazz to straight rock . I still own both genres and now play a Gib 175 and LP Special w/ tremolo. My babys
Always looking forward to each episode @ five watt world.. And especially for this one! P90s are truly special. Especially on a Gibson Special. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, research and passion.
Guitars with P90's in them always sound good to me ears. Rick's got good taste. Another wonderful Short History episode. I wish history was this interesting when I was in school. Thanks
A great Short History yet again. I have been drawn to the P90 Double Cut. I just like the look and the sound. Just need to figure out which current guitar I will sacrifice in exchange! The Special has a really interesting and diverse history which makes it interesting on several levels. 1) from a musical construction perspective and 2) from Gibson’s indecisive business management practices.
I have a mid-late naughties faded double cut, tun-o-matic bridge, dot inlays, unbound neck, 2 p90"s. Pretty much a cheap special. It's been my #1 for some time.
Loved that episode Keith! The Les Paul Special is my favorite Les Paul, I need a double-cut in my life one day, Rick's model would be great, but I'd slum with a TV yellow too. 🙂
Leslie West performed magic with P90's...Mississippi Queen comes to mind😉😎👍 Pickup heights vary with every guitarist...alnico5's are super sensitive. Dialing them in is a revelation in itself😉😎👍 Great video as always 👍 By the way...Carlos said he was on mescaline, not LSD at Woodstock... Most everyone else was on LSD😂 DON'T TAKE THE BROWN ACID...!!! 😎👍❤🖖
Whilst not a Gibson or Epiphone I absolutely love my Cort sunset junior which is a economic copy of these legendary instruments. The pickups are awesome as well.
Love it! The LP Special has been my favorite guitar in recent years. How about a collective short history on Gibson basses? I know they’re not as common/popular, but I love them, and lots of famous players used them over the decades.
Thank you, Keith 🙏 I appreciate these Short (and in depth) Histories quite a bit. I have a Junior I picked up at a pawn shop about a year ago. It was almost a steal!! Single P90s definitely stand out in the mix Be good to you 🤍💛
Cool to hear the mix of Alnico P90 pickups Gibson was putting out in the early days! Adds to the mystique… I personally love the Alnico III’s and consider that the “true” Gibson sound.
Also, from 1989 to 1999 Gibson made this model Gibson Les Paul 1960 Special reissue in cherry red, black… and TV yellow with the upgrades: added a ABR bridge and tail piece, plus mini Grover turners 😮and Gibson P100 (p90 stack humbuckers). These guitars got Gibson Pearl logo and “Les Paul special” gold silk screen head stock, neck binding w/ fret edge binding, 1960’s mahogany neck and a slab 1 piece mahogany. They are sweet Les Paul Special reissue guitars. I have a beautiful 1995 single cut TV yellow 👍
I recently purchased a 1998 Les Paul Special and it has all of those classic rock sounds, but can also do the jazz and country style sounds as well. An amazing guitar and another well researched short history video. Thank you Keith, I look forward to your next installment (Melody Maker perhaps?).
Yes Keith, do Melody Maker next. It has a pretty cool history too with all of the different body and pickup styles. My 1961 double-cut Melody Maker has been one of my main axes for 40 some years. The headstock has been repaired a total of 4 times so far but it remains such a great playing little guitar. I love it!
Great video. Thanks. Steve Miller used a custom painted P-90 DC Special on The Joker tour in 1973-4. I believe it was used on the record. Tom Johnston of The Doobie Brothers used a cherry red SG special with P-90s around that time, too. Some of The Captain And Me LP might feature that guitar.
Of my ever growing but relatively modest herd of 4 guitars, maybe the guitar I’m most proud of is my 2011 Melody Maker Special with Mojotone 57 quiet coils. The combination of ultra thin finish, wrap tail piece and those killer P90’s is such an unbelievable thing. the Melody Maker is also thinner than the Les Paul. Very very cool underrated guitar 😎 thanks Keith another great one
Thank you, Keith. Recently, I’ve been considering a Gibson or maybe Epiphone Les Paul Special and was a little in the dark about it. I already have a Casino for P-90 tones. This video has again given me the inspiration to explore a Les Paul Special. Thank you for the hard work and research you do for each video. I foresee a coffee table book with your research peppered with your insights on these videos in the future! 🍻
I bought the Epiphone LP Special 2020 when they came out. It's really, really, really good. I think it's one of the best guitars for the money no doubt. About two months later I saw someone selling a 2019 Gibson LP Special. It was basically brand new, he bought it and didn't like it. I bought it, and sold the Epi. The sound has something extra that makes a difference. If I was still playing live though, I'd be rocking that Epi. The Epi has a better bridge too. Sometimes our dedication to the "original" specs is silly.
The slab body double cut Specials built in the later half of 1960 also had the neck pickup moved slightly down to create a stronger neck joint. The examples you have pictured all have the earlier neck pickup placement close to the fingerboard. These 59' and early 60' Specials were prone to breaking at the joint if dropped, so Gibson corrected that.
Agreed. I owned a closet version - absolutely new from 1960, which I got in 1969. That original neck set up was dangerous, but check out the position of pickups relative to the scale and an earlier single cut. There, along with the scale, is where the magic happens for me. I wish Keith would get into the ACTUAL scale lengths . . . very surprising. I sold mine cherry one to a guy in Black Oak Arkansas. Wish I could play it again.
I got a TV yellow Special a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't touched my Standard, Strat, Tele, or Martins since. Most fun guitar I've ever had. Thanks for all your good work!
Pleased to say I was a young punk and rocker in the 80's and got into p90s because a friend, Geordie, from Killing Joke sat down and showed me them one day.
No one mentioned Lowman Pauling used a Les Paul Special while playing with The 5 Royales. He was a tremendously influential, especially to a young Steve Cropper. My '68 SG Special is by far my favorite guitar.
I came here because I've always liked the rock n roll Jr/Special and P90's have a SPECIAL place in my heart. But also, gotta say, love the haircut and shave!
James Bay is a great newer pop artist who rocks Les Paul Jrs and other cool vintage Gibsons at his live shows/while he records. He always brings out his Jr when he's going to play a really aggressive song, always kills it.
hello keith!!! just put in a bareknuckle warpig HS-P90 in one of my les pauls recently...i've used humbuckers for over 35 years and absolutely love the different kinda sound!!! cheers!!!
Last year I bought a cherry Les Paul Special Tribute with a pretty flame figuring and eternal resonance, and finally found that tone I was missing for decades. (I agree Martin is awesome.)
Looking forward to the future when LP “Tribute” model gets some respect. For the price point they’re one of the finest guitars you can buy today. I love mine, and play it more than the 81 “Custom” I got from my old man, my USA strat, or my SG standard. Fucking thing rocks!
I made a double cut about 9 years ago. One piece Honduran body and 1/4 sawn neck. Just stunning and it cost less than $500 and some elbow grease. I even made the pickup. Fun, fun, fun!
Great history but I'm surprised you didn't talk about the brief stints of the Les Paul Specials in the 70s and again from the 90s to the 2000s when Gibson would reissue the Specials in either Single Cut or Double Cut form. My favorite variation of the Les Paul Special are the Les Paul Specials from 94' to 97' in either Cherry or TV Yellow finish but with the added tune o matic bridge. Everything else about it is still pure Les Paul Special. I would love one of theose, they are hard to find.
@@martinaddison4880 i mean if I have to get a Custom Shop model then I guess I will save some pennies, but one of these days I'm going to get me a Double Cut Special some day. Or at least an SG Special in TV Yellow, that would be cool too
My favorite Les Paul Special is the one I have, a '74 Reissue. I too was surprised that the early reissues were not mentioned, but I surmised you were following the original family line. My '74 rocks and really puts out some sounds though.
@@michaelspraggins5419 those look incredible too and I don't see too many of them. When I do they are like in sunburst or tv yellow but I love TV Yellow anyway
@AntmanFelix The only 1974 Les Paul Special factory color I have ever seen is the traditional tobacco sunburst, and I've seen quite a few. I think that was the only factory color...unless someone had Gibson make one specially, as the Custom Shop had not been established yet.
I have a 2001 Gibson Les Paul Special… it’s a single cut with humbuckers and small trapezoid inlays. It doesn’t have the beauty of other Gibsons that I own, but it sounds and feels great!
bluesmain here again...(princeton recording amp)2000 era i found a white sg special fat neck dotted ebony fingerboard and gold hardware.. uncovered humbuckers...amazing great work keith
Finally bought an 'as new' 2009 Cherry Special (it had been more or less hidden amongst dozens of other Gibsons in the flagship store here). It has the tune-o-matic bridge which makes me feel safer re: fine tuning, matte finish and the fretboard looks and feels like ebony, I have never come across a rosewood board like this. USD 800 with a case thrown in. Really enjoying it, feels like maybe Gibson's answer to a Tele in terms of the edginess it has on tap and a nice contrast / complement to my '68 Custom.
Hell yeah, Martin Barre doesn't get enough love. It's good to find another fan. Listen to the intro piece of "Minstrel in the Gallery" if you don't get why Tull was the shit.
This video is a nice end cap to the week as I ordered a new SG Special in ebony and it arrived last Thursday. Those P90s sound so great. Years ago I had an SG Junior that was, I think, from sometime in the 90s, and I wanted that sound back. The new Special does it.
I sold all of my epiphones and squiers to get my 2006 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Special. It’s so versatile and plays like a dream. Best decision I’ve ever made.
It’s definitely better to have one amazing guitar instead of many good ones. One great guitar is all you need.
Nice Hypes!!!🔥🔥🔥
Thanks to both of you I have a Les Paul tribute it's wonderful but I had a unique opportunity to buy a SG special with Lyndy Fralins in it I spent my last dollar on it it's the sound I have been chasing all my life you both have influenced my love and playing and reconfirmed my love for the specials
Is Hypes Keith’s nickname? This has been puzzling me for some time now.
It’s just what Rick and I call each other. It comes from us both speaking very quickly when we were younger.
@@fivewattworld True fact: I usually set videos to 2X speed. With your videos, I have to slow them to .75 speed to take everything in. These videos are a firehose of information. First rule of broadcast: Think fast and talk slow. 🙂
I thought I knew a lot about these….until now. As always Keith, your videos never ever disappoint and continue to be in the ‘stop everything and watch immediately’ class.
Being brazilian i was completely caught off guard when you talked about Gilberto Gil. Great research, Keith!
Pretty sure Jorge Ben played one, as well.
And let's not forget this is the guitar used by Paul Westerberg of The Replacements! He played it live on their infamous SNL performance.
Yes, plus Paul Westerberg used this guitar on his SNL performance.
@@nine9whitepony526 Yeah, that's what he said.
@@razztastic Hahaha
Can't forget what you don't know
I got into P90's after playing Les Paul guitars for 25 years. I just never gave them a chance for some reason and then got a TV Yellow LP Special and it changed everything I thought I knew about LP guitars. Absolutely love them!
No auto stop on the winding machines is kinda what made those old models so special... Each guitar was truly unique.
Thanks for mentioning Martin Barre. He's the ultimate reason I picked up guitar few years ago, being 36 years old, following meeting him after one of his shows here in Prague. "Guitars of Martin Barre" would be a great episode... 🙂
Seconded.
"Guitars of Martin Barre" .... ABSOLUTELY YES PLEASE
One more argument for the video - it seems he went from Specials and LPs via Hamer to PRS and now plays PRS (with piezo I would say) which makes it really interesting and he's probably one of the few "classics", who does not stick to G or F 70years old designs... AND I would bet he would be available to video chat about that! 🙂
You could spend hours on Martin's glorious bending technique!
Also a mention for Mick Abrahams who preceded Martin Barre in Tull (on This Was) and played an SG Special for much of his career in Blodwyn Pig etc.
There's something addictive to Keith's "five watt world" videos. If I start to watch one, I have watch the whole thing.
I’ve always been a strat guy, 3 years ago I decided to buy a TV yellow LP Special. I can’t say I’m a complete convert but my LP Special gets as much playing time as the Strat. LOVE those P90s!
I truly enjoy these guitar histories. This one hit a little closer to home.
I still keep looking for when the episode on Hamer guitars will come up. Soon?
Joel and Paul really did lead the way on what became the 'boutique' realm of guitars. And what they accomplished had a much larger impact on the music industry than many people may realize.
honestly p90s are such amazing pickups to make music with. no matter if it's soapbars or dogears, the tone and sound is just immense
I’m tellin you bro. Sweet sounds
My favorite LP special player who didn't get a mention: Paul Westerberg of the Replacements. His badly abused (he spraypainted it blue, and carved "For Sale" into the body right below the bridge) 50's special was used on their 1986 SNL appearance, and it's also on the cover of their live album For Sale: Live at Maxwell's.
You really do provide some of the best content on You Tube Keith. It's always a special pleasure when you bring out one of your short history videos. I missed your moustache terribly, but a few seconds with a Sharpie on my monitor screen and all was well...
😂
I love my 2004 double cut TV Yellow faded special. That thin finish has worn in nicely over the years and it just feels and plays like butter.
Keith this is great! I always learn new things from your videos, and the P90 deep dive on this vid taught me alot! Tim
Thanks Tim!
I owned a '61 SG special from 1973 to 2011. I gave it to my grand daughter. It had such good action that I developed a light touch from playing it for so long. It also left me with a soft spot for P90s.
Even with 3 neck repairs (1 headstock, 2 neck body joints upper & lower) my 1959 double cut TV yellow was an amazing guitar, with amazing sound. That '59 neck. Man. None better. Great one Thank You Keith..
42 years of fairly serious playing and I have only 3 guitars; Strat, Tele, and my 2019 LP Special. Great guitar!
You're doing way better than me with my 30 guitars. If I could get it down to 6 I'd be happy.
The double cut LP specials and juniors are definitely two of my favorites. I love them.
Thanks, Keith!
As always, thank you! A great start to the day, and something to think about. Never knew that Knopfler picked up a Special before the legendary strat.
As someone who has never got along with Les Pauls, and hate their feel, this video entertained AND informed me. Hats off, and damn well done.
I dislike playing Les Paul's too, the Special is completely different. I had a 1962 many years ago and missed the P90's hence the newer Original Series I bought which are really great!
@@TeleCaster66 I still think the Special feels horrible, as it's literally the same in all the 'feel' ways, especially the neck. It has all the faults, like wound strings going over knife edged saddles, and a nut to turner AOA that would make a fighter pilot black out. I sold my 64 Special for a 2010 PRS Single Cut, and it's better in every way.
I always tell newer players, 'play a PRS after you try a Les Paul, and you'll never buy a Les Paul".
@@kennethc2466 No knife edge saddles on mine, it has a wrap around tailpiece. The tuners on both of mine have the same tuning ratio as any other guitar I've ever had. I have no fault with them. A PRS is a very nice though, I'd play one. To each thier own, I owned lots of guitars and the Specials do it for me.
I’ve always liked the look but hated the feel. I’ve owned Studios, Standards, and Customs and I haven’t gotten along with one.
@@TeleCaster66 While the wrap around helps tuning, it is utter hell on intonation, as it's not compensated properly. Angle of Attack, AOA, is not about tuner ratio, hence my specificity of saying nut to tuner AOA.
I see you love your guitar very much, but I don't do the brand fanboy thing, and amy quite willing to say my PRS Single Cut has flaws of it's own. Even my beloved Tele's have their own problems, that I'd admit readily.
No guitar is without faults, just like any other product.
Another untold story added to the Short History icons shelf.
Thank you Keith, for your excellent document.
I was kind of surprised that Johnny Thunders & Mick Jones didn't get a mention until I did some quick research and discovered that they both used JP Jrs and not Specials. This was a great video though, the LP special is easily one of my top 5 guitars of all time, especially the double cut and "SG" body styles. Good enough for Pete Townshend is good enough for me.
Thunders played a TV Special in the NY Dolls (he's playing one on the cover of their second LP), then switched to Jr's in the Heartbreakers and beyond.
Johnny Thunders played a special on the Midnight Special (as well as other shows) a d is pictured with it on the Too Much, Too Soon cover with the New York Dolls.
Ah well, shows what I know then. Cheers guys.
Noone ever mentions thunders
P90’s in a Mahogany guitar is a magical thing. Local artist and one of my favorites (covers: Punk, R&B, Surf, Rockabilly to Jazz in one show) uses nothing but Juniors, Specials and old P90 equipped Les Paul’s into Fender amps, straight in. One of the best live tones.
Local artist? Is that kind of like "area man" in The Onion? Or does this local artist have a name?
@@andychase7693 Simon Chardet NYC He’s a lot more obscure these days? Back in the 90’s, early 2000’s he was ripping it up back when there were clubs and bars where bands could play. Simon and the Bar Sinisters, Joey Miserable and the Worms before that.
Mick Abraham (Jethro Tull 1st guitarist, Blodwyn Pig, Mick Abraham's Band) played an SG Special for many years.
Another marvellous production. I recognized Rick's signature model in the thumbnail. 🥰 I have a Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 in Worn White that has essentially become my number 1. It's wonderfully flexible, offering everything from glassy refinement through to nasty snarling. My kinda guitar.
Fun fact, marley’s special’s pickup toggle housing was broken when the guitar was dropped, hence the strange oval shaped poker chip that was carved out of an old pickguard. Truly one of a kind.
NO music shops in Trenchtown!
Thanks, I always wondered why his guitar was like that.
Stellar work as always these videos will be used as reference points for decades to come
Don’t forget Leslie West - they were his mainstay for many years and really made them sing.
This post is about Specials, not Juniors or P-90s. 🎸
@@cuda426hemi does the special have p90s and is liked for its sound?
@@jaybd9329 LOL!
my favourite guitarist especially his solo albums, the Leslie West band album- dear prudence his solo is sublime
Great player, and one of the classic Gibson tones, but he didn't use Les Paul Specials. He used single pickup Les Paul Juniors, and much of the 'singing' was due to his monstrous Sunn PA amplifier.
Keith, you're basically making the canon of electric guitar history 101. Another awesome video. Gracias!
I had an Sg Special Pelham Blue from 2019, i used it on record and live, one of the best tones i ever heard.
Me too. I can't believe how well that feather lite little blue SG sits in the mix yet stands out too.
Good to see Uncle Jarred James Nichols on this. I hung out with him on his 30th birthday in Poughkeepsie when he opened up for John 5. So yeah, we homies. My brother! 😊
My '61 SG Special loved this, Keith! As did I!
In 1991 traded my Gibson Howard Robert's Jazz Fusion Black ,, on Sunset Blvd at Gtr. Center for a Gibson 1960 LP Special . I was melding from pop jazz to straight rock . I still own both genres and now play a Gib 175 and LP
Special w/ tremolo. My babys
The coolest Special I've ever seen is Matthew Scott's 1958 TV Yellow Special. Tones of vibe and tone, with a great story. Cool video Keith!
That is quite possibly the best special I have heard, as well.
Agreed.
Always looking forward to each episode @ five watt world.. And especially for this one! P90s are truly special. Especially on a Gibson Special. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, research and passion.
I own one of the 2019 SG Specials in "Burgundy Mist". Gibson got it right, it definitely has a lot of mojo!
Thanks Keith, another great upload!
Guitars with P90's in them always sound good to me ears. Rick's got good taste. Another wonderful Short History episode. I wish history was this interesting when I was in school. Thanks
5 Stars again for Keith & FWW Short Histories! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
A great Short History yet again. I have been drawn to the P90 Double Cut. I just like the look and the sound. Just need to figure out which current guitar I will sacrifice in exchange! The Special has a really interesting and diverse history which makes it interesting on several levels. 1) from a musical construction perspective and 2) from Gibson’s indecisive business management practices.
I have a mid-late naughties faded double cut, tun-o-matic bridge, dot inlays, unbound neck, 2 p90"s. Pretty much a cheap special.
It's been my #1 for some time.
I had one of those in Cherry. The only guitar I regret selling.
that p90 sgs that pete townshend played are THE guitar for me fr
Loved that episode Keith! The Les Paul Special is my favorite Les Paul, I need a double-cut in my life one day, Rick's model would be great, but I'd slum with a TV yellow too. 🙂
As always Keith, presented perfectly ! Love these videos, all the best mate.
Nik
I was lucky enough to get a p90 50s standard and I can’t get enough of it! Sounds so fine
Leslie West performed magic with P90's...Mississippi Queen comes to mind😉😎👍
Pickup heights vary with every guitarist...alnico5's are super sensitive. Dialing them in is a revelation in itself😉😎👍
Great video as always 👍
By the way...Carlos said he was on mescaline, not LSD at Woodstock...
Most everyone else was on LSD😂
DON'T TAKE THE BROWN ACID...!!!
😎👍❤🖖
This post is about Specials, not Juniors or P-90s. 🎸
@@cuda426hemi
Can't have one without the other.😉😎👍
@@cuda426hemi Don't forget, Leslie West gave Steve Miller the TV Special that Miller got painted by the surfboard artist Bob Cantrell.
Ton of research there Keith. Report was well done and certainly held my interest. Thanks for all you do.
Whilst not a Gibson or Epiphone I absolutely love my Cort sunset junior which is a economic copy of these legendary instruments. The pickups are awesome as well.
Love it! The LP Special has been my favorite guitar in recent years.
How about a collective short history on Gibson basses? I know they’re not as common/popular, but I love them, and lots of famous players used them over the decades.
Thank you, Keith 🙏
I appreciate these Short (and in depth) Histories quite a bit.
I have a Junior I picked up at a pawn shop about a year ago. It was almost a steal!! Single P90s definitely stand out in the mix
Be good to you 🤍💛
Cool to hear the mix of Alnico P90 pickups Gibson was putting out in the early days! Adds to the mystique… I personally love the Alnico III’s and consider that the “true” Gibson sound.
Also, from 1989 to 1999 Gibson made this model Gibson Les Paul 1960 Special reissue in cherry red, black… and TV yellow with the upgrades: added a ABR bridge and tail piece, plus mini Grover turners 😮and Gibson P100 (p90 stack humbuckers). These guitars got Gibson Pearl logo and “Les Paul special” gold silk screen head stock, neck binding w/ fret edge binding, 1960’s mahogany neck and a slab 1 piece mahogany. They are sweet Les Paul Special reissue guitars. I have a beautiful 1995 single cut TV yellow 👍
So cool. P90s are so alive. I’m always surprised how they don’t show up more often in stores. Thanks Keith.
As a brazilian, it was pretty awesome you listed Gilberto Gil.
My Collings 290 is their take on the Gibson LP Special. I love it. Jethro Tull is one of my favourite bands.
Thanks for taking some time to talk about Bob Marley’s Lp special
I recently purchased a 1998 Les Paul Special and it has all of those classic rock sounds, but can also do the jazz and country style sounds as well. An amazing guitar and another well researched short history video. Thank you Keith, I look forward to your next installment (Melody Maker perhaps?).
Yes Keith, do Melody Maker next. It has a pretty cool history too with all of the different body and pickup styles. My 1961 double-cut Melody Maker has been one of my main axes for 40 some years. The headstock has been repaired a total of 4 times so far but it remains such a great playing little guitar. I love it!
Just got my first Special w p90s. It’s my favorite. From a decades long strat only player.
Great video. Thanks. Steve Miller used a custom painted P-90 DC Special on The Joker tour in 1973-4. I believe it was used on the record. Tom Johnston of The Doobie Brothers used a cherry red SG special with P-90s around that time, too. Some of The Captain And Me LP might feature that guitar.
Amazing video once again Keith, hats off!
Of my ever growing but relatively modest herd of 4 guitars, maybe the guitar I’m most proud of is my 2011 Melody Maker Special with Mojotone 57 quiet coils. The combination of ultra thin finish, wrap tail piece and those killer P90’s is such an unbelievable thing. the Melody Maker is also thinner than the Les Paul. Very very cool underrated guitar 😎 thanks Keith another great one
I had a Double cut 59’ in the 80’s. Loved it through a 65’ Bassman rig!
My new guitar in the vintage cherry version, first Gibson and especially first with P90 pickups. What a unique sound !
Thank you, Keith. Recently, I’ve been considering a Gibson or maybe Epiphone Les Paul Special and was a little in the dark about it. I already have a Casino for P-90 tones. This video has again given me the inspiration to explore a Les Paul Special.
Thank you for the hard work and research you do for each video. I foresee a coffee table book with your research peppered with your insights on these videos in the future! 🍻
I bought the Epiphone LP Special 2020 when they came out. It's really, really, really good. I think it's one of the best guitars for the money no doubt. About two months later I saw someone selling a 2019 Gibson LP Special. It was basically brand new, he bought it and didn't like it. I bought it, and sold the Epi. The sound has something extra that makes a difference. If I was still playing live though, I'd be rocking that Epi. The Epi has a better bridge too. Sometimes our dedication to the "original" specs is silly.
The slab body double cut Specials built in the later half of 1960 also had the neck pickup moved slightly down to create a stronger neck joint. The examples you have pictured all have the earlier neck pickup placement close to the fingerboard. These 59' and early 60' Specials were prone to breaking at the joint if dropped, so Gibson corrected that.
Agreed. I owned a closet version - absolutely new from 1960, which I got in 1969. That original neck set up was dangerous, but check out the position of pickups relative to the scale and an earlier single cut. There, along with the scale, is where the magic happens for me. I wish Keith would get into the ACTUAL scale lengths . . . very surprising. I sold mine cherry one to a guy in Black Oak Arkansas. Wish I could play it again.
The Gibson Les Paul Special is my favorite guitar. I have 3 of them. Great video.
The special double cut is one of my favorite, the easy access to higher frets is really a game changer compared to the OG Les Paul
LP specials rule! And so does 5 watt world. Always such high quality content. Keep it up.
I got a TV yellow Special a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't touched my Standard, Strat, Tele, or Martins since. Most fun guitar I've ever had. Thanks for all your good work!
Pleased to say I was a young punk and rocker in the 80's and got into p90s because a friend, Geordie, from Killing Joke sat down and showed me them one day.
Dean DeLeo is the reason I bought my ‘56!! Absolutely love it.
No one mentioned Lowman Pauling used a Les Paul Special while playing with The 5 Royales. He was a tremendously influential, especially to a young Steve Cropper. My '68 SG Special is by far my favorite guitar.
Tremendously.
@@DMSProduktions Damn spellchecker..
@@mattrogers1946 LOL! Rock on!
I came here because I've always liked the rock n roll Jr/Special and P90's have a SPECIAL place in my heart. But also, gotta say, love the haircut and shave!
Great episode Keith! One of my favorite guitars of all time! And yes my guitar hero Mr. DeLeo was a big part of me procuring one😎
James Bay is a great newer pop artist who rocks Les Paul Jrs and other cool vintage Gibsons at his live shows/while he records. He always brings out his Jr when he's going to play a really aggressive song, always kills it.
My main gigging guitar for the pat few years is a black 1997 Gibson SG special. It’s my workhorse, my rock. Such a great instrument.
Rick Beato is an outstanding musician. so I guess I can see why the blue double cut is his pick for a signature model.
Nothing beats an SG Special.... I have a '68 and I love it so so so much.
Great video.
Just a side note: Gilberto Gil is actually pronounced as "j", like Jill. "Jilberto Jil".
hello keith!!! just put in a bareknuckle warpig HS-P90 in one of my les pauls recently...i've used humbuckers for over 35 years and absolutely love the different kinda sound!!! cheers!!!
Last year I bought a cherry Les Paul Special Tribute with a pretty flame figuring and eternal resonance, and finally found that tone I was missing for decades. (I agree Martin is awesome.)
I’ve got a mid 90’s les paul special double cut in cherry. Sounds awesome and is rock solid.
Looking forward to the future when LP “Tribute” model gets some respect. For the price point they’re one of the finest guitars you can buy today. I love mine, and play it more than the 81 “Custom” I got from my old man, my USA strat, or my SG standard. Fucking thing rocks!
I made a double cut about 9 years ago. One piece Honduran body and 1/4 sawn neck. Just stunning and it cost less than $500 and some elbow grease. I even made the pickup. Fun, fun, fun!
Great history but I'm surprised you didn't talk about the brief stints of the Les Paul Specials in the 70s and again from the 90s to the 2000s when Gibson would reissue the Specials in either Single Cut or Double Cut form. My favorite variation of the Les Paul Special are the Les Paul Specials from 94' to 97' in either Cherry or TV Yellow finish but with the added tune o matic bridge. Everything else about it is still pure Les Paul Special. I would love one of theose, they are hard to find.
The 2020 reissue, as demonstrated at the 10 minute mark, is excellent. I have compared mine to legit 50s models and it holds its own.
@@martinaddison4880 i mean if I have to get a Custom Shop model then I guess I will save some pennies, but one of these days I'm going to get me a Double Cut Special some day. Or at least an SG Special in TV Yellow, that would be cool too
My favorite Les Paul Special is the one I have, a '74 Reissue. I too was surprised that the early reissues were not mentioned, but I surmised you were following the original family line. My '74 rocks and really puts out some sounds though.
@@michaelspraggins5419 those look incredible too and I don't see too many of them. When I do they are like in sunburst or tv yellow but I love TV Yellow anyway
@AntmanFelix The only 1974 Les Paul Special factory color I have ever seen is the traditional tobacco sunburst, and I've seen quite a few. I think that was the only factory color...unless someone had Gibson make one specially, as the Custom Shop had not been established yet.
Real nice and interesting video. I love my Special.
I've got a 2019 LP double cut junior and love it! 1 P90!
Thank You Keith
I have a 2001 Gibson Les Paul Special… it’s a single cut with humbuckers and small trapezoid inlays.
It doesn’t have the beauty of other Gibsons that I own, but it sounds and feels great!
Love my TV yellow LP special! Got it brand new last year. Not my first LP, but was my first P90 guitar.
LP Specials have been my favorite for years. I have a TV Yellow that I really like, but I always wanted a red one.
bluesmain here again...(princeton recording amp)2000 era i found a white sg special fat neck dotted ebony fingerboard and gold hardware.. uncovered humbuckers...amazing great work keith
Finally bought an 'as new' 2009 Cherry Special (it had been more or less hidden amongst dozens of other Gibsons in the flagship store here). It has the tune-o-matic bridge which makes me feel safer re: fine tuning, matte finish and the fretboard looks and feels like ebony, I have never come across a rosewood board like this. USD 800 with a case thrown in. Really enjoying it, feels like maybe Gibson's answer to a Tele in terms of the edginess it has on tap and a nice contrast / complement to my '68 Custom.
Incredible as always! Thanks Keith
My 2022 tv yellow special is pretty much by far my best sounding twang stick.
My first guitar an Epiphone LP Special I P90. Added a pickguard & Bigsby B50/B500.
Hell yeah, Martin Barre doesn't get enough love. It's good to find another fan. Listen to the intro piece of "Minstrel in the Gallery" if you don't get why Tull was the shit.
James Mercer of
The Shins uses a special as well. Great Video!
This video is a nice end cap to the week as I ordered a new SG Special in ebony and it arrived last Thursday. Those P90s sound so great. Years ago I had an SG Junior that was, I think, from sometime in the 90s, and I wanted that sound back. The new Special does it.