Gibson Custom Shop Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar - Antique Natural

Perhaps best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, the late Mick Ronson was an acclaimed producer, arranger, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a legendary, highly influential guitarist. Available at Sadek Music, the Gibson Custom Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition is an exacting recreation of Mick’s iconic Bowie-era guitar, capturing every important tonal and visual detail of this historic solidbody electric guitar. This limited-run collector’s instrument features a mahogany body with a plain maple top, paired with an Authentic ’68 Medium C-shaped mahogany neck and a 22-fret ebony fingerboard. The guitar has also undergone the renowned Murphy Lab aging process, with meticulous craftsmanship recreating the authentic wear patterns and character developed from Mick Ronson’s original instrument. The Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom delivers true vintage-inspired tone through aged Alnico II-powered ’68 Custom humbuckers. These uncovered, unpotted pickups are specially voiced to provide Mick’s signature aggressive, powerful, and expressive sound. Completing the vintage feel, the aged gold hardware includes Grover tuning machines, a Tune-o-matic bridge, and a heavily distressed stopbar tailpiece. Featuring mother-of-pearl block fingerboard inlays, multi-ply body and headstock binding, single-ply fretboard binding, Mick’s trademark mismatched control knobs, and the distinctive stripped-down top finish, the Gibson Custom Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition offers musicians and collectors a rare opportunity to own a remarkable piece of rock history from Sadek Music.

Every road-scarred detail re-created
A meticulous, limited‑run tribute to Mick’s original Bowie‑era instrument, the Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition was handcrafted using ultra‑precise Murphy Lab aging techniques, capturing every nuance of the legendary guitar, from its exact playing wear to its unmistakable sonic character. This legendary Les Paul Custom features a 1-piece mahogany body with a plain, 2-piece maple cap, a mahogany neck carved to an Authentic ’68 Medium C profile, and an ebony fingerboard with 22 medium‑jumbo frets and mother‑of‑pearl block inlays. This sublime solidbody’s faithfully aged gold hardware includes Grover Rotomatic tuners with milk bottle buttons, an ABR‑1 Tune-o-matic bridge, and a heavily worn stopbar tailpiece. Beyond that, this guitar’s top replicates the unfinished look of Mick’s iconic axe, which had been famously stripped of its original ebony finish. Lastly, mismatched Volume and Tone knobs complete the look. Handcrafted by the expert luthiers of the Gibson Custom Shop and Murphy Lab in Nashville, Tennessee, the Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition is available in limited quantities.

Aggressive, expressive, and unmistakably Ronson

Mick Ronson’s signature Les Paul tone was defined by its aggressive yet highly expressive character, shaped by a stripped-down top finish that enhanced resonance and the removal of pickup covers to increase output and clarity. His iconic 1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom became the foundation of the powerful melodic riffs and soaring lead tones that made him a legendary guitarist, especially during his collaborations with David Bowie. Available at Sadek Music, the Gibson Custom Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition faithfully recreates the legendary sound and feel of Mick’s original instrument. This exceptional collector’s model captures Ronson’s signature sonics with aged, unpotted, uncovered ’68 Custom humbuckers powered by Alnico II magnets, delivering raw grit, dynamic response, and the expressive tonal character that inspired generations of guitarists. Completing the vintage-inspired design are CTS 500k audio-taper Volume and Tone potentiometers, handwired to Black Beauty capacitors, providing exceptional clarity, power, and control. Every detail of this limited-edition instrument reflects the same tonal authority and unmistakable character of Mick Ronson’s original ’68 Les Paul Custom, making it a true piece of rock history available at Sadek Music.

Mick Ronson: a legacy that shaped rock history
A highly influential, yet often criminally underrated, guitarist during his extraordinary career, as well as a prolific producer, arranger, songwriter, and multi‑instrumentalist, Mick Ronson created an inimitable impact that spanned decades of rock music. Perhaps best known for his association with David Bowie, Mick also worked with Lou Reed, Ian Hunter, Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Van Morrison, and a whole host of other legendary artists, contributing as a collaborator, session musician, and producer. Mick co‑produced Lou Reed’s Transformer, released five solo albums of his own, and played a central role in shaping Bowie’s most iconic records, including The Man Who Sold the World, Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and Aladdin Sane. Celebrated for his dramatic, melodic, and aggressive playing style, Mick crafted a signature sound using effects like a parked wah, fuzz, and echo, most famously delivered through his stripped‑finish 1968 Les Paul Custom, an instrument now inseparable from the man himself. Now, thanks to the Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition, you can own a piece of Mick’s unparalleled legacy.

Gibson Custom Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition Features:

• Signature solidbody electric guitar of Mick Ronson, based on his iconic 1968 Les Paul Custom
• 1-piece mahogany body topped with a plain, 2-piece maple cap
• Authentic ’68 Medium C-shaped mahogany neck with a 22-fret ebony fingerboard
• Murphy Lab's aging techniques painstakingly replicate the exact wear patterns that Mick created
• Aged Alnico II–fueled ’68 Custom humbuckers, uncovered and unpotted, voiced to deliver Mick’s famous tone
• Aged gold hardware comprises Grover Rotomatic tuning machines, an ABR-1 TOM bridge, and a heavily distressed stopbar tailpiece
• MOP block fingerboard inlays, multi-ply body and headstock binding, and single-ply fretboard binding
• Replicates Mick’s trademark mismatched control knobs and stripped-down top finish
• Includes a Custom case with a Mick Ronson signature reproduction on the exterior, along with a replica strap and certificate of authenticity

TECH SPECS:

• Back 1-Piece Mahogany
• Binding Multi-ply Top, Back, and Headstock, Single-ply Fretboard
• Body Finish Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer
• Body Shape Les Paul
• Body Styles Les Paul,Single Cut
• Top 2-Piece Plain Maple
• Weight Relief None

Neck Specs

• End Of Board Width 56.89mm / 2.24in
• Fingerboard Material Ebony
• Fingerboard Radius 304.8mm / 12.0in
• Fret Count 22
• Frets Medium Jumbo
• Inlays Mother of Pearl Block
• Joint Long Tenon, Hide Glue Fit
• Neck Material Solid Mahogany
• Nut Material Nylon
• Nut Width 42.85mm / 1.69in
• Profile Authentic '68 Medium C-Shape
• Scale Length 628.65mm / 24.75in

Electronics Specs

• Bridge Pickup 68 Custom Humbucker with Alnico 2 Magnet
• Controls Two Volume, Two Tone; 500K CTS Potentiometers, Hand-Wired Harness with Black Beauty Capacitors
• Neck Pickup 68 Custom Humbucker with Alnico 2 Magnet
• Output Jack 1/4" Switchcraft
• Pickup Selector 3-Way Switchcraft
• Hardware Specs
• Bridge ABR-1
• Control Covers Black
• Control Knobs Volumes: Gold Top Hat with Gold Reflector Tones: Black Witch Hat with Gold Reflector; All with Dial Pointer
• Finish Aged Gold
• Jack Plate Cover Black Multi-Ply
• Mounting Rings Black M69
• Pickguard 5-ply Black (Unmounted; Included in the Case)
• Pickup Covers None
• Strap Buttons 2 - Brass
• Switch Tip Cream
• Switchwasher Black with Gold Hot Stamp
• Tailpiece Stop Bar
• Truss Rod 2-way Adjustable
• Truss Rod Cover Authentic 2-Ply Les Paul Custom
• Tuner Plating Aged Gold
• Tuning Machines Grover Rotomatic with Milk Bottle Button

Misc Specs

• Case Custom Shop Hardshell
• Headstock Inlay Gibson Logo and Custom Split Diamond in Mother of Pearl
• Strings Gauge .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046