This beautiful double sharp-cutaway guitar with four body contours, which bears a special decal on the back of the lower headstock that reads “Anniversary Limited Edition” dual banner decal, is an homage to the first year double cutaway, SG body Les Paul Customs of 1961. In fact, on the headstock, on the five-part fancy mother of pearl decoration made up of four long, pointed triangles and on each of the seconds is etched a legend: the first triangle says “19” the second reads “61, the middle block displays in script “30th Anniversary,” the fourth triangle says “19” and the last triangle reads “91.” Put it all together and wudda you got? “1961-1996 30th Anniversary.” The blackest of ebony fingerboards is bordered in yellowed crème celluloid binding and inlaid in 10 fret positions (starting from the first) with mother of pearl dots that are as swirly and last-scene-in-the-movie-2001 as to appear extra-terrestrial – but we still believe they are actual pearl and not pearloid. This is not like any other pearl we’ve seen; this exotic material is spatiel and palatial, special and celestial.
The pickups are three probably-PAF style gold-plated humbuckers with three black surrounds, and in between the pickups and the bottom of the fingerboard is a white plastic trapezoidal cover that reads “Les Paul” in script and “CUSTOM” in block letters. The bridge is a fully adjustable tune-o-matic permanently rooted to the top with twin gold corrugated lifters; and the tailpiece is also bright, shiny, gold-plated in the form of a “stop (you fiend)” or “stud (bunny).” It has a white, pointy pickguard that’s laminated white and black on three sides and is held in place by four recessed golden screws, a three-way toggle for “Rhythm/Treble” with the appropriate black surround with gold block letters, and, in the lower treble corner four black high hat knobs with gold metal caps. Tuners are sealed-back, gold-plated, and bear the “Gibson” name with tulip shaped metal buttons; there is a trapezoidal back cavity, in crème, held in place by four asymmetrical position screws, and a strap pin is provided by the manufacturer on the back below the heel and at the bottom side.