2000 Gibson Les Paul - Rare Dealer Pickup Demo Model!

A very unusual and very cool Gibson Les Paul Pickup Demo guitar, produced as a specialist demonstration instrument for Gibson dealers to showcase and compare different pickup options. Made in very small numbers around the turn of the millennium for key Gibson parts and accessories dealers, this is a fascinating piece of Gibson history and a genuinely clever concept!

At first glance it presents as an understated Les Paul with a natural Maple top and satin finish throughout with gold Nashville bridge and stoptail and black Grover tuners. Look to the back and the real party trick becomes clear. Supplied with six complete sets of Gibson pickups (plus a solo 500T humbucker), each mounted to mahogany blocks, the system allows them to slide neatly into place through the rear of the guitar for quick and easy comparison. It is a brilliant idea, effectively turning the guitar into a proper Gibson pickup test platform and making it an incredibly interesting tool not just for a collector, but for a player, studio owner or dealer wanting to hear a wide range of Gibson voices in one instrument.

Included with the guitar are Toni Iommi Signature humbuckers, ’57 Classics, a ’57 Classic Plus set, P-100s, P-90s, Mini Humbuckers and a 500T humbucker, offering a broad spread of classic Gibson tones from warm vintage PAF-style sounds through to higher-output rock territory.

Condition is excellent overall, the guitar has clearly been well looked after and has seen little use in the field. Hardware and cosmetics all present very nicely. It weights in at 4.1kg, and the neck measures 42.4mm at the nut, with a depth of 20.4mm at the 1st fret and 24.5mm at the 12th, giving it an easy, familiar Les Paul feel in the hand.

A rare and highly interesting Gibson piece from the early 2000s, this is far more than just another Les Paul. It is part dealer tool, part collectible oddity and part genuinely useful tone machine! Comes complete with original brown Gibson case.