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Buy single-cut guitar models at session
Do you want to buy a new electric guitar and prefer a mid-focused sound with plenty of punch? Then single-cut guitars are a great option. The name comes from the one-sided cutaway, which improves access to the higher frets.
The basis for this guitar type is the Les Paul from the US manufacturer Gibson and it was their first solidbody guitar. Created in response to the instruments of the competitor Fender, it was developed together with the jazz guitarist Lester William Polfus, who also lent his name to the instrument. Well-known users of single-cut guitars include Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Slash of Guns N' Roses, Gary Moore and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.
The affectionately nicknamed "Paula" traditionally consists of a mahogany body with a maple top and a mahogany neck with a glued-on fretboard made of rosewood or ebony. The scale length is slightly shorter here than on Fender guitars. It’s worth noting that the neck joint is set (glued-in) rather than bolt-on. Many fans of the LP shape claim this gives a better resonance of the wood components. You’ll also very rarely find a tremolo on a single cut; most often a two-piece, body-mounted Tune-O-Matic bridge is used. The beefed-up tone comes from two humbucker pickups, each controlled by a volume and a tone pot. A three-way switch lets you use the pickups individually or together.
Due to their construction, the use of mahogany and the presence of humbuckers, a single-cut guitar tends to be heavier and sonically emphasised in the low mids — or, in guitar jargon, "fatter". Terms like "warm" and "full" are often used to describe the sound of a single cut. If you wish, you can swap the pickups on your single cut, for example for the Zakk Wylde set from EMG. Pickups for electric guitars and other useful electric guitar accessories you'll of course also find with us.
Gibson offers Les Paul guitars with varying appointments and in different price ranges. The more affordable Studio range, for example, forgoes decorative details while retaining the typical tone. The Traditional series refers to early-model specifications and construction, while the Standard line changes components and manufacturing methods.
All fans of vintage instruments should take a look at the Gibson Custom Shop. Here you'll find authentic reproductions of guitars from classic Les Paul years like 1958, 1959 or 1960, often including artificial wear known as Relic.
If you're looking for an affordable alternative to the "real" single cut Gibson Les Paul, check out the instruments from their subsidiary Epiphone. Of course, other manufacturers like Gretsch, Duesenberg, Rock N Roll Relics or ESP also offer a wide range of single-cut guitars for many different applications.