It may have only just announced its 60th Anniversary Limited Goldtop Les Paul, based on the 1952 launch model, but that hasn't stopped Gibson also paying tribute to its most sought after vintage year with the extremely limited (and extremely swanky) new 1959 Les Paul Factory Burst.
Available in Cherry Burst and Dark Burst, the guitar has the kind of flame that capable of hypnotising even the most ardent Gibson critic, but with a wallet-aching MSRP of $9,174 (approx. £5,858), it comes at a significant price.
Still, with exotic wood prices sky-rocketing and the increasing popularity of guitars as 'investments', we don't think they'll be sat on the shelves for too long, especially as production has been wisely limited to just 100 of each finish.
Check out the full press release below and take a look at the two finishes in the gallery.
PRESS RELEASE: Devoted fans of late 50s Les Pauls understand the subtle ways in which these guitars' woods, carves and finishes can vary, and love them all the more for their fascinating differences.
The '59 Les Paul Factory Burst from Gibson Custom captures the essence of a few of the Custom Shop's favourite examples of original '59 Bursts, recreated in loving detail and presented in two exclusive VOS finishes, in a strictly limited run of 200 guitars (100 per finish).
This very special edition is headlined by hand-selected, premium-figured tops and accurate, hand-applied red aniline dye back, sides and neck, available in either Factory Cherry Burst or Factory Dark Burst, in Gibson Custom's hand-sprayed VOS nitrocellulose finish for a gently aged appearance.
Each finish type carries its own set of accurate PAF-reproduction humbucking pickups, along with traditional hardware and VOS appointments for a period-correct look and feel. The '59 Les Paul Factory Burst is sure to be a hit with players and collectors alike, and is available on a first come, first served basis, so reserve yours at your authorised Gibson dealer today.
The first things you're likely to notice about the '59 Les Paul Factory Burst are the stunning woods and authentic finish and colouring. As with any great and vintage-correct Les Paul, the '59 Les Paul Factory Burst has the legendary mahogany/maple tonewood combination at its core. In this case, a weight-selected, unchambered, one-piece mahogany back is married to a hand-selected, premium-figured maple top, to capture the look of the most desirable Les Pauls ever built, as well as the tone that made these guitars legendary in the first place.
The top carves on '50s Les Pauls could vary considerably, so to match the carved arch on one of the factory's favourite original '59s, Gibson Custom gives the '59 Les Paul Factory Burst a special "flat" dish carve, which is shallower than that of many other examples. A quarter-sawn, one-piece mahogany neck is glued in with a long tenon and topped with a rosewood fingerboard with traditional nitrocellulose trapezoid inlays and a nylon 6/6 nut.
Thin cream binding, a cream pickguard, vintage reissue fret wire and tortoise side dots complete the package visually, while a rounded '59 neck profile gives the guitar the playing feel of a beloved original.
The '59 Les Paul Factory Burst takes its visual splendour right through to superlative tone via two different pairs of reproduction PAF pickups, selected by the Gibson Custom Shop to represent the variations in original Les Pauls. The guitars finished in Factory Cherry Burst carry '57 Classics with zebra coils under VOS-aged nickel covers, while the Factory Dark Burst guitars have Custom Buckers with VOS-aged nickel covers.
Both sets of pickups are made to the specs of legendary original PAF humbuckers, with genuine Alnico magnets and coils wound from 42-AWG wire. As a result, they present all the rich warmth and sparkling harmonics of great vintage humbuckers, with that characteristically soft, yet cutting, bite of original PAFs.
The VOS hardware includes an accurate nickel-plated ABR-1 bridge and nickel-plated stopbar tailpiece made from lightweight aluminium, as well as nickel-plated, vintage-style tuners.
In short, the '59 Les Paul Factory Burst is the finest recreation available of a rare and unique original, and each of the strictly limited 200 guitars represents the unique beauty of the Burst in all its glory.
Each guitar includes a Custom Shop hardshell case, Certificate of Authenticity, owner's manual and adjustment literature, and is covered by Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service.
Information taken from official press release, for more visit Gibson
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