With its ebony top stripped from its top, revealing the two-piece maple top underneath, Mick Ronson’s 1968 Les Paul Custom, is one of rock’s most iconic electric guitars. It is the Spiders From Mars guitar, his David Bowie guitar… And now it has been replicated in forensic detail by the Gibson Custom Shop for a super limited edition run.
You know the drills. They’ve only made 100. Each is aged by the Murphy Lab, all the cracks in the original’s nitro lacquer meticulously recreated, a super high-end build featuring a pair of reverse-engineered Custom 68 humbuckers for time-capsule tone (these are left uncovered, revealing the double-black bobbins of Ronson’s original).
Like the best artist Les Pauls (hello, Kirk Hammett’s Greeny), there’s something unmistakably player-grade about it, with the mismatched controls (two gold ‘Top Hat’ dials with gold reflectors, two black ‘Witch hat’ dials) adding to the mojo.
No detail has been overlooked. You have the period-correct medium C-profile mahogany neck. The gold hardware has been aged. Elsewhere? It's a Custom, so that means the neck is topped with a 12" radius ebony 'board, inlaid with mother of pearl block inlays.
There is multi-play binding on body and headstock, the split diamond inlay in the latter. One cool detail is how the ebony finish remains on the back of the guitar. It is the spit of Ronson's original. If you've got a wah pedal, find a sweet spot and park it there.
And, of course, it doesn’t come cheap with a £8,799/$9,999 price tag that positions it exclusively for serious players, collectors – and Mick Ronson superfans looking for something to blow their bonus on. Hey, at least the price includes a deluxe hard-shell guitar case, with Ronson’s signature in gold on the exterior, COA and assorted case candy inside.
Lee Bartram, Gibson’s head of commercial and marketing EMEA, describes Ronson as a “true musical legend” whose impact cannot be overstated. And he is not wrong.
“As a writer, producer, singer, and one of the most influential guitarists of his generation, Mick helped shape the very sound of the 1970s through his work with David Bowie, Lou Reed, Mott the Hoople, Elton John, and countless others,” says Bartram. “His solo records and wide-ranging collaborations continued to inspire fans and peers up to his untimely passing in 1993, and they still do today.
“The world misses Mick Ronson more than it likely knows. Our hope is that this project advances the broader recognition he so richly deserves. For Gibson, it’s an honour and a privilege to help celebrate the legacy he left us.”
Suzi Ronson, Ronson’s widow and stylist to David Bowie, says the man himself would be tickled to know that the world of guitar is still nuts for his playing – not least his tone – and that Gibson decided to recreate the instrument most closely associated with him
“I think Mick would be totally astonished that he’s still being talked about in such a positive way,” she says. “This guitar just adds sparkle to an already legendary life.”
The launch of the Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition coincides with the Gibson Garage London’s second anniversary celebrations (has it been two years since it opened already?).
Ronson fans will be able to take a closer look at the replica of his Custom Les Paul (and rumour has it there will be some of his costumes on display, too).
The Gibson Garage Fest 2026 will feature a live performance and a chance to get up close and personal with English rock ’n’ roll revivalist Elliot James Reay on Thursday, 26 February.
On Saturday, 28 February, there is a Gibson Artist Showcase, an all-dayer featuring sets from The Soul Revival, a G3 trio comprising Olly Pearson, Phoebe Winstanley and Melis Ogut from the Gibson Generation Group, Nectar Woode, the Slates, with Crawlers closing the set. Entry is free. Head over to Gibson Garage London for more information.
See Gibson for more on the 1968 Mark Ronson Les Paul Custom.
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