Gibson Custom Shop 60th Anniversary 1959 Les Paul Standard

Boss Bursts

Wildwoodians, is there anything cooler than a Burst-era Les Paul? Maybe if a polar bear could hit a jump on a snowmobile and do a backflip, it would approach Burst-esque levels of coolness. But, until we humans make tremendous advancements in the field of polar bear training, the Bursts shall reign supreme. Though the original Bursts only lasted from 1958 to 1960, they enjoyed an oversized impact in popular music. Jimmy Page, Joe Walsh, Paul McCartney, and countless other iconic players have all featured the sweet sound of their Les Pauls on dozens of classic recordings. Without a doubt, the Les Pauls produced from '58 to '60 are some of the greatest examples of craftsmanship in the history of musical instruments. Their sound is as American as beer and monster trucks, and they are part of rock and roll's DNA.

Since we have the Burst bug bad here at Wildwood, we were overjoyed when we received the 2019 Historic reissue models from Gibson Custom. Once again, the wizard-like luthiers at the Custom shop have outdone themselves. With a combination of premium tonewoods, obsessive attention to detail, old-world manufacturing techniques, and a healthy dose of love and care, they have crafted some of the mightiest Les Pauls ever to grace the mortal realm. Let's take a closer look and examine some of the splendid ingredients that form their sonic cocktail.

Maximum Resonance for Monster Tone

All great electric guitars begin with killer raw materials, and these Les Pauls are no exception. After all, it's impossible when you pair a premium maple top with a select mahogany body. This classic tonewood combination produces a warm, rich, round unamplified sound with just the right amount of cut and articulation.

Hide glue is another source of Custom Shop magic. It's a protein-based adhesive, and when you use it to attach two pieces of wood together, it allows for maximum energy transfer. Though hide glue is extremely difficult to work with, the Custom Shop wizards use it to secure each and every point of connection on reissue Les Pauls. This pays incredible dividends to each instrument's tone. So, these Les Pauls showcase world-beating resonance and sustain!

Beautiful 'Buckers

Of course, it is nigh-impossible to make rock and roll music without electricity, so let's talk about the wires within the wood. Each Les Paul comes equipped with two Alnico III Custombuckers, and they are stunning recreations of vintage PAFs. They punch, bark, bite, rasp, and snarl with the best of them, and they have a good balance of richness and clarity. The mids are woody, the highs sing with inimitable sweetness, and the lows are pure sculpted muscle.

Also, these luscious Lesters come equipped with old-school paper-in-oil capacitors. These true-to-vintage components improve high-end transparency and impart a bit of extra treble cut. So, the warm, beefy humbucking pickups sound supremely balanced.

Divine Fifty-Nines

Of course, this is no ordinary Burst reissue! This is a 60th Anniversary edition of the most sought-after Les Paul of all time: the '59. Gibson only made 650 or so in '59, and a shockingly high percentage of them wound up in the hands of legendary players when they tracked classic albums. These reissues capture the vibe of those divine fifty-nines with marvelous accuracy. Fifty-nines had a medium "C" neck profile that was a little thinner than the chunky C that graced the fifty-eights and little fatter than the slim '60s profile. Because it's not too chunky or too skinny, it's the Goldilocks choice for many players: just right. Frankly, the neck profile on these reissues is scarily accurate, and they feel excellent in your hands.

There are also a couple of cosmetic differences between the '59 and its Burst brethren. The '59s feature gold "top-hat" knobs, and single-line, single-ring Kluson tuners. Add in vintage-accurate plastics, and you've got a Burst reissue that looks like it came out of a time capsule!

Bursting With Joy

We are proud to showcase these beautiful Les Pauls for our exceptional customers. We are sure that their stunning looks, spectacular sounds, and amazing playability will bring any Gibson lover a lifetime of musical joy and delight.