Gibson Les Paul 7-string announced

Who says an old classic can't learn new tricks? In an unexpected move, quite separate from its previously announced 2015 roster of models, Gibson has revealed the Les Paul Classic 7-string guitar.

It's the first ever Gibson Les Paul of its kind, despite the company's iconic V and Explorer designs getting the extended range treatment in the past.

The new Classic follows the lead from Trivium mainman Matt Heafy's extended range Epiphone signature model last year, and further highlights Gibson's intention to move into bolder new areas following the 2015 line up's adoption of the G Force [previously know as Min-ETune] self-tuning system across most of the new models.

This Ebony model doesn't have that tuning technology, and shies away from adding an extended scale by sticking with the 24.75-inch scale length. Which could raise some eyebrows amongst seven-string fans.

Pickups on the Les Paul Classic 7-String are a Seymour Duncan '59+ in the neck and hot JB in the bridge. And it's not just a chugging machine, either, judging by the push-pull coil split for single-coil vibes. There's even a 15db Turbo Boost as an option, too.

The Les Paul Classic 7-string is available for £1,799 in the UK and $2,499 in the USA.