Gibson Custom has announced the release of Collector's Choice #6 1959 Les Paul #9-1918. This rare and highly prized 1959 Les Paul Model is described as an "extremely clean original example", and exhibits many of the most desirable traits of 1958-1960 Les Pauls.
Guitars in the Collector's Choice Series aim to bring players and collectors closer to owning a specific, existing vintage Les Pauls through exacting study and measurement of the original instrument. Using precise digital scanning of the woods, and the skill of the luthiers of Gibson Custom, each Collector's Choice guitar represents a detail-perfect recreation of the look, feel, tone, and vibe of an original "burst."
"I call it my 'Number One' or 'Desert Island' guitar because it's by far the best guitar I've ever owned, held, or heard," says Mike Slubowski, owner of the original 1959 Les Paul. Collector's Choice #6 1959 Les Paul #9-1918 is being made available in a limited run with a maximum of 300 examples, with the availability of qualifying materials ultimately determining the final number.
The #6 Les Paul features a two-piece maple top, one-piece mahogany body and one-piece mahogany neck, with a uniquely designed Non-Filtered Tobacco Burst finish.
To complete the sonic accuracy of the original, Gibson Custom carefully measured the pickups in Mike Slubowski's guitar and recreated a set of Custom Buckers wound to precisely the same specs. Details include Alnico III magnets and 42 AWG enamel-coated wire wound around distinctive "zebra coil" bobbins, which are hidden by gently aged nickel-plated covers. These pickups' renowned blend of depth and clarity is complemented by the traditional pairing of a traditional ABR-1 Tune-o-Matic bridge and lightweight aluminum stopbar tailpiece, both nickel plated and aged appropriately, and a set of gently aged nickel reissue green-key tuners.
This run of guitars is limited to only 300 models and represents the closest most of us will ever come to owning a '59 Les Paul. Prices start at a hefty $8939 (that's roughly £5500), but that's nowhere near the astronomical prices actual late '50s models are commanding these days.
For more information on the Collector's Choice series and the #6 1959 Les Paul, visit Gibson's website here
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