Gibson Les Paul Custom

Given that the original sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard is considered by players and collectors alike to be the most desirable electric guitar ever created, it’s hard to find words to describe the heights reached briefly in 1959, when the very best of the elements that came together to make this design great in the first place coalesced into the ultimate rendition of the ultimate guitar. Having gone from wraparound bridge to Tune-o-matic and stopbar tailpiece in 1956, from P-90s to PAF humbuckers in 1957, and from goldtop to sunburst in 1958, the ’59 Les Paul evolved only slightly further, but the minor variations introduced to the fabled ’Burst that year—involving the specifications of the neck—attained a critical mass that really put this guitar over the top. On the back of the neck, the Les Paul’s chunky profile remained thick and rounded, but it was slightly less thick and “clubby” on many previous examples, making its D profile even more comfortable in the hand. On the front of the neck, the narrow vintage “nail” frets on the rosewood fingerboard were replaced by wider “jumbo” frets, which made bending easier on the ’59 ’Burst, and, as many players would argue, also helped to induce more resonance into the neck and, ultimately, a fatter tone. Ironically, as the Les Paul was evolving toward the epitome of its form, it was having even more difficulty finding a footing in the guitar market of the day. By the mid to late ’60s, artists such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Mike Bloomfield, Paul Kossof, and several others would appreciate this guitar as “the best of the best”, but in the year of its birth the ’59 Les Paul Standard suffered declining sales. Only a few hundred were made that year, and fewer than 2,000 sunburst Les Paul Standards were manufactured in total between 1958 and 1960. Hard to come by? That would be putting it lightly. Thanks to Gibson’s Custom Shop, though, the beauty of the ’Burst has been reborn in the Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard, the most accurate recreation of the original instrument that Gibson has ever produced.

Created after precise measurement of original vintage Les Pauls, this model incorporates a stunning amount of period-correct detail that combines to make the Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard look, feel, and sound like the real thing. In addition to several obvious features such as its one-piece mahogany neck with long tenon, BurstBucker PAF reproduction pickups, solid non-weight relieved mahogany back, and accurate rounded ’59 neck profile, other subtle but important nuances take this guitar’s accuracy even further. These include its historically accurate thin fingerboard binding that’s only .040-inch thick (which contributes greatly to the comfortable, vintage-feeling, “rolled” fingerboard edges), historically accurate 1/2-inch wire channel from toggle switch to control pocket, accurately sized back control pocket route, correct height of the binding in the cutaway, 5/8-inch heel with accurate heel shape, period-correct carved arch on the guitar’s maple top, correctly tapered headstock with tuner holes in a straight line (rather than following the headstock edge), and much, much more. Every Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard comes with a Gibson Custom Shop hardshell case, a leather-bound Certificate of Authenticity, a Custom Care Kit, and a full array of owner’s manuals and “how to” guides.

Body  Species
Each Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard is crafted from a two-piece maple top attached with ultra-strong Franklin Titebond 50 glue to a non-chambered mahogany body. This wood combination, one of the most legendary pairs in the history of the solid and semi-solid electric guitar, yields a “best of both worlds” tonal splendor, while also producing a classic look and a sturdy instrument.
  Design
The Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard precisely follows the body lines and dimensions of the original ’59 Les Paul Standard, with a gently arched carved top and rounded lower bout, and combines the classic tonewood combination of mahogany back and carved maple top. The body’s back is cut from a single piece of solid, high-grade, lightweight clear mahogany, and capped with a two-piece top of figured maple that is carved into a period-correct “dish”, or arch.
  Weight
Weights vary slightly, according to wood supplies, but Gibson’s Custom Shop seeks out the lightest, most tonally advantageous mahogany for the one-piece bodies of the Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard.
  Tonal Characteristics
The Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard’s body woods present the classic combination of good clarity, definition and treble bite from the maple, and excellent depth and richness from the mahogany, all of which are elements that are found in the legendary tone of the original ’59 Les Paul Standard. This is one of the most revered wood combinations of all time, and truly offers a “best of both worlds” design in the way that mahogany and maple complement each other to offer superior resonance, sustain, depth, clarity, and definition.

Finish  Color
The Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard is finished in either Heritage Cherry Sunburst or Heritage Dark Sunburst, with a light vintage-mahogany back on both versions.
  Surface Texture
Just as original ’Bursts were finished some 50 years ago, the Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard is given a well-buffed, high-gloss finish, resulting in an instrument that looks like it was found in a case under the bed after resting for half a century.
  Process
The Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard is hand-finished in nitrocellulose in a process that closely replicates the finishing process applied to original Les Paul Standards of 1958-’60. Like the great Les Pauls made 50 years ago, this instrument is finished with minimum build-up, in an effort to produce a finish that breathes with the guitar and enhances natural resonance, and will age elegantly and naturally to continually enhance the appearance of this reborn classic.

Neck and Headstock  Species
The neck of the Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard is constructed from one solid piece of quarter-sawn, lightweight mahogany for improved strength and resonance. The luthiers in Gibson’s Custom Shop carefully match the grains and weights of these guitars’ bodies and necks to optimize tone and sustain.
 Truss Rod
Gibson’s traditional truss rod, found in most all of our guitars, is highly responsive to the individual adjustments you’ll want to make to personalize and optimize string action and sustain.
 Profile
The neck on the Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard is carved to Gibson’s rounded D profile, a full yet comfortable neck shape that accurately recreates the feel of the neck on a genuine ’59 ’Burst.
  Joint Angle
4.0° (+/- 15 seconds)
 Headstock Angle (Pitch)
Just like the original Les Pauls of the late ’50s, and many classic Gibson models, the Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard headstock is carefully angled at Gibson’s traditional 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain.
 Logo
The traditional, period-correct Gibson logo is inlaid in mother of pearl across the top of a holly headstock veneer, with “Les Paul Model” silkscreened in gold along the center of the headstock face.