Clean pastel shades are all well and good but we love Gibsons in Olive Drab and Ebony, so imagine our delight at the news the company have a whole collection in both finishes featuring its most popular electric guitar models.
The Exclusives Collection is available only via Gibson.com and there's no price premium on these new finishes with four Les Paul models, the SG Standard ‘61, P-90-loaded ES-335 and ‘70s Flying V getting the treatment.
The downside is each model has one nitro colour option – not a choice between Olive Drab and Ebony. Read on to find out which model gets which finish - bagsy that Les Paul Special!
Les Paul Standard 50s ($2,499)
The key differences between 50s and 60s Les Pauls is neck profile pickups and tuners so it adds up to a lot. But they share the Ebony finish here..
The '50s features BurstBucker pickups along with a clubbier neck and vintage-style Keystone tuners.
Les Paul Standard 60s ($2,499)
The LesPaul Standard ‘60s features a SlimTaper profile, 61R and 61T humbuckers, plus Grover tuners.
Les Paul Special ($1,599)
The Les Paul Special is the dark workhorse of the stable – or should we say Olive Drab stead. You just can't beat a pair of P-90s in a mahogany slab body. It's coupled with a fat ‘50s mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and a wraparound bridge for superb sustain and expressive bends.
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Les Paul Classic ($1,999)
The Olive Drab Les Paul Classic pairs a mahogany back and maple top with SlimTaper profile mahogany neck and a bound rosewood fretboard.
Pickups are BurstBucker 61R and 61T zebra open-coils.
ES-335 Pro ($2,999)
The priciest model also weighs in with a pair of P-90s to put a different spin on the 335 formula. Elsewhere it's classic territory for the iconic semi-hollow; three-ply maple/poplar/maple body with maple centre block, a rounded C-profile mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard.
70s Flying V ($1,999)
Another Ebony finish for the rockers' choice Flying V. Its '70s Tribute Humbucker nails the classic rock colours to its black mast, while a SlimTaper neck and Grover tuners should help provide a playing experience as good as its looks.
SG Standard '61 ($1,799)
The '61 SG features a SlimTaper neck profile too, alongside Vintage Deluxe tuners and Gibson 61R and 61T BursBuckers.
Check out the Exclusives Collection over at Gibson.com
Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.