Gibson Slash Appetite For Destruction Les Paul
UPDATE: The Appetite For Destruction Les Pauls are in stock! Signed, Aged #81, and the VOS Version
From Gibson USA comes the latest Slash model, the Appetite Les Paul. When Guns N’ Roses exploded onto the scene in the late ’80s the status quo was hairspray, spandex tights, maybe some glitter, and pointy guitars. Slash was the antithesis of all those things, wearing leather, denim, and playing soulful, bluesy face-melting solos on a flametop Les Paul. If guys like Jimmy Page and Duane Allman helped revitalize the interest in the Les Paul in the early ’70s, Slash certainly played his part nearly 20 years later, reminding everyone that the Les Paul never left, it’s still here. Now Gibson is issuing a Slash signature model paying tribute to the Les Paul he first became known for playing, the Appetite Les Paul, named for Guns N’ Roses’ first album, Appetite For Destruction. More info and a photo gallery after the jump.
The Slash Appetite Les Paul is not so much a replica of the original as much as it is a tribute to what a Slash Les Paul should be. The guitar Slash actually played around the time of Appetite For Destruction was actually not a Gibson, but a Chris Derrig-built replica of a ’59 Les Paul, so this would be a replica of a replica of a real ’59, if anything. Life imitates art imitates life? Whatever. What this is, is a combination of Slash’s specifications rolled into a gorgeous, very playable model. The pickups and the neck profile are Slash-specified, the ’60s top hat knobs and completely faded burst finish are both beautiful, and the big jumbo frets should help us to play the intro to Sweet Child O’ Mine. The Music Zoo will be stocking this model; want to pre-order or need more info? Let us know.
[See image gallery at blog.themusiczoo.com]
From Gibson.com:
From his groundbreaking work with Gn’R, to Slash’s Snakepit, to Velvet Revolver and numerous acclaimed solo and side projects, Slash has continued to embody the ultimate rebel rocker, putting addictive licks and eviscerating tone above all else, and throughout he has continued to do it on a Les Paul. To honor this achievement, Gibson introduces the Slash Appetite Les Paul, a guitar equipped with the finest features of the original Les Paul Standards of 1958-’60, and the added punch of Seymour Duncan Signature Series Alnico II Pro Slash humbucking pickups. With looks to kill from a Grade AAA “reverse-chevron” figured maple top with nitrocellulose “Unburst” finish, amber top-hat knobs, rosewood fingerboard with traditional trapezoid inlays, and Slash headstock graphic, and enhanced resonance from a TonePros Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece at one end and a high-density Corian nut at the other, the Slash Appetite Les Paul is as prime a piece of eye candy as it is ear candy.
Playability, naturally, is flawless, thanks to a solid one-piece Grade A quarter-sawn mahogany neck with Slash’s preferred slim ’60s profile, and the 12″ fingerboard radius and 22 jumbo frets that have made Les Pauls notorious for big, meaty rock bends for more the past 50 years. All Slash Appetite Les Pauls come with plush-lined hardshell case with silkscreened Slash graphic and Owner’s Manual.
Crafted from a Grade AAA maple top with Slash-style “reverse chevron” figuring and weight-relieved mahogany body, the Slash Appetite Les Paul is finished in nitrocellulose lacquer that replicates a beautifully faded vintage Les Paul Standard. The maple-mahogany combination and thin nitro finish help to bring the most out of these guitars, both tonally and visually.
The guitar’s neck and headstock are made in the classic tradition of the original 1958-’60 Les Pauls. Carved from a single piece of quarter-sawn mahogany, and topped with a rosewood fingerboard, the design incorporates Gibson’s lauded 17-degree back-angled headstock, which contributes greatly to the instrument’s resonance and sustain.
To Slash’s own specifications, the Slash Appetite Les Paul carries a set of Seymour Duncan Signature Series Alnico II Pro Slash humbucking pickups, which are made in the image of the original Gibson PAF humbucking pickups. From a rich, throaty wail at the neck position to a muscular, eviscerating roar at the bridge, these pickups offer all the tonal versatility that has made the Les Paul Standard famous. Their full splendor is transmitted via a Switchcraft selector switch, high-quality potentiometers with Orange Drop tone caps, and a robust Switchcraft output jack.
In the image of the great Les Paul Standards of the 1958-’60 the Slash Appetite Les Paul wears a classic set of hardware, all enhanced for the tonal standards Slash demands. A TonePros Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece offer uncompromising resonant coupling between strings and body, while a set of Kluson-style tuners combines an authentic vintage look with efficient modern performance.
