The model was developed by Whitey Morrison, the Gibson plant manager in Nashville.

[1] The Paul Standard had a single sharp cutaway Les Paul-style walnut body,[2] set walnut neck, 22-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, walnut headstock with gold Gibson logo (1978–1981), three-per-side tuners, Tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece, two exposed humbucker pickups, some models had "T" top pickups, four knobs (two volume, two tone), three-way pickup switch, chrome hardware, available in Natural Walnut finish.

The guitar included such high end items as the Grover tuning keys.

A standard Gibson logo was branded into the headstock in the deluxe model.

In 2018, Gibson reissued The Paul, as it was first introduced 40 years earlier under its 2019 lineup.