"Made in Gibson's Nashville Custom Shop, the New Les Paul Bantam Series continues history-making innovation by combining attributes of the traditional Les Paul with features found on Gibson's ES models. With its semi-hollow body structure and its F-hole top, the Les Paul Bantam Series is not only attractive in appearance, but light in weight - producing an edged sound that cuts like a knife." (quote from the original Gibson Les Paul Bantam Series brochure)
Les Paul CS Custom Bantam Elite Plus Peacock Flame Top, made in the Gibson Nashville Custom Shop in 1995. This model was called "Bantam Elite Plus" in 1995, in 1996 the name was changed to "Florentine Plus".
This one here is a perfect example of what a Les paul can be. It plays like a dream, looks absolutely fantastic and sounds unbelieveable. It has the sustain and depth you will expect from a very good Les paul and combines this with a fresh and clear sound, wonderful harmonics, lots of attack and that certain woody tone you can hear when Billy Gibbons plays his Pearly Gates.
The list price for a Les Paul Bantam/Florentine was US$ 6800.00 in 1995, in the late nineties prices went up to over 8000 dollars until the model was discontinued because production costs were too high.
