An original 1959 Les Paul is considered a "holy grail" amongst vintage guitars. On the rare occasion that one is on sale, you'll usually see an eye-watering price tag. Their scarcity and expense makes them unattainable to most, but the Gibson Custom Shop 60th Anniversary 1959 Les Paul Standard VOS is a highly-convincing recreation.
With time-honoured specifications, this instrument is designed to be as close as possible to the real thing. If you're looking for a proper, old-school Les Paul, this is it.
Classic Construction
The Gibson Custom Shop 60th Anniversary 1959 Les Paul Standard features a Mahogany body, adorned with a stunning 2-piece Figured Maple top. As you'd expect, the Mahogany is an excellent tonal foundation, giving this instrument a rich low-end and a warm mid-range. The Maple top brightens the highs, thus creating a full and balanced sound in conjunction with the Mahogany body. To keep things traditional, the body features no chambering or weight relief whatsoever.
The body is paired with a Mahogany neck, shaped to Gibson's 'Authentic '59 Medium C-Shape' profile. This neck carve is sure to appeal to the purists, offering a substantial yet comfortable feel. An Indian Rosewood fingerboard tops the neck, fitted with 22 'Medium-Jumbo' frets - striking the perfect balance between old and new. Both the neck and body are finished in a nitrocellulose VOS finish, just like the originals from the '50s. This finish allows the wood to breathe, not only enhancing resonance but wearing more naturally over time.
Time-Honoured Hardware
The hardware appointments on this guitar really hearken back to golden era of Gibson electric guitars. Featuring a worn Nickel finish, the No-Wire ABR-1 bridge is a nice nostalgic touch; easy to adjust for action or intonation changes. Paired with a lightweight Aluminium Stop Bar tailpiece, this material increases sustain and gives notes a more responsive attack.
A 1959 Les Paul wouldn't be authentic unless it featured Klusons, which is why Gibson has fitted the Custom Shop 60th Anniversary 1959 Les Paul Standard VOS with a set of the classic Single Line tuners. Although they are fairly divisive for the way that they look, they do bring back that true '50s vibe.
Unmistakable Gibson Tone
The Les Paul set the precedent for humbucker-equipped guitars, and the 1959 Les Paul Standard VOS features a dual dose of Gibson's Custombucker Alnico III pickups. Designed to closely match the PAFs that were installed in original '59s, these humbuckers deliver a strong and punchy mid-range voice - working equally well with clean or overdriven amp settings.
Specifications
Body
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Top Material: 2-Piece Figured Maple, Hide Glue Fit
- Binding Style: 1-Ply Royalite
- Weight Relief: None
- Finish: Nitrocellulose VOS (Vintage Patina)
Neck
- Neck Material: Solid Mahogany
- Neck Profile: Authentic '59 Medium C-Shape
- Scale Length: 24.75" / 62.865cm
- Fingerboard Material: Bolivian Rosewood, Hide Glue Fit
- Fingerboard Radius: 12" / 304.8mm
- Number of Frets: 22
- Frets: Historic Medium-Jumbo
- Nut Material: Nylon
- Nut Width: 1.69" / 42.85mm
- End-of-Board Width: 2.24" / 56.89mm
- Inlays: Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid
Hardware
- Finish: Nickel
- Bridge: No-Wire ABR-1
- Tailpiece: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar
- Tuners: Kluson Single Line, Single Ring
- Pick Guard: Laminated Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
- Truss Rod Cover: Authentic Stepped 2-Ply
- Control Knobs: Butyrate Gold Top Hats
- Switch Tip: Amber Catalin
- Switch Washer: Silkscreened Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
- Jack Plate: Laminated Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Electronics
- Neck Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted)
- Bridge Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted)
- Controls: CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper-in-Oil Capacitors
Accessories
- Strings: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
- Case: Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch
- Included Accessories: 60th Anniversary Switchplate Medallion (w/ Historic Black Plastic Cover in Case), 60th Anniversary Certificate of Authenticity Booklet, Historic Reissue Hang Tags
