Gibson 1550-07 GUS User manual

O NER’S MANUAL

1550-07 G S

© 2007 Gibson Guitar Corp.

To the new Gibson owner:
Congratulations on the purchase of your new Gibson electric guitar—the world’s most famous
electric guitar from the leader of fretted instruments.
Please take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the information in this booklet regarding
materials, electronics, “how to,” care, maintenance, and more about your guitar.
And then begin enjoying a lifetime of music with your new Gibson.

The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar 4
Gibson Innovations 6
The History of Gibson Electric Guitars 8
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Body 13
Neck and Headstock 13
Pickups 14
Controls 15
Bridge 17
Tailpiece 18
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Finish 19
Your Guitar on the Road 19
Things to Avoid 20
Strings 21
Install Your Strings Correctly 22
String Gauge 23
Brand of Strings 23
NE TECHNOLOGY
The Gibson Robot Guitar 24

6
Strap
Button
Stopbar
Tailpiece
Tune-o-matic
Bridge
The Components
of the Solidbody
Electric Guitar
Featuring a Les Paul
Standard in Heritage
Cherry Sunburst
12th Fret
Marker/Inlay Neck Fret Nut HeadstockFingerboard
Tuning
Keys
Machine
Heads
Truss
Rod
Cover
Single
Cutaway
Pickups
Body
Tone
Controls
Input Jack
Three-way
Toggle Switch
Binding
4
Volume
Controls

7
Strap
Button
Stopbar
Tailpiece
Tune-o-matic
Bridge
The Components
of the Solidbody
Electric Guitar
Featuring a V-Factor Faded
in Worn Cherry
12th Fret
Marker/Inlay
Neck Fret Nut HeadstockFingerboard
Tuning
Keys
Machine
Heads
Truss
Rod
Cover
Pickups
Tone
Control
Input Jack Volume
Controls
Pickguard
Body
Three-way
Toggle
Switch
5

6
Here are just a few of the Gibson innovations that have reshaped the guitar world:
1894 – First archtop guitar
1922 – First ƒ-hole archtop, the L-5
1936 – First professional quality electric guitar, the ES-150
1947 – P-90 single-coil pickup introduced
1948 – First dual-pickup Gibson, the ES-300
1949 – First three-pickup electric, the ES-5
1949 – First hollowbody electric with pointed cutaway, the ES-175
1952 – First Les Paul guitar
1954 – Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Jr. introduced
1955 – Les Paul Special introduced
1957 – First humbucking pickup
1958 – Flying V and Explorer introduced
6

7
1958 – First semi-hollowbody guitar, the ES-335
1961 – SG body style introduced in the Les Paul line
1963 – Firebird guitars and Thunderbird basses introduced
1969 – Les Paul Personal and Professional with low-impedance pickups introduced
1979 – L.P. Artist with active electronics introduced
1982 – First solidbody acoustic, the Chet Atkins CE
1983 – Les Paul Studio introduced
1990 – Les Paul Classic introduced
1996 – Les Paul SmartWood introduced
1998 – Double-Cutaway Les Paul Standard introduced
2002 – Gibson Digital Guitar introduced
7

8
A BRIEF HISTORY OF GIBSON ELECTRIC GUITARS
Gibson’s legendary acoustic engineer, Lloyd Loar, was experimenting with electric instruments
in 1924, at the dawn of electronic amplification. However, Gibson’s struggle to dominate the
banjo market took precedence through the 1920s, and it wasn’t until the mid-1930s that the
company once again turned its attention to electric guitars. n 1935 Gibson’s Walt Fuller
designed a pickup that was introduced on the E-150, an aluminum-body lap steel. Early in
1936, the pickup was put in a midline archtop model and named the ES-150—ES for Electric
Spanish, 150 for the retail price of $150 for the guitar and amplifier set.
The original ES-150 bar pickup with its hexagonal housing is now known as the “Charlie
Christian” pickup, because it was installed on the ES-150s and ES-250s that Christian used
to establish the new concept of electric jazz guitar.
Gibson made several improvements in pickup design before World War , although many play-
ers still consider the “Christian” pickup to be the best jazz pickup ever made. mmediately
after World War , Gibson introduced the P-90 single-coil, with six adjustable polepieces and
a black plastic cover, usually with “dog-ear” mounting extensions. The P-90 is still in produc-
tion and still sets the industry standard for a single-coil pickup.