Gibson has faced some rocky times in the last few months with an impending bankruptcy.

However after a corporate restructuring, the brand seems to be focusing more on going back to basics, so reissuing ‘The Paul’ makes perfect sense.

Gibson’s ‘The Paul’ 40th Anniversary reissue is the ultimate expression of stripped-back simplicity and functionality.

‘The Paul’ was released in 1978 as an affordable, unpretentious and stripped back Les Paul and is a hidden gem of Gibson’s lengthy past. The reissue features a similar Vintage Gloss finish to the original, which lets you see all of the beautiful grain of the solid walnut body and neck. The fingerboard is rosewood with simple inlays and the neck itself has a 12-inch radius.

The Paul’s humbuckers are wound to be hot, with a 490R at the neck and a 498T at the bridge, which produce nice beefy vintage tones. In terms of hardware the new guitar sports a Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge and Grover tuning machines, both finished in nickel covered aluminium.

Last month the new Gibson CEO James “JC” Curleigh announced a “beginning of a new era for Gibson” built upon the companies “proven heritage and iconic status”. What better way than to start with a stripped back reissue.

Take a look at Gibson’s product page for more information.