Design And Construction; Body; Neck And Headstock - Gibson 1934-L5 Owner's Manual

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DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

Body.

The solidbody guitar was invented to increase sustain, produce a brilliant tone and
eliminate feedback caused by a vibrating top. These qualities are enhanced by wood with
high density, such as maple. Les Paul would have preferred for his model to have had a solid
maple body, but density translates to weight, and a solid maple Les Paul Model would have
been exceedingly heavy. A compromise was reached, with lighter-weight mahogany used for
the main part of the body and maple for the top cap. Most of the carved-top Les Pauls have
the combination maple/mahogany body, while the "slab" or flat top models have a solid
mahogany body. Flying V's, Explorers and Firebirds have a solid mahogany body.

Neck and Headstock.

Mahogany is a time-proven material for guitar necks, and the necks
of most Gibson USA models are constructed of a single piece of mahogany. The