Image: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0 — via Wikimedia Commons
Greeny
| Category | Strings (electric guitar — named instrument) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Classification | Gibson Les Paul Standard |
| Wikipedia | en.wikipedia.org |
| Wikidata | Q113040307 |
Overview
Greeny is the nickname given to a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard with a sunburst finish that has passed through the hands of three generations of celebrated electric guitarists. The instrument is best known for its association with Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, Gary Moore, and from 2014 onward Kirk Hammett of Metallica. Its most distinctive sonic feature is a reversed middle pickup, which produces a hollow, vocal, out-of-phase sound when both pickups are selected together.
Origin & History
The guitar left the Kalamazoo factory as one of the small run of single-cutaway Les Paul Standards built between 1958 and 1960, the run now known to collectors simply as the Bursts. Peter Green acquired the instrument in the late 1960s and used it on the early Fleetwood Mac recordings, including the studio version of “Albatross.” After leaving the band Green sold it to Gary Moore, who played it for several decades and used it on much of his blues catalogue, before it eventually passed through dealers to Kirk Hammett.
How It’s Played
As a Les Paul Standard, the instrument has a mahogany body with a carved maple top, a 24.75-inch scale length, two humbucking pickups, and the standard four-control layout. The defining quirk is that the magnet of the neck humbucker has been reversed at some point in its early life, putting the two pickups out of phase when combined. This creates the thin, nasal middle-position tone heard on Green’s “Oh Well” and on Moore’s reading of “Still Got the Blues.”
Cultural Significance
Greeny is one of the most documented and discussed individual electric guitars in popular music. Gibson has issued multiple replica programs based on the instrument, and books, magazines, and documentaries have traced its provenance in detail. The reversed-magnet trick has been intentionally copied on many subsequent Les Paul builds.
Related Instruments
- Gibson Les Paul Standard – the broader model line
- Gibson ES-335 – contemporary semi-hollow alternative
- Fender Stratocaster – contrasting single-coil platform
- Eric Clapton Stratocaster – another player-associated production model
- Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster – another celebrated player-signature instrument
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Greeny sound different from other 1959 Les Pauls?
A reversed neck-pickup magnet places the pickups out of phase in the middle position, producing a thin, vocal tone unlike a standard Les Paul.
Who owns Greeny today?
Kirk Hammett of Metallica acquired the instrument in 2014 and has used it on subsequent recordings and tours.
Has Gibson made replicas?
Yes — Gibson Custom Shop has produced multiple authorised replica runs of the instrument.
Image credit: photograph of Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green-associated guitar by Raph_PH (CC BY 2.0).