In the late 1970s, Gibson unveiled it’s “Firebrand” series of electric guitars. This consisted of lower-cost, stripped-down versions of some of the company’s most famous designs. The standard “Paul” shown here dates from 1979.

It’s body is cut from a piece of mahogany, without the maple “crown” found on instruments such as the Les Paul Standard or Custom, and it has little in the way of visual refinement; even the “Gibson” logo is “burned” into the wood of it’s headstock istead of being inlaid. The neck was walnut, the fingerboard ebony. The rear side of the headstock reveals Grover machine head tuners and serial number stamped direct into the walnut.

The regular “Paul” was available from 1978 until 1982; it’s deluxe cousin appeared in 1980, and survived until 1986. Neither has been revived.