Late 1950s Gibson Les Paul TV Double Cut

1958 was a significant transitional year for the lesser known Gibson Les Paul TV Model. The entire line of solid body Les Paul guitars were updated to a more modern look; the yellow hued TV Model received the same treatment. All three of the lower tier models received a new double cutaway body style that allowed easier access to the frets closer to the body. While it's often referred to as a "TV Junior" today, Gibson identified the TV Model as an entirely separate model from the Junior and more like a Special.

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Gibson Les Paul TV Model Double Cut By Year

1958 Gibson Les Paul TV Model

Gibson's updates to the Junior, TV, and Special in 1958 include a new double cutaway body style, a brighter finish, and new wide frets. The double cutaway body style was intended to give players better access to the lower frets on the bass side to allow for wrapping a thumb under the neck to add a bass note. I'm not confident than many players took advantage of this, but the updated look was nice.

The finish update for the TV Model and the Special featured a brighter new yellow color with a sort of banana hue when compared to the more muted yellow of earlier years. When combined with the new faux tortoiseshell pickguard, the contrast of the two is divine. The red hue of the guard pops against the bright yellow finish. 

But unlike the Standard, the TV Model received the new wide frets as early as mid year in 1958 instead of waiting until 1959. The new wide frets are preferable to most players by making bends easier and notes easier to fret. 

1959 Gibson Les Paul TV Model

The most significant update in 1959 to the Les Paul TV Model is the new medium-fat neck profile. Prior to 1959, most Les Paul neck profiles measured 0.90" deep at the first fret and 1.00" deep at the first fret. Gibson tried out a new profile in 1959 only for about a year which typically measures about 0.85" deep to 0.95" - with plenty of variation throughout the year. Most players deem this '59 Les Paul neck profile to be the best they ever made. By early 1960, the neck profiles typically measured 0.80" deep at the first fret and 0.90" deep at the 12th fret. 

But something strange happened in November of 1959 Gibson price list: the TV Model and Special both dropped the "Les Paul" signature to officially become the first guitars bearing the "SG" name. The body styles were unchanged until early 1961, but the name is right there plain as day. 

1960 Gibson Les Paul TV and SG TV

While the catalog and price list names changed to "SG TV" in November of 1959, there are plenty of examples of TV Models made in 1960 that still bear the Les Paul signature. There's been much speculation as to why Gibson stopped using the Les Paul name, but I think that the explanation offered Gil Hembree's research in Gibson Guitars: Ted McCarty's Golden Era 1948-1966 is the most likely. The royalties for the sales of Les Paul models were to be divided equally between Les and his wife/performing partner Mary Ford, but because of both of their high income tax and earnings during the early 1950s, they both opted to have the funds held by Gibson until the end of the contract. Les and Mary were both far less popular by the end of the 1950s than they were in the early 1950s, so both Gibson and Les Paul were ok to let the contract expire in 1962. To this day, I've seen no research which would explain why the TV Model and Special became the SG nearly 4 years earlier than the Junior, Standard, and Custom.

Vintage Gibson Les Paul TV Identification

What sets the TV Model apart from just another Junior is its yellow finish. The guitar collector term of "TV Yellow" is sort of a misnomer since the pale yellow color debuted on the Special, not the TV, but the TV came shortly after. Gibson used the term "TV" to describe only the TV Model until after the company left Kalamazoo in the early 1980s. 

If the headstock on your guitar says "Les Paul TV Model" like the one below, it may have been made from 1958-1960. These guitars will have a serial number that's ink stamped on the back of the headstock with 5 or 6 digits. The first digit will indicate the year (8 = 1958, 9 = 1959, 0 = 1960) followed by a consecutive production number. You can learn more about dating vintage Les Paul guitars here: Les Paul Serial Numbers.

 

Selling a vintage Gibson Les Paul TV?

You can contact me here to sell a Gibson Les Paul TV Model made during the 50s and 60s. As an original Gibson Les Paul guitar collector, I am looking for the nicest examples of all Gibson Les Paul guitars made during the 1950s. I buy vintage guitars anywhere in the world. If you are considering selling an older Gibson Les Paul - feel free to reach out. I can help with valuation and may even bee the buyer you're looking for.