Gibson Mary Ford Les Paul Standard Gold Top

Gibson Mary Ford Les Paul Standard in Gold Top Including Case!

Mary Ford, born Iris Colleen Summers on July 7, 1924, was a skilled guitarist, singer, and actress who ranked among the top recording artists of the early 1950s. Through her career in country music and connections to Gene Autry and Eddie Dean, she developed a musical partnership with Gibson icon Les Paul, which led to their marriage in 1949.

In 1951 alone, the duo sold over six million records, and between 1950 and 1954, they recorded a series of 16 top-ten hits showcasing Mary’s rich, smooth voice, complex, perfectly executed harmonies that she accompanied herself through multitrack recording and overdubbing (a groundbreaking recording technique at the time), and her versatile guitar playing that seamlessly blended country, jazz, and pop. In 1951, Mary and Les influenced the design of the ES-295 hollowbody with a custom model Mary frequently used. It is believed that in 1958, at Mary Ford’s request, a Les Paul Goldtop model was made featuring a floral pickguard in the style of the ES-295 and a matching armrest. Gibson is now proud to introduce the Mary Ford Les Paul Standard, based on this unique original.

The Goldtop finish is accented by a vintage cherry back—a rarity for a Goldtop model. In addition to the cream and gold floral pickguard and armrest, it features a mahogany body with a maple top, a mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard and SlimTaper profile, and is powered by a pair of Burstbucker pickups, with a Burstbucker 2 in the neck position and a Burstbucker 3 at the bridge. A hard shell case completes this offering dedicated to one of the 20th century’s most beloved and innovative artists.