The Guitar Player's Resource
You've heard Peter Frampton's guitar singing through classics like "Show Me the Way" and "Baby, I Love Your Way." What you're really hearing is the result of a player who found his perfect match in that Les Paul style - the combination of mahogany warmth and maple clarity that lets every note breathe. The question is: are you willing to be that deliberate about your own gear choices?
You think lightning doesn't strike twice? Or does it? Peter Frampton's story proves otherwise, and his signature Les Paul Custom shows you exactly what happens when you find your perfect instrument.
Picture this: 1980, Central America. Frampton's beloved 1954 Les Paul Custom - his "Black Beauty" that made "Frampton Comes Alive" legendary - goes down in a fatal cargo plane crash. Gone forever, right? Fast-forward 32 years to 2012. Frampton gets an email from a stranger with photos of a Les Paul that looks exactly like his lost guitar. After examining every detail, he realizes the impossible truth: his guitar survived the crash and was coming home.
That's the guitar Gibson recreated with this signature model, and here's why it matters to you. Frampton didn't fall in love with just any Les Paul - he chose one with three CustomBucker humbuckers that delivered feedback-free performance and that warm, biting tone that defined '70s rock. The weight-relieved mahogany body gives you rich resonance without the back-breaking weight. The smooth mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and 22 jumbo frets lets you play for hours without fatigue.
Those CustomBuckers aren't just happy accidents either. Gibson analyzed recordings from original PAF humbuckers spanning the '50s through '70s to get the tone exact. Unpotted for extra bite, Alnico 3 magnets, 10,800 turns of wire - they're literally wired for heavy output and killer warm tone. With master volume and tone controls plus individual pickup switching, you can dial in everything from clean articulation to screaming lead tones.
The lesson? When you find an instrument that becomes part of your musical voice, that connection transcends everything else. Frampton's "Phenix" proves that the right guitar isn't just gear - it's your musical partner. Are you ready to find yours?
General:
Number of Strings: 6
Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
Body:
Body Type: Solidbody, Weight Relief
Body Shape: Peter Frampton "Phenix" Les Paul
Body Material: Mahogany
Body Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Color: Ebony
Neck:
Neck Material: Mahogany
Neck Shape: Peter Frampton Phenix
Neck Joint: Set Neck
Radius: 12"
Fingerboard Material: Ebony
Fingerboard Inlay: Custom Blocks, Signature at 12th
Number of Frets: 22, Jumbo
Scale Length: 24.75"
Nut Width: 1.687"
Nut Material: Bone
Hardware:
Bridge/Tailpiece: Tune-O-Matic Bridge with Lightweight Aluminum Stopbar Tailpiece
Tuners: Grover Kidney
Electronics:
Neck Pickup: Gibson Custom Humbucker
Middle Pickup: Gibson Custom Humbucker
Bridge Pickup: Gibson Custom Humbucker
Controls: 2 x volume, 2 x tone
Switching: 3-way toggle pickup switch
