$999.00

There’s a particular kind of electricity that lives in the 1960 Les Paul Special—a guitar that arrived at the edge of a new decade and somehow sounded like it already knew what was coming. Born from Gibson’s late-’50s evolution of the Junior and Special, the double-cutaway design unlocked a new kind of access and attitude, but it was the 1960 refinement—the slimmer neck profile, the more balanced pickup placement, the stripped-down honesty—that turned it into something players never stopped chasing. The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut channels the spirit of a working musician’s instrument, built for stages, basements, and everything in between. At its core are a pair of raw, vocal, and slightly underwound P-90 pickups. The volume controls give you direct command over how hard you’re pushing the amp, allowing you to dial things back for a cleaner, more controlled tone or open everything up for the full, unrestrained character of a classic P-90. From clean, articulate tones to a gritty, driven breakup, the 1960 Les Paul Special is defined by its midrange focus and natural harmonic complexity. It responds quickly to touch and gain, offering a straightforward, expressive voice that sits right at the edge of saturation when pushed. The slim taper neck profile keeps things fast and unencumbered, echoing the same design philosophy that made the original 1960 models feel like a quiet revolution in the hands of players who needed speed without sacrificing soul. Combined with the double-cutaway design, upper fret access feels effortless—like the guitar is getting out of its own way so you can stay in the moment longer. What you get is the essence of the 1960 Les Paul Special distilled: two pickups, one slab of mahogany attitude, and a direct line to one of the most influential electric guitar designs ever made. Plug it in, turn it up, and it doesn’t just recall history—it feels like it never left.

Epiphone IGC 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut (CME Exclusive) Series

The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson series is exactly what it sounds like: a direct line back to some of the most important electric guitars ever made, but built for the way people actually play today. These instruments take their cues from Gibson’s most iconic designs—Les Pauls, SGs, ES models—and focus on the details that matter in your hands: the feel of the neck, the weight of the body, the way the pickups respond when you dig in or pull back. Epiphone has really tightened the gap here, so you’re getting a level of build quality and authenticity that wasn’t really on the table at this price point a decade ago. What stands out most is how familiar they feel right away. No learning curve, no “adjusting to the instrument” period—just a guitar that already knows the vocabulary. They’re built to be played, not parked in a case, and they hold up whether you’re tracking in a studio, playing gigs every weekend, or just chasing ideas at home. At Chicago Music Exchange, we think of the Inspired by Gibson series as the modern working player’s way into a classic story—without losing the character that made those originals matter in the first place.

Highlights

• CME Exclusive Finish
• Gibson Custom Soap Bar P90 Made in USA
• 60s Slim Taper Neck Shape
• Gibson Open Book Headstock
• Inspired by Gibson Custom Lifton-Style Brown/Pink Hardshell Case

$999.00

There’s a particular kind of electricity that lives in the 1960 Les Paul Special—a guitar that arrived at the edge of a new decade and somehow sounded like it already knew what was coming. Born from Gibson’s late-’50s evolution of the Junior and Special, the double-cutaway design unlocked a new kind of access and attitude, but it was the 1960 refinement—the slimmer neck profile, the more balanced pickup placement, the stripped-down honesty—that turned it into something players never stopped chasing. The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut channels the spirit of a working musician’s instrument, built for stages, basements, and everything in between. At its core are a pair of raw, vocal, and slightly underwound P-90 pickups. The volume controls give you direct command over how hard you’re pushing the amp, allowing you to dial things back for a cleaner, more controlled tone or open everything up for the full, unrestrained character of a classic P-90. From clean, articulate tones to a gritty, driven breakup, the 1960 Les Paul Special is defined by its midrange focus and natural harmonic complexity. It responds quickly to touch and gain, offering a straightforward, expressive voice that sits right at the edge of saturation when pushed. The slim taper neck profile keeps things fast and unencumbered, echoing the same design philosophy that made the original 1960 models feel like a quiet revolution in the hands of players who needed speed without sacrificing soul. Combined with the double-cutaway design, upper fret access feels effortless—like the guitar is getting out of its own way so you can stay in the moment longer. What you get is the essence of the 1960 Les Paul Special distilled: two pickups, one slab of mahogany attitude, and a direct line to one of the most influential electric guitar designs ever made. Plug it in, turn it up, and it doesn’t just recall history—it feels like it never left.

Epiphone IGC 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut (CME Exclusive) Series

The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson series is exactly what it sounds like: a direct line back to some of the most important electric guitars ever made, but built for the way people actually play today. These instruments take their cues from Gibson’s most iconic designs—Les Pauls, SGs, ES models—and focus on the details that matter in your hands: the feel of the neck, the weight of the body, the way the pickups respond when you dig in or pull back. Epiphone has really tightened the gap here, so you’re getting a level of build quality and authenticity that wasn’t really on the table at this price point a decade ago. What stands out most is how familiar they feel right away. No learning curve, no “adjusting to the instrument” period—just a guitar that already knows the vocabulary. They’re built to be played, not parked in a case, and they hold up whether you’re tracking in a studio, playing gigs every weekend, or just chasing ideas at home. At Chicago Music Exchange, we think of the Inspired by Gibson series as the modern working player’s way into a classic story—without losing the character that made those originals matter in the first place.

Highlights

• CME Exclusive Finish
• Gibson Custom Soap Bar P90 Made in USA
• 60s Slim Taper Neck Shape
• Gibson Open Book Headstock
• Inspired by Gibson Custom Lifton-Style Brown/Pink Hardshell Case