Gibson Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom

Gibson Custom honors the enduring impact of guitarist, songwriter, producer, and arranger Mick Ronson with the Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul™ Custom Collector’s Edition. This extraordinary instrument pays homage to the guitar Ronson relied on both onstage and in the studio during his collaborations with David Bowie. Built in an exceptionally limited quantity, this edition showcases the detailed aging expertise of the Murphy Lab, resulting in a remarkably faithful recreation of the look, feel, and sonic character of Ronson’s original during the Spiders from Mars era.

This model features a mahogany body topped with plain maple, joined to a mahogany neck shaped to an Authentic ’68 Medium C-shaped profile. An ebony fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and mother-of-pearl block inlays completes the setup. Aged gold hardware appears throughout, including Grover® tuners, an ABR-1 bridge, and a heavily distressed Stop Bar tailpiece, while the mismatched control knobs mirror the unmistakable quirks of Ronson’s well-loved instrument. For electronics, the guitar is equipped with unpotted, aged ’68 Custom humbuckers™ using Alnico 2 magnets and no covers, capturing the focused, cutting edge that shaped Ronson’s signature tone. CTS® 500k audio taper potentiometers, hand-wired to Black Beauty capacitors, complete the control array. The Murphy Lab’s precise aging process re-creates the distinctive wear patterns earned over years of Ronson’s intense playing.