Year of Production:
1952 Les Paul - The first Les Paul Model was introduced, featuring a goldtop finish, wrap under trapeze bridge, and two cream covered P-90 pickups.
1953 Les Paul - The wrap under bridge was updated to the wrap over bridge, often called wrap tail bridge.
1954 Les Paul - The black finished Custom and Sunburst finished student Junior were introduced.
1955 Les Paul - The Les Paul Special and Les Paul TV Model were introduced. Both featured a muted yellow finish, but the TV had only one pickup like the Junior. The Goldtop's wrap tail bridge was updated to the Tune-O-Matic bridge.
1956 Les Paul - The Junior, TV, and Special's bridge pickup was shifted forward, and bridge post bushings were doubled in length.
1957 Les Paul - The Humbucking pickup was introduced on the Goldtop (Standard) and Custom.
1958 Les Paul - The Cherry Sunburst finish replaced the gold finish on the Goldtop. The Junior, TV, and Special's single cutaway body style was updated to the double cutaway. The Cherry Red finish replaced the Sunburst on the Junior, and it was now offered on the Special.
1959 Les Paul - Jumbo frets became standard across the Les Paul line. The neck profiles began to slim from the mid-1950s 0.90"-1" to 0.85" - 0.95". The Special and TV Models dropped the Les Paul name and began the SG line.
1960 Les Paul - The red dye in the Cherry Sunburst finish changed to a brighter red, and the volume and tone knobs now had a circular foil cap (reflector knobs).
1961 Les Paul - The classic SG body style replaced the carved top single cutaway Standard and Custom as well as the double cutaway Junior, TV, and Special. The Les Paul name was retained on the Standard, Custom, and Junior until 1963.
1964-1967 - No Les Paul guitars were made.
1968 - The Les Paul line was reintroduced with a new Standard and a Custom.