Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue VOS Dirty Lemon

The '59 Les Paul that proves why this year is still the benchmark for everything that came after

The Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue VOS Dirty Lemon is not a guitar you buy because you want a Les Paul. You buy it because you want the Les Paul: the year when the combination of a figured maple top, lightweight mahogany body, and unpotted Custombucker pickups produced a sound that guitarists still try to emulate today. This Dirty Lemon-burst is breathtaking up close, with the subtle yellowed tint that only a VOS finish in nitrocellulose lacquer can so convincingly imitate.

Tonally, everything is in its place here. The two Custombucker Alnico III pickups are unpotted, meaning they are sensitive, dynamic, and slightly microphonic at high volume — just like the originals from '59. The neck pickup sings with that warm, full midrange so characteristic of the late fifties Les Paul, while the bridge pickup bites without being harsh. The one-piece lightweight mahogany body contributes to the resonance and sustain that makes this guitar impressive even acoustically.

The neck features the authentic '59 Medium C-profile, which many players consider the most comfortable Les Paul profile ever: full enough for grip, narrow enough for speed. The Indian rosewood fretboard features cellulose nitrate trapezoid inlays, 22 frets, and a 12" radius. The hardware is all nickel: a True Historic ABR-1 bridge and Kluson Single Line, Single Ring tuners. Electronics consist of two volume and two tone controls with a 3-way toggle switch. Delivered with the iconic Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch case.

This is an instrument for the player who knows what they're looking for and understands exactly what they have in their hands. Weight: 3.78 kg.