Despite his tragically short career, Paul Kossoff's guitar work invariably enters at the top of any discussion of classic Les Paul performances. Paul had a unique take on the blues-rock movement, exhibited particularly in the masterful vibrato that helped to give his Les Paul a huge, dynamic voice—and the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard on which he achieved such heights is known to be one of greatest sounding 'Bursts ever made.
Since Paul's death in 1976, this coveted guitar has remained in the possession of Arthur Ramm, Paul's close personal friend. Now, in cooperation with the Kossoff estate, Gibson Custom has gained access to this incredible Les Paul in order to painstakingly recreate it in strictly limited numbers. Digitally scanned, measured and tested in England by Gibson Custom, this rare piece of musical history has been documented in intimate detail in order to recreate as closely as possible the tone, look and feel of the guitar in its current condition, as Paul left it when he passed away. The result, presented by Gibson Custom in the form of the Paul Kossoff 1959 Les Paul Standard, will be reproduced as just 100 hand-aged guitars, and a further 250 guitars treated with Gibson's proprietary VOS process.
Like great 'Bursts of the late '50s, the Paul Kossoff 1959 Les Paul Standard from Gibson Custom has an elegantly figured two-piece carved maple top married to a solid, one-piece, lightweight mahogany body. Gibson Custom has accurately mirrored both the correct "dish" carve on the top of the guitar, and the finish that has faded the original cherry sunburst to a sumptuous "Green Lemon" hue, while selecting figured maple that closely reflects the unique grain on Paul's original guitar. Custom Shop craftsmen meticulously hand-age the finish and hardware of 100 guitars to accurately reflect the condition of Kossoff's existing Les Paul, while these elements are given a gently aged patina through Gibson's VOS process on 250 further examples. The quarter-sawn mahogany neck is attached with the long-tenon neck joint that helps to give vintage Les Pauls their unparalleled resonance and sustain, and is carved to the unique profile of Paul's own guitar. Aged acrylic trapezoid inlays, aged cream fingerboard and body binding, and a nylon 6/6 nut are among the period-correct features.
The "Patent Applied For" humbucking pickups on Paul Kossoff's Les Paul were a big part of his mammoth, searing tone. Gibson Custom has carefully measured these outstanding PAFs to produce detail-accurate recreations for the Paul Kossoff 1959 Les Paul Standard. Each guitar carries a set of Custom Buckers wound with the characteristic mismatched, potted coils of 42-AWG plain-enamel coated wire, with genuine Alnico III magnets for a rich response with outstanding articulation. The sonic results are heard in the thick, creamy blues-rock tone at the neck position, the crispy snarl and bite at the bridge, and the snappy, round, slightly funky tones in between. The guitar carries Gibson's classic pairing of ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge and wraparound tailpiece, along with the gold-plated Grover tuners that Paul added as a modification to his own guitar. On the 100 Murphy Aged examples, all are meticulously distressed to match the wear of the hardware on the original guitar, while those on the 250 VOS guitars have the gently aged patina that that process brings.
Each includes a Gibson Custom hardshell case, a Certificate of Authenticity (leather-bound with the 100 hand-aged guitars), and is covered by Gibson Custom's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service. The Murphy Aged examples have an MSRP of $15,292, while the VOS models have an MSRP of $10,351.
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