The Les Paul Custom made its debut in 1954 after the initial success of the Les Paul Goldtop. Mr. Les Paul himself wanted to convey to audiences that the solid body electric guitar was not a fad but a superb and challenging instrument and that his signature axe, the Les Paul, was the king of all electric solid body guitars. So, Les requested a Les Paul with a custom color finish in solid black and solid white with gold hardware that would blend well with a tuxedo.
The result was the Les Paul Custom, or the “tuxedo” Les Paul, as it became known among fans. The Les Paul Custom quickly became one of the most recognized guitars in the world and Les himself used his Les Paul Custom in concert, on his weekly television s