Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue, Murphy Lab Light Aged BOTB Page 70, Russo Music Select
Russo Music was given the opportunity to spec out a pair ’59 reissue Les Pauls with the Gibson Custom Shop, and we’re incredibly happy with the results. This Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue and its sibling, are largely inspired by page 70 of “Beauty of the Burst,” model number 90901, and the story of an original Les Paul that was purchased new in 1959 and cherished by its owner. Gibson’s Murphy Shop worked to make this guitar appear as though it’s been residing in its case and never seeing the window of a pawn shop, like many from the era ended up doing.
Featuring a resonant mahogany body, the top of this reissue features hand-selected two piece AAA flamed maple that were picked during the late winter of 2023 at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee. Wayne Green, a Gibson vet of over 40 years, assisted in the selection process, and the attention to detail in this selection process allowed for a top to be chosen that enhanced the overall aesthetic. With a stunning flame maple bookmatched grain being visible underneath its finish and the footprint of mahogany evident on its back, this beauty offers a completely unique take on a vintage Les Paul.
Despite the increasing rarity of larger necked guitars in Les Paul production runs, many players express a desire for thicker profiles. The neck profile of this Les Paul resembles an early ’50s Les Paul, with its larger, beefier feel. The larger neck keeps the hand busy, allowing the fingers to work without strain, and it’s always a pleasure of ours to surprise players who initially anticipate discomfort when trying these necks, only to find that they end up loving the feel. The neck’s dimensions range from approximately .920″ at the first fret to 1″ at the twelfth, with a very slight but normal taper for a vintage-style neck. On the neck, an Indian rosewood fingerboard features Mother of Pearl Trapezoid inlays, and a total scale length of 24.75″. At the top of the neck sits a ’59 reissue-style peghead with a black veneer, and Kluson reissue tuning machines.Â
A key feature of this Les Paul is its Gibson Custombucker pickups that are specifically underwound and feature MCMR impedence matching, allowing the natural woodiness of its carved-maple top to be amplified in an authentic and organic way. These unpotted, nickel-plated pickups contribute to this guitar’s distinctive tonal character, delivering a sound that authentically recreates that of vintage Les Pauls. Working in tandem with its pickups, the guitar features two volume and two tone knobs, styled in R9 Gold Top Hat fashion, as well as a 3-way selector switch with an era-specific, amber tip.
Although it lacks the cigarette burns and battle scares many guitars from this era wear with pride, this Murphy Lab Light-Aged variant does capture the inevitable wear garnered over 60 years of its finish aging, and being played. On the other hand, the VOS variant of the ’59 Les Paul’s finish depicts a scenario where the guitar has been fortunate enough to exist within a climate-controlled bubble throughout its life. The burst featured on this guitar is inspired by a model in “Beauty of the Burst”, specifically replicating the original 59 Les Paul with serial number 90901.Â
The hardware features Kluson reissue tuning machines, a non-wire ABR-1 bridge, and a lightweight tailpiece with long stud and anchor. True Historic R9 appointments are found throughout the rest of the guitar as well, from the cream body and fingerboard binding to cream mounting rings, and reissue backplates with the Custom Shop medallion.
While there’s truly nothing like an original ’59 Les Paul, this Gibson Custom Shop is a special piece that was thoughtfully constructed to get as close as possible, and plays the part both aesthetically and functionally.
- Gibson Murphy Lab Light Aged Finish
- Beauty of the Burst Page #70 Inspired Burst
- Hand-Selected AAA Flamed Maple Top
- Mahogany Body and Neck
- Indian Rosewood Fingerboard w/ Mother of Pearl Trapezoid Inlays
- Inspired by Original 59 Les Paul Serial Number 90901
- Thicker Neck Profile for Comfortable Playing
- Underwound Custombuckers
- Non-Wire ABR-1 Bridge
