The new model keeps the full Modern Collection Les Paul Custom spec intact, adding a 25.5" scale length for players who want more articulation or regularly tune down.
Gibson has added a 25.5″ scale length variant to the Les Paul Custom lineup. The Les Paul Custom Long Scale carries over the full Modern Collection spec, the body construction, pickups, hardware and all, with the scale length as the defining change for players who want snappier attack, firmer string tension or a more comfortable ride in drop tunings. It’s available now at an RRP of $10,999.
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The body is a one-piece mahogany construction with nine-hole weight relief, topped with a two-piece plain maple cap. Multi-ply binding runs across the top and back, keeping the tuxedo aesthetic the Custom is known for. The neck is mahogany, carved to a Modern Medium C profile and joined with a long neck tenon. A bound ebony fretboard sits on top, with a 12″ radius, medium jumbo frets and mother-of-pearl block inlays.
Electronics are hand-wired with a 490R neck humbucker and 498T bridge humbucker, paired with CTS potentiometers and a Switchcraft toggle switch. The 490R sits on the warmer end of Gibson’s humbucker range, while the 498T pushes harder at the bridge – a combination that covers clean tones through to more aggressive gain without needing to swap pickups.
The practical difference of the longer scale comes down to feel as much as tone. At 25.5″, string tension is noticeably firmer than a standard Les Paul’s 24.75″, which tightens the low end and adds definition to picked attack. For players who regularly use drop D or lower, it removes some of the floppiness that can come with a shorter scale at lower tensions.
The Les Paul Custom Long Scale is available now in Ebony. Head here for local enquiries.
