Gibson Les Paul (Xbox 360)

Lore & Background

In Rock Band, the player's band is assembled in a virtual rehearsal space where each member's instrument can be tailored. The guitar body selection screen presents several classic silhouettes, and the Gibson Les Paul stands out for its solid single-cutaway body, trapezoidal headstock, and the twin humbucker pickups that give it a visually heavier, more rounded profile compared to the slimmer Stratocaster-style option also available.

Choosing the Les Paul body is a statement of tone, even though the in-game sound is identical regardless of which skin is selected. Players who gravitate toward the heavier, blues- and hard-rock-oriented tracks in the Rock Band library often pick the Les Paul to match the visual weight of the music. The customization extends to color and finish, so the same body can appear in sunburst, solid black, or other finishes depending on the options the game offers.

The inclusion of a Gibson-licensed body style in Rock Band reflects the game's broader effort to evoke the look and feel of real rock performance. While the hardware controller is a four-button plastic guitar, the on-screen representation aims to capture the iconography of the instruments players actually play in real bands, and the Les Paul remains one of the most recognizable shapes in electric-guitar history.

In Their Own Story

The rehearsal room hums with the low buzz of an amp that isn't there. You tap the guitar avatar on the band-setup screen, cycling through body styles until the familiar single-cutaway silhouette stops you. The trapezoidal headstock catches the virtual stage light. You pick a deep sunburst finish, confirm, and the guitar settles into your avatar's hands. The first track loads. Four colored notes scroll in from the right, and the Les Paul on screen tilts into a power chord as if it weighs twelve pounds. It doesn't. But for the length of the song, it might as well.

Reader's Guide

Gibson Les Paul — Guitar body style (applies to the lead-guitar or bass-guitar slot).

Unlock method: Available as a selectable body option in the in-game guitar customization menu. The exact availability (whether present from the start or unlocked through cumulative score progression) varies by game version and patch; consult the in-game customization screen for your specific build.

Visual description: Solid single-cutaway body with a rounded upper horn and a squared-off lower bout. Trapezoidal headstock with six tuning-peg silhouettes. Two humbucker pickups, a bridge with individual saddles, and a control plate with two knobs and a toggle switch. Available in multiple finish colors (e.g., sunburst, solid black, solid white) depending on the color options the game presents.

Gameplay note: Purely cosmetic. No change to note charts, scoring, combo multipliers, or instrument behavior. The four-button controller layout is unaffected.

Manufacturer (real-world reference): Gibson, a Kentucky-based guitar maker. The in-game model is a licensed visual representation and does not imply hardware differences or Pro-layout compatibility.

Did You Know?

• The Gibson Les Paul body in Rock Band is a visual skin only; the four-button plastic controller in your hands never changes shape, weight, or string layout regardless of which body you select.
• The real Gibson Les Paul, introduced in 1952, is named after guitarist Les Paul and remains one of the most produced and recognized electric guitars in history.
• Rock Band's guitar customization also lets you change the body color and finish independently of the body shape, so a Les Paul silhouette can appear in finishes typically associated with other guitar models.
• Rock Band (2007) was developed by Harmonix, the same studio behind Guitar Hero, and was published by MTV Games on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.