Introduced in 1954 as a more upscale sibling to the original Les Paul Standard, the Les Paul Custom quickly carved its own identity in both sound and style. It was Les Paul himself who insisted the original should be finished in black: "Because you can see your hands move when you're on the stage and it looks good with any outfit you wear." The guitar earned the nickname "Black Beauty," and it has been one of the most recognizable guitars ever since. This Epiphone recreation, built in partnership with Gibson Custom, brings the full Custom treatment: ebony fretboard, mother-of-pearl block inlays, gold hardware throughout, and a pair of genuine Gibson USA 490R and 498T pickups hand-wired to CTS potentiometers, a Switchcraft output jack and pickup select switch, and Mallory capacitors. Some guitars are classics for a reason.