One of our American counterparts is currently selling a 1960 Les Paul Standard Sunburst for the modest sum of $245,000 — about €231,000. No, that’s not a typo. That’s the kind of price these legendary “bursts” usually fetch. For those who don’t feel like selling their house to trade it for a guitar, Gibson offers the True Historic line.
And that’s nothing — before the 2007 financial crisis, a 1959 Les Paul could easily change hands for half a million dollars. There are several reasons for such fervor. Let’s start with a bit of history: Gibson released the Les Paul, its first solidbody, in 1952. At the time, this signature model of jazz legend Les Paul came with a gold finish and P90 pickups. In 1957, Gibson fitted the model with its brand-new PAF humbuckers, but the Gold Top finish was no longer creating much buzz. Gibson then decided to showcase the maple grain by launching the Les Paul Standard in sunburst (hence the nickname “burst”). It was only in production for three years before being replaced by the SG in 1961. The first reason collectors are so devoted is rarity: only 1,450 units were built before production stopped. Another source of fascination: the artists who built their careers on a burst. Although they didn’t sell well at the end of the ’50s, true aficionados quickly realized just how incredible these instruments were. Eric Clapton kicked off the craze with a ’60 while with the Bluesbreakers, Jimmy Page shaped the sound of Led Zeppelin with two ’59s, Keith Richards and Mick Taylor brought grit to the Stones with several ’59s (including one with a Bigsby!), Duane Allman wrote the greatest slide guitar pages of all time on a ’59, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top swears by Pearly Gates, his ’59, despite owning a mind-blowing collection, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford drove Aerosmith with their ’59s, Slash brought ’90s rock back to life with a burst, and today bluesman Joe Bonamassa owns nine bursts — the crown jewels among his hundred-strong collection.
Snowflakes
The bursts also fascinate because they were made during Gibson’s golden age. Not only had production volumes not yet compromised quality (which would happen in 1965), but this was also the era when Gibson developed the models and innovations that would define the next 50 years. And bursts are captivating because they’re all unique. Originally, only one finish was available: Cherry Sunburst. Some were darker and nicknamed Tobacco or Dark Burst, while others lightened because the red dye was more UV-sensitive, leading to the famous Lemon Burst — actually just a Cherry that spent too much time in the sun. The subtle variations among bursts are endless, not to mention the unique maple tops, which also make it possible to identify a Les Paul from a 50-year-old black-and-white photo. A burst top is like a fingerprint — no two are alike. We can only generalize by year: in 1958 the neck is very thick (as in 1957) and the top is plain (“plain top”), in 1959 the neck is slimmer (a perfect balance) and the top highly flamed, and in 1960 the top is still flamed but the neck is the slimmest of the three — though not yet the flat slim taper profile of the first SG.
A True Story
The True Historic guitars represent the culmination of a process that began back in the ’80s. In 1968 Gibson reissued the Les Paul in two versions less coveted than the burst: the Gold Top with P90s and the black Custom, the legendary Black Beauty. They later introduced the Deluxe (with mini humbuckers), and the first true attempt at a burst reissue came with the Heritage model in 1980. The quest continued with the creation of the Custom Shop and the famous R8, R9, and R0 (reissues of the 1958, 1959, and 1960 models). But anyone who has held an original burst knows those reissues weren’t quite there yet. Original bursts are often very light (under 4 kilos), their necks are a bit slimmer (being hand-carved), the headstock shape is slightly different, and above all the tone is clearer, more articulate compared to the darker, muddier reissues. The Collector’s Choice series, which replicated specific historical instruments, allowed Gibson to refine its reproduction techniques, and with the True Historic line, launched in early 2015, we finally have the reissue enthusiasts had been waiting for.
Heavy Artillery
To achieve this feat, Gibson pulled out all the stops: the top is carved twice, once by hand, the neck is refined and hand-shaped, wood selection is outstanding (those maple tops!), the pickups are bright and open, the headstock finally has the correct shape, the angles are softer, hot hide glue is used, plastics and metals from the era have been replicated down to a molecular level, the nitro finish and headstock veneer are thinner. Impressive, right? There are six models in total: the 1956 (Gold Top with P90s), the 1957 (Gold Top with humbuckers, also available in aged versions), the 1957 Custom (the Black Beauty), and the three Standard Sunburst years: 1958, 1959, and 1960 (all available in aged versions too). Naturally, they are built in very limited quantities and won’t be found everywhere, but we do have around ten of them at the Woodbrass Deluxe showroom. So if you’d like to get your hands on one, just contact us at dlx@woodbrass.com. And if you don’t find exactly what you’re after, there’s always the option of having your dream Gibson custom-made by the Custom Shop…
