Gibson Electric Guitars Background
In 1890, Orville H. Gibson begins hand-building guitars and mandolins. By the turn of the century Gibson is established as a premier maker of banjos, violins, and acoustic guitars. In the mid-30’s Gibson announced the production of the first Electric Spanish guitar, the ES-150. Considered a “miracle,” the ES-150 was a true, undistorted tone amplified by electricity.

A Legend Guitar
By 1941, Les Paul, tired of trying to be heard above the brass section and rowdy bar patrons, builds “The Log.” The 20 lb guitar is created using a four-by-four piece of pine, a Gibson neck and the inner workings of an electric clock. The Gibson Les Paul Standard came out in 1958. The model’s remarkable tone was enhanced by The Gibson Les Paul Custom a few years later. The Les Paul style was presented in different models with various changes. In 1961 Gibson attempted to compete with Fender’s Stratocaster with the release of the SG, short for solid guitar. The completely new body style and the “fastest neck in the world” included variations such as the Junior, the Special and the Custom.

Modern Guitars
Originally produced in 1958, the Explorer and Flying V were ahead of their time. A lack of interest made Gibson discontinue the space-age looking models in 1959. The Flying V shot back onto the seen in the late 60’s with popular musicians like Jimmy Hendrix and Gibson decided to reissue it. The Firebird hit in the 60’s with its modernistic look and had an unusual neck with extends to the tail end of the body. The popularity of similar guitars brought back the Explorer, later named the Futura in 1976 when hard rock and heavy metal started to take off.

See - Types of Guitar