Slash named his new signature Les Paul after the person who stole his old guitars

Gibson recently unveiled the first addition to the Slash Collection of guitars since its launch – the Gibson Slash “Victoria” Goldtop electric guitar.

The new model boasts a similar set of specs to that of the collection’s four previous Les Paul Standards, including a solid mahogany body with an AAA maple top, C-shaped neck profile with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard and a pair of Custom BurstBucker Alnico II pickups controlled via two sets of volume and tone knobs and a three-way toggle.

One thing that Gibson didn’t mention upon the guitar’s introduction, however, is where the model got its name.

Now Slash has revealed the story. “Back in the late ’90s, I had a bunch of guitars stolen out of my studio in my house,” he told Consequence of Sound.

“I’ve actually managed to get [just about] all the guitars back, but I never knew exactly who was behind the theft. And one of the guitars I didn’t get back was a Goldtop that was stolen.

“So, I’ve been trying to find another Goldtop to replace it over the years. Then at some point I found out who was responsible for the theft, not long ago, and her name was Victoria, so I decided to name the guitar after her!”

The Victoria’s design features color-coordinated hardware appointments and, as with the other LPs in the collection, Slash’s “Skully” signature drawing on the back of the headstock and signature on the truss rod cover.

Other features include hand-wired electronics with Orange Drop capacitors, an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge, Vintage Keystone tuners and acrylic trapezoid fingerboard inlays.

A hardshell case comes included with a blank truss rod cover, should players wish to do away with the signed cover.