View source for Les Paul Ultima

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The Ultima marries the craftsmanship of the Custom Division with the structural features of the Les Paul. A highly figured maple top and abalone binding are but two of the many features of this incredible instrument.

The selection of hand inlaid fingerboards are among the most beautiful created by Gibson, including the Tree of Life, the Harp, and Flames. Set off by the original Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish, this line of guitars is the Ultimate.

This is the original series from 1996.

Body:
* Top wood: Highly quilted maple
**Other Also available with flame maple top
* Back wood: Solid mahogany
**Other Dynamic sound chambers
* Binding: Multi-ply abalone on top
* Finish Colors: Heritage Cherry Sunburst
* Weight: 8.2 pounds

Neck:
* Neck construction: 1-piece mahogany
* Fingerboard wood: 22 fret ebony
**Other: Abalone side dots
* Inlays: Harp, Flame, or Tree of Life; all in mixed abalone/mother of pearl
* Binding: Single-ply white
* Profile: Rounded
* Scale length/Nut width: 24 3/4"; 1 11/16"
* Strings: Brite Wires .010-.046

Electronics & Hardware:
* Pickups: '57 Classic humbuckers
* Controls:2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way switch
* Hardware Color:Gold
* Bridge/Tailpiece: Nashville TOM/Stopbar or Ultima loop
* Tuner style: Grover Imperial


[http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-Custom/Les-Paul-Ultima.aspx Les Paul Ultima on gibson.com]
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=== Shots of the Harp Lady ===
Found on the internet.

[[Image:UltimaHarp01.jpg]]

[[Image:UltimaHarp02.jpg]]

=== Tree of Life  ===
[[Image:LesPaulUltimaTree.jpg|right]]

=== History and Details ===

==== Original Web Page ====

[[Image:UltimaOriginalWebPage.jpg]]

=== More Information ===

:This is all I have on the Ultima. Other than the wild fretboard inlays, it is pretty much a [https://www.chambered-reissue.org/ chambered reissue]. <br>I think some of the early ones had a slightly different chambers but I can't find my exact photos of them.


[[Image:UltimaChamber.jpg]]

[[Image:UltimaChamberNewer.jpg]]




:Source: [https://forum.gibson.com/topic/66612-les-paul-ultima-looking-for-information/?tab=comments#comment-905450 CR9 - Gibson Brands Forums]


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Single cutaway solid body. This exceptionally beautiful guitar with a nitro-cellulose finish has a perfect 'Burst' weight of 3,83 kilo's only! This is the first version, not to be condused with the later 'flame inlayed or even more recent reissues. This is the original thing! The Les Paul Ultima is one of Gibson’s highest-end, more ornate models ever produced! Introduced in 1996 the Les Paul Ultima is an instrument finished in such magnificence and splendor as to rightly celebrate the absolute finest lineage of solid body electric guitars in the world.


It has a two-piece book-matched solid carved 'quilted' high-grade maple top with 'exotic' cream plastic and abalone binding on a one-piece solid mahogany body. One-piece mahogany neck with a perfect nut width of 1 11/16 inches, a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches and a very comfortable medium profile (0.83 behind the first fret gently rising to 0.95 inch behind the 12th fret). Bound ebony fretboard with 22 medium frets and inlaid 'Tree-of-Life' with "Ultima" banner at the twelfth fret and abalone side-dot markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo, inlaid pearloid "Custom Shop" banner and "Les Paul" silk-screened in gold. Individual Grover Imperial tuners with 'art deco' stairstep shaped art deco style pearloid buttons. Serial number "8 9920" stamped in black on back of headstock. Two Gibson '57 Reissue PAF Humbucker Alnico ll pickups, each with a small black rectangular label on the underside with "Patent Applied For" printed in gold, each with cream plastic surrounds with outputs of 8.03k and 7.95k. Four controls (two volume, two tone) on lower treble bout, plus three-way selector switch on upper bass bout. The potentiometers are stamped R137 9751 (CTS December 1997). Gold-plastic bell-shaped "Bell" knobs. ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic non-retainer bridge with metal saddles and specific 'Ultima' loop 'Byrdland' tailpiece. All hardware gold plated. This guitar is in very goodcondition. It has some minimal wear on the gold hardware, which is normal and impossible to avoid. it has two minimal undeep amrks on the back of the body, probably caused by a guitarstrap. It is housed in the original Gibson Custom, five-latch, shaped black hardshell case with black plush lining
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