“A new take on the classic”: Gibson gives its Les Paul Special an ultra-rare pickup overhaul with new Mini Humbucker models

Gibson Les Paul Special with Mini Humbuckers
(Image credit: Gibson)

Gibson has given its Les Paul Special line of electric guitars a rather rare electronic overhaul with the unveiling of two new models that feature – potentially for the first time in a standard run LP Special – mini-humbuckers.

Indeed, it looks probable that this is the first time in the venerable 70-year history of the Les Paul Special that the model has been officially sold with mini-humbuckers. Its relative, the SG Special, was produced with mini-humbuckers during the 1970s, but the LP variant seemingly missed out.

Two models, both dubbed “a new take on the classic”, have been released, with the self-explanatory names "Les Paul Special with Mini Humbuckers" and "Les Paul Special with Mini Humbucker and P-90".

The latter guitar features a mini-humbucker in the neck position and a P-90 pickup in the bridge. Both guitars are available in any color you like as long as it's Tobacco Burst.

Gibson Les Paul Special with Mini Humbuckers

(Image credit: Gibson)

The mini-humbucker was invented by Epiphone and Gibson acquired the design when they bought Epiphone in the late 1950s. Gibson describes the mini-humbucker tone as between that of a full-size PAF-style humbucker and a P-90, with positive characteristics from each.

The pickups, Gibson writes, offer a "slightly brighter and more open tone than what is normally associated with standard Patent Applied For style humbucker pickups, resulting in a tone that combines some of the brightness that P-90s are known for and some of the warmth of humbuckers, all while remaining hum-free".

Gibson Les Paul Special with Mini Humbucker and P-90

(Image credit: Gibson)

Mini-humbucker fans have included Johnny Winter, Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham (who had them in his early-Lizzy Les Paul Deluxe), The Who's Pete Townshend, and Mr Big's Paul Gilbert.

Beyond the pickup changes, the new Gibson models offer standard Les Paul Special specifications. These include a slab mahogany body, mahogany neck, and a bound rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets. The bridge is a one-piece wraparound type.

Like its full-fat Les Paul sibling, the Special has separate volume and tone controls for each pickup, with Orange Drop capacitors. The special gets a slippery GraphTech nut to minimise friction.

To find out more, head over to Gibson.

Gibson recently triumphed in its copyright infringement lawsuit against Dean Guitars.

Jenna Scaramanga

Jenna writes for Total Guitar and Guitar World, and is the former classic rock columnist for Guitar Techniques. She studied with Guthrie Govan at BIMM, and has taught guitar for 15 years. She's toured in 10 countries and played on a Top 10 album (in Sweden).

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