1961 Gibson Les Paul Special Double Cut Vintage Guitar Silver Fox (Dog Hair) w/ Case, Riggio

Up for sale, a 1961 Gibson Les Paul Special in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with a hardshell case. This Les Paul Special retains its original pair of P-90 pickups and all of its plastics, refinished in custom color Silver Fox by Riggio Custom Guitars.

A rare finish first used by Epiphone under Gibson ownership in the early 1960s (and later seen on the limited run Gibson Custom Shop Brian Ray SGs), Silver Fox is a deep gray/black with pore filler to accentuate the grain in the Honduran mahogany body and neck. A similar concept has been applied by Collings in recent years under the moniker “Dog Hair,” but neither Gibson’s Custom Shop or Collings can match Joe Riggio’s finish work, renowned for its vintage accuracy and top-tier execution.

Featherweight at 6lbs 13oz and extremely lively acoustically, the Hondurdan mahogany construction yields an acoustic voice that chimes and punches in equal measure, offering singing sustain and excellent note detail. Plugged in, this Special is a certified ripper, with the P-90s wound on the hotter side, with a bit more output, compression and bark while retaining a glassy treble cut. The neck pickup in particular is powerful and rich, with notable low-end push and authority, while the bridge pickup is slightly more restrained, ensuring optimal sweetness while still delivering plenty of P-90 growl and heat. This Les Paul Special benefits from a professional setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

-Wood: Honduran mahogany
-Shape: Slender C “blade neck”, measuring .715” 1st fret, .780” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Brazilian rosewood, dot inlay, faint finger wear behind frets 1-3
-Frets: Medium jumbo, refret, no wear
-Scale Length: 24 3/4“
-Nut: 1 11/16”, nylon
-Tuners: Kluson Deluxe single-line strip (vintage-spec, modern)
-Serialization: Five-digit stamp dates to ‘61

Body Specs:

-Wood: Honduran mahogany
-Pickups: P-90 x2, Neck: 8.5k ohms, Bridge: 7.8k
-Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector
-Harness: CTS pots date to mid ‘60s and ‘80s (replacement), Bumblebee tone caps
-Hardware: Lightweight aluminum tailpiece, compensated for Plain G (MojoAxe, nickel-plated)
-Plastics: Reflector cap knobs, four-ply pickguard

This guitar exhibits a professional headstock repair via Portland Fretworks, with fiberglass over the repaired joint for maximal structural integrity. The repair is completely masked by the refinish, with faux mahogany “grain” added by Riggio in this area for visual continuity. And while Joe Riggio’s Silver Fox finish has been applied to the body and neck, the lacquer on the headstock face is original. Riggio’s finish work includes a tasteful relic, with subtle lacquer checking and various small simulated marks of wear.

A modern Gibson USA hardshell case is included.