Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Evolution: 1952–1957 Technical Deep Dive for Enthusiasts

### The Birth of the Goldtop: 1952 Prototype to Production\n\nIn 1952, Gibson president Ted McCarty sought to rival Fender’s solid-body Telecaster with a premium offering endorsed by Les Paul. The result: the Les Paul Model in striking metallic gold, featuring a mahogany body with carved maple cap, set mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, and dual P-90 single-coil pickups. Early prototypes lacked serial numbers; production units (starting mid-1952) used FON batches like ‘R xxxx.’ The original trapeze tailpiece—designed by Les Paul himself—wrapped strings under the bridge for purported intonation benefits, though players quickly modded to top-wrap for better feel.\n\nWeight averaged 8.5–9.5 lbs, with ‘chunky’ neck profiles (0.90\ at 1st fret). These inaugural goldtops laid the foundation for vintage Gibson guitar royalty.\n\n### 1953–1954: Refinements and the Stopbar Tailpiece Transition\n\nBy 1953