Orville by Gibson LP-57C – 1957 Les Paul Reissue, Terada Japan, Long Tenon, Fret Nibs, Gibson Pre-’57 Classic Pickups
I’m offering a rare Orville by Gibson LP-57C, one of the highest-end Japanese reissues of the 1957 Les Paul Standard.
This is a true collector-grade model from the 1990s, built exclusively for the Japanese market in the legendary Terada factory.
In terms of construction and tone, it closely follows early Gibson Historic specifications — long tenon, a classic ’57 rounded neck profile, and a solid mahogany body with a carved maple top.
This model features fret nibs, the same fret-end finish used by Gibson and found only on the rarest Orville by Gibson reissues. It is one of the most prestigious and desirable details of this series.
The guitar is equipped with original Gibson Pre-’57 Classic pickups — early, highly valued PAF-style humbuckers from the “Patent Applied For” era (gold decal). They deliver a warm, articulate, and exceptionally musical vintage tone.
Inside the pickup cavities, the factory marking LP-57C confirms the correct reissue specification.
The long tenon neck joint extends deep into the body, providing exceptional sustain and stability, just like late-50s Gibson construction.
Technical Specifications
 
 
Model: Orville by Gibson LP-57C (1957 Reissue)
 
 
Era: 1990s
 
 
Country: Japan
 
 
Body: Solid mahogany
 
 
Top: Carved maple
 
 
Neck: Mahogany, set-neck long tenon
 
 
Neck Profile: ’57 Rounded
 
 
Fingerboard: Rosewood
 
 
Frets: Excellent condition
 
 
Fret Finish: Fret nibs
 
 
Hardware: Nickel
 
 
Scale Length: 24.75"
 
 
Radius: 305 mm

Pickups:
 
 
Gibson Pre-’57 Classic (neck)
 
 
Gibson Pre-’57 Classic (bridge)

Electronics: Classic LP layout – 2 × Volume, 2 × Tone, 3-way toggle
 Bridge: ABR-1 style + Stopbar
 Tuners: Kluson-style
 Finish: Heritage Cherry Sunburst
Condition
 
 
Very good condition with normal playwear
 
 
Frets excellent, neck straight, low comfortable action
 
 
Electronics and pickups work perfectly
 
 
No cracks, no repairs, no structural issues
 
 
Fully set up and ready to play

Tone
Thanks to the combination of mahogany, carved maple, long tenon, and Gibson Pre-’57 pickups, the guitar delivers:
 
 
warm, vintage PAF-inspired tone
 
 
long natural sustain
 
 
rich, vocal midrange
 
 
organic dynamics and response to articulation

Perfect for blues-rock, classic rock, jazz, 70s hard rock, and everything that benefits from authentic PAF character.
Why it’s worth it
 
 
High-end Orville by Gibson Reissue model
 
 
Fret nibs – the rarest construction detail of this series
 
 
Long tenon – same as Gibson Historic
 
 
Original Gibson Pre-’57 Classic pickups
 
 
Legendary 1990s Japanese craftsmanship
 
 
Increasingly collectible and steadily rising in value