Handcrafted Electric Guitars (04:53)

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U.S. residents purchase 40% of the world's musical instruments. Gibson sources materials from around the world to produce over 320 guitars a day. Workers cut and bond planks for the body. In Canada, Brian Luce looks for quality maple trees.

Les Paul Parts (05:58)

Wood for Gibson guitar necks undergoes 28 levels of inspection. In Nashville, workers produce one neck every minute; others create the guitar body out of bonded planks. China is the leading exporter of guitars. Traditional methods are part of Gibson guitar manufacturing.

Les Paul Assembly (04:58)

It can take years to become a luthier. Workers top the necks with rosewood, place inlays on the fretboard, attach the pickup, join the body to the neck, and apply paint. Electric guitars first appear during the Jazz Age.

Final Assembly (05:09)

Workers attach electrical components and strings on Les Paul guitars. Les Pauls sell for upwards of $1,000. Adjusters give the guitars their first sound check and final inspection. Gibson produces over 80,000 guitars a year. (Credits)