ELECTRICIZED

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe

1968-1985
Maple, Mahogany, Rosewood

Pushed out by the SG, the Les Paul Model which hadn’t said its last word came back for another round of production in 1968. Along with Standard and Custom, a new brat joined the family: The Les Paul Deluxe.

The brighter, snappier sound juiced out of its two “New York” mini-humbucker was favored by some well known guitarists, and was famed by Pete Townshed who played a few during his career with The Who.

Victim of the 70s Norlin era, the Deluxe model lived through many variations in construction. Early models even featured the heavy “pancake” body (layers of maple and mahogany)

Pete Townshed’s Les Paul #5

This is a 1976 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe that Pete used from 76 to 79. Was on display at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio up until 2007. Who knows where it is now… Who knows.

Pete Townshed’s 1967 SG special  was auctioned in July 2008 at Christies London for $64,219.

Lot notes from Christies

It appears from his letter that Townshend gave this guitar to Haslam in gratitude for the help he gave him in facing up to his problem with alcohol addiction in the early 1980s. Tony Haslam is selling this guitar to cover medical expenses for himself and for another former Who crew member, Mike Shaw, who was injured in a car crash whilst working for the band in 1965.