Gibson Chad Kroeger "Blackwater" Les Paul
Item: GBLPCKBLCH1
Gibson Chad Kroeger "Blackwater" Les Paul
Item: GBLPCKBLCH1
For an inspiring blend of classic Les Paul Standard electric tone and versatile electro-acoustic performance, look no further than the Chad Kroeger "Blackwater" Les Paul. Starting with the timeless tonewoods that have made the Les Paul great for 60 years, the Chad Kroeger "Blackwater" Les Paul uses a mahogany body with strategically placed chambers for weight relief and sonic resonance and caps it with a solid maple top, giving you the warmth and depth of mahogany and bite and sparkle of maple in a best-of-both-worlds concoction that has never been beaten.
More than just any old maple, though, Gibson selects AAA-grade flamed maple and gives it a hand-stained Trans Black finish in high-gloss nitrocellulose, which brings stunning depth and dimension to this gorgeous wood. Gibson's traditional hardware set, upgraded to include Grover kidney button tuners, keeps it all solid and singing, but in this case the Tune-o-matic-style bridge hides a potent secret: GraphTech™'s Ghost® System employs piezo bridge saddles to provide an authentic acoustic tone from a standard electric guitar, taking the Chad Kroeger "Blackwater" Les Paul's sonic potential into the stratosphere.
Patch the acoustic sound to its own amp or PA board via the guitar's stereo output jack, and you've got instant, stage-ready acoustic tones at the twist of a knob. Or, blend it with the traditional magnetic pickup tone to create sounds that are all your own. When you want to get purely down and dirty, run straight through the Chad Kroeger "Blackwater" Les Paul's traditional Alnico-magnetic humbuckers – two of Gibson's most popular pickups. A 490R in the neck position offers impressive depth and warmth, while a hotter 498T in the bridge position gives you all the snarl and growl required for searing crunch tones and singing rock leads. Whatever your own creative endeavors require, the Chad Kroeger "Blackwater" Les Paul offers a voice to get the job done.
The "Blackwater" also features Chad's ingenious idea of adding star decal markers along the upper back fretboard aligned with the standard fret markers that allow him to see where his hand is positioned when playing on a darkened stage.
Each guitar comes protected in a black hardshell Gibson case with plush lining, includes full owner's manual and adjustment literature, and is covered by Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service.
Gibson Chad Kroeger "Blackwater" Les Paul
Features:
- Hand-stained Ebony AAA Maple Top
- Chambered Mahogany Body
- Ghost Piezo and Stereo Jack System
- Gibson's 490R and 498T Pickups
- Custom Star Fret Position Markers
Specifications:
Body and Finish
Crafted from a Grade AAA maple top with a chambered mahogany body, the guitar is finished in a Trans Ebony nitrocellulose lacquer. The maple-mahogany combination and thin nitro finish help to bring the most out of these guitars, both tonally and visually. Star decals are also added to the back of the neck per Chad’s design.
Pickups and Electronics
The guitar carries the versatile Gibson USA lineup of a 490-R in the neck and 498-T in the bridge position. These have the tonal characteristics of the original “Patent Applied For” pickups of the late 1950s but with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. In addition this signature model features Chad’s choice of a graph tech™ Ghost® Piezo pickup which can be blended in to simulate acoustic guitar tones.
Neck and Headstock
The guitar’s neck and headstock are made in the classic tradition of the original 1959 Les Pauls with a 50’s rounded neck profile. Carved from a single piece of quarter-sawn mahogany, and topped with a rosewood fingerboard, the design incorporates Gibson’s lauded 17-degree back-angled headstock, which contributes greatly to the instrument’s resonance and sustain.
Hardware
In the image of the great Les Paul Standards of the 1958-’60 the guitar wears a classic set of hardware. A Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece offer uncompromising resonant coupling between strings and body, while a set of Grover Chrome Kidney-style tuners combines an authentic vintage look with efficient modern performance.