1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, Burst

Here is a rare opportunity to acquire an original 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard ‘Burst’ - one of the most sought-after electric guitars ever made and the benchmark by which all others are measured. This example can be seen in Burst Believers Vol VI page 48.

Featuring a nicely figured 'peek a boo' type flame Maple top, this Burst displays the kind of classic figuring and flame you have all seen in the books and pics. This one has faded beautifully with a really nice shade of reddish-brown around the perimeter. 

It retains its original PAF humbuckers, both have had their covers off and the neck has had new tape fitted so we must assume it has either been rewound or repaired at some point in it's life. The outputs are 8.92k at the neck and 8.37k at the bridge. It is a superb sounding example that really lives up to the legend. A real player's tone machine resulting in a wonderfully dynamic, harmonically rich Burst voice with airy highs, piano-like lows, and that unmistakable bloom and sustain that made these models famous. Acoustically, the guitar is loud, resonant, and alive - a testament to the quality of woods, hardware and craftsmanship during this period of Gibson production. The neck is everything you hope for in a ’59: a perfectly balanced medium chunky C profile with that silky broken-in feel only decades of play can create. 

In terms of changes it has a repro tailpiece fitted, 2 x replaced saddles on the original ABR-1, 3 x neck pickup ring screws replaced, 1 x bridge pickup ring screw replaced, Grover tuners fitted and copper shielding foil added to inside of cavity cover. Interestingly, taped to the underside of the cavity cover is Peter Green's signature which appears to be authentic, likely placed their by a fan prior to the current owner.

It has had a refret and a new nut. It looks like during this process the fingerboard has been planed and filled in places. Some of the inlays have also been reglued and some slightly damaged during the planing process. Radius is currently 10".

At some stage Grover tuners were fitted, a typical upgrade for working players in the ’60s and ’70s. The rest of the hardware apart from what is noted above, remains correct, with the original pots, plastics, and details fully intact.

Included is the original, or at least correct, brown and pink Stone Case Co. 5-latch case with tape wrapped around the handle.

A cool example for the serious collector or the discerning musician. An original 1959 Burst with good flame, nice faded colour, patina, and the kind of real-world history that makes vintage guitars truly special. A rare chance to own the most iconic Gibson of all time!