I hope you enjoyed a look at this viewer's guitar! 🟢My Website: www.troglysguitarshow.com 🔴Reverb: tidd.ly/4aFiyhC 🐕 Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/
Jeremya, look mate if you get it, I'll swap two sheep for it , One you can BBQ on the beach with your mate, The other one, if you can't get any women to the Beach BBQ, you can share among your mates, (Oh Yeah, Its Our summer here in New Zealand)
I’m not especially interested in the vintage/authentic instrument world, but this video has been expertly put together and brilliantly narrated. Very enjoyable.
I’ll trade you 3 Harley Benton’s, an Epiphone Jr that was touched by a guy that touched angus young , 4 rare guitar picks and a can of Dinty Moore beef stew for it?
Do you have authentication that it was actually touched by a guy that touched Angus Young? Too many people going around saying this when really, they have a guitar that was touched by a guy who touched Angus Young's personal chef.
Even though the neck has been replaced, this is a very nice specimen of a 1959 Les Paul burst. and the small amount of work that has been done on it, has been professionally done. pretty good for a 63 old surviving specimen.
Thanks for diving in deep on this beautiful guitar ... the neck finish makes me wonder if the original owner did what many Gibson mandolin players did in the Fifties and Sixties which is essentially sanding the finish off the back where the hand contacts it till it has a satin feel when playing ...
@@jubei7259 idkkk, I’m not sure if it was the pickups, or Trogly’s amp or recording setup… but the tone on this guitar really didn’t blow me away like the sound on other original Bursts I’ve seen. Didn’t seem to have that classic honky, crisp clarity, velvety kind of tone that original bursts have
I'd be the first guy to scoff at the "magic of PAF's" or whatever, but that thing sounds mean as hell. Great clarity on all strings even with a ton of gain
No more than collectors choice 1 or 2 both have that sustain and vibe, In a blindfold test you would not know - when your told its 250k + oh yeah I hear the difference
I think there’s something cognitively happening with Kirk’s brain. He repeats himself a lot and it seems tough for him to get sentences or thoughts out. We’ve all seen him tell those stories a million times at this point about Greeny
I was looking at the neck pickup cavity. Wild how clean/consistent that looks if the neck has been out. (i'm no pro...just thought that would be an obvious area of change)
For Sale, 1959 Gibson Les Paul all original and untouched. All original parts. Except, replaced tuners, pickups, pots, knobs, bridge, tailpiece, pickup rings, fingerboard, inlays, frets, pickguard, neck and body, refinished optherwise as shipped from factory in 1959.. guitar was once in the same room as Jimmy Page, though not at the same time. $1,000,000,000. OBO
Gibson’s PAF-style humbucking pickups sound the best, both Clean and Dirty, and handle-EVERYTHING-from clean jazz to crunchy rock to crushing hard rock to the heaviest of heavy metal and beyond... The ‘Whole Lotta Love’ main riff only sounds right when played through these pickups with the TREBLE/BRIDGE pickup selected and engaged. I’m super impressed with the clarity and how you can hear every note; even in complex and tight chord voicings like on ‘Ten Years Gone’ by Led Zeppelin. Well done, Austin! 🔊💎🤘🏻
Since the pickups were brought up. I must say, they're really hot for '59 PAF's. They'd be hot even for '60 PAF's. For me, that raises a question. But who knows, maybe someone didn't want any leftover wire on the spool when they were winding them on that day.
That was purchased by George McFly for his future son, Marty, to honor his good friend Calvin who rocked the house at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance in 1955. True story.
Hilarious, almost fell off my chair when reading this comment, this is even funnier than the comment where they wrote 1200 were made sadly only 2000 survived, did not think that comment could have been beat but you did it freaking hilarious.
I was on the road with my band in 1988 in Baltimore. A dude brought a early 80's V and a 59 Burst to our room to try and sell us. He said they was his grandaddy's and he wanted to sell them. I don't know if they were stolen but he wanted $400 bucks for the burst and $200 for the V. I didn't have the knowledge I do now about bursts, but I knew Gibsons and I knew it was worth something, I offered him 200 and he declined. I was playing suped up Fenders and thinking Les Pauls were dated so it wasn't a big loss at the time. I'm quite sure it would be worth a cool price today.
I HEAR YOU! SERENITY NOW...I COUNT MY BLESSINGS! I HAD A '57 GOLD TOP I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I HAD...I WAS TOLD IT WAS A REISSUE IN 1982 AND I WAS A TEENAGER. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A '70 REISSUE BUT NOT! GOD BLESS YOU
@jamesadamgleason9471 oh I'm aware of how dumb I was, I've owned a piece of two music stores in my life and I authenticate Les Paul's for people now. I had a lady come into my store a couple years ago with a 1960 Les Paul burst. Her husband had gotten it used a couple years before he went to Vietnam, played in a band when he got back and then never played it again. He had passed away 8 years before that and she was just now getting around to selling it. She asked me if it was worth 1,500 bucks, as I was looking at it she actually lowered the price. I took it all apart and looked at it, it was absolutely stock, without much wear at all. I told her it was worth about $65,000, and I gave her two names to call. She cried right in my store and hugged me. The guy I was in business with at the time told me I should have offered her $1,200, telling you what a prick he was will take a whole other thread. I just don't roll like that.
Its positivity a real 59 and not a max, ive painted them not his work. . Not a factory reneck its missing the crown headstock inlay used to id replacement. Painted over the serial number with clear , correct fonts. No sign fretboard was off probably just a local luthiers work. Repaint neck during a refret. Ct scan would prove the neck wasn't removed. Neck joint in the cut away looks like paint weathered off dard line , its the finish not the wood.
The neck isn’t a Gibson. Look the fingerboard binding is all wrong, the side dots are wrong, the headstock lacks the asymmetrical “mustache” carve, heck….the mahogany isn’t even Honduran. 😮
I love the way that one has aged . Lets see Murphy Labs recreate this one. That is a peculiar area to have wear there near the neck below the pickguard. Usually its either nearer to the bridge pickup ot below it. Ive only ever seen one guitar with similar wear near the neck. It was fron the owner / player neck bending placing the hand near the horn rather around the area the toggle switch is. It wasnt as worn as this one but similar type of wear.
John Sebastian owned one of the first 1959 Les Paul's. A friend bragged about the sound of his guitar, so they compared them. After his friends guitar, John plugged his '59 in, and his friend said, "Oh." He went on to use it on many Lovin' Spoonful hits. (!)
The wear below the pickguard indicates a player, a serious player, that used their thumb to pick and rested the fingers on the body - like the great Wes Montgomery. A quick googlin' of him shows lots of pics with his custom Gibson L-5 and an ES-175 yet no indication he ever played a Les Paul like this one. Looks totally real to me - working at a shop in 1999 I saw a Gibson reissue 'burst when they were so exactly the same - in the rout under the bridge pickup it had something like 'CLASSIC AAA' stamped deep into the wood under the finish, to show it was not a real '59 or '60.
Thanks for the explanation of that wear area. I was trying to figure out what sort of playing style would lead to such wear but the thumb playing makes perfect sense.
Austin, happy for you that you got to review this guitar! This video made me smile… it’s so cool to see a burst up close, even if it is just on RUclips 😄
I am 77 and had a gold top with soap bars was about a year or two older. You described the neck shape the way I would describe that gold top. It was just one size thinner than the thickest documented for that time. As you know it was a guideline not an exact spec. In the 80's I got a Xerox of the two thickest necks. I had a Fender clone made from a sketch by Leo in 1952 that he had in mind for 53 as the next Fender. It has a Fender Jazz Master body but without the offset. Being a Gibson guy I had the all maple Fender style bolt on neck made with a 24.75 scale and with the shape of the gold top, my favorite neck.
Its an interesting Les Paul I hope the owner enjoys playing it. I'm old enough to remember when these were just second hand guitars. I traded my no serial number 52, for a custom colour 57 strat ex Elvis Costello which I still have.
My brother would retell the story about going into a pawnshop in Los Angeles in 1971. And on the wall were two what would come to be known as "bursts" with $350.00 & $400.00 price tags. He played guitar but preferred acoustic over electric. "If only i knew then what i know now" he'd say.
Agree - a black light over the tenon would have been useful. Jumping to a reneck, rather than a refin'd neck might be too far? Cavities are clean. I've seen plenty of dirt free/clean vintage cavities.
Wow you got the guts to take it apart, a lot of people wouldn't dare to do that. This will be a very good one. Burst or not still looks very good, love that top.
It is definitely not Murphy lab. The pickups look legit the outer rim of the route just under the control cavity looks legit. Definitely an old refinish on the neck. Many original or era correct parts. The headstock doesn't look right to me or the logo position. It might just be the angle you were filming at. My final comment will be on the wood, specifically the maple top. Not a typical late '50s top. Could have also been renecked by Gibson or someone else. The neck has been off. I am not knocking the guitar at all considering how rare they are. If there was a water slide decal on there, possibly could be a Max or less of a chance, it's Derrig. No need to be hating by the a-holes in the peanut gallery. He's trying to legitimately help someone. I know. I appreciate your time in showing me this guitar. Thank you! Yes, I have about six Gibsons from the 1950s.
Your neck assessment .... based on the one "cracked" seam and the two other oversprayed seams, you think it was off. But there may still be a chance the one seam just had natural separation and the other two were blended in a neck refinish while attached, no?
Neck Cavity had the super rare. 4:02 Batman cave cut. Done by Diablo the batman. ( he was a super comic book fan )From Gibson. It’s his signature. Cutout
3:49, shouldn't the pickup/switch wiring through-passage be a round hole and not a routed channel? Beautiful Instrument, possibly over valued if not original!
For sure on 50s Customs since they were a solid chunk. Not a top. So had to be drilled from the jack plate opening. Don’t know what they did on Bursts though back then. Someone will know.
Any solid mahogany LP regardless of era will have the round channel. It's a function of the drill bit they had to use to get to the switch cavity from the control cavity for solid mahogany bodies. For a maple top, the channel was made with a router bit, hence the squared shape. Then the top was glued on. All bursts are maple tops. There were maple topped Goldtops that were later refinned to be bursts once bursts became more desirable. I imagine that many other solid top of the day was refinned as a burst, hence the higher than production numbers of bursts "found".
@@GhostpainOG You are indeed correct, I just checked my Gibson Les Paul, and Yes, it is a channel route for the wiring passage. Interestingly though, I have a newer 1954 Goldtop reissue built by the Tokai Custom Shop in Japan, on that guitar the wiring passage from the control cavity to the selector switch route is a single 5/8 bore hole originating at the output jack passage! I can't stress enough the high quality of the Tokai Custom Shop guitars, same specifications of a Gibson Custom Shop instrument at a little more than half the price!
That’s 💯 % authentic burst sound! Real bursts sound like they’re coming down with a cold in their voice. The best ones sound like a semi-hollow or hollow Gibson
I don't know about the guitar but I once owned an original NOS ABR-1 from 1959 and I did a ton of research to authenticate it. The real ones have a mis-stamp on them on the right hand side, you can see a double line instead of just one, and it's there. Fakes and reproductions don't have it (though it's possible that one repo that Gibson did in recent years had it, not 100% sure). Believe it or not a close look at the saddles and the screws can tell you if it's legit too and date specifically to 1959, I can't see the screws (the shape of the bevel on the tops is the key) and the "tell" on the saddles is not showing in the vid (it's the mill marks on the flat side of the saddle). From what I can see though, it looks right.
The sound of that LP is astounding. Why would there not be any binding bleed on this '59? (genuine question here. I have a CS '58 (R8) and got binding bleed on both the neck and body within 1 month. Hate it.
No Pot Date Codes or closeup video of the control cavity? I think it appears to be a great instrument, just not one from the 1950s (IMHO). The neck tenon doesn't look right and the square/routed wiring passage are both suspect. That said, I'd still love to own it. Many times Les Paul style guitars are fitted with original vintage '50s pickups, wiring and hardware, this could be one of those.
2:34 it was actually mine in a past life, you can just send it to me if you want. the pink paint was from me painting my 58’ shell pink coupe deville and the yellow/gold was actually similarly from a ‘77 camaro that had this weird thing happen to it where the radio would just change stations. thought it was something speaking to me but it could’ve been my wife barb
This is why I don’t buy Gibson custom shop stuff. All they do is try and recreate brand new guitars to make them look like this. I’ll just buy a few guitars, play them, enjoy them, and let them age naturally. Well this and I can’t afford custom shop stuff at the moment. Gibson USA it is for me. Maybe I’m the crazy one lol.
It’s a gorgeous guitar - I have never played one so I don’t know the aura or the sound. I’m sure there is something to how good these vintage ‘59s sound. I also believe there is a subjectivity to it. I would love to try one but under no circumstance would I be able to afford one. I have a few guitars that are under $3k that, to my ear, leave nothing to be desired for my taste and I use one pedal and the volume knob. I don’t take those guitars out of the house as I have a few ~$1k battle tested tools that sound as great as I can imagine and get the job done. Maybe I’m just not that discriminating. 😂
Is the headstock at the correct angle for a 1950’s les Paul? Looks as if there is enough old finish under that respray to match the back, it looks like it’s trying to peek thru! Great non bias exam. Beautiful guitar.
Having the Burst i think it is an absolute MUST to pay for a Proper authentication to have appropriate documentation along with the instrument. SPECIALLY if one has wonderful Top like this one has!:))))) Because "Bursts" with more beautiful tops can have Insane difference in its price As well as how Guitar is getting its unique name)))) (and getting into "Magazines" about Bursts😊)
@@ArchieOnEarth If you get something like Tom Holmes PAF replicas, they do have that sound immediately. It's also the ageing and the guitar itself though. Part of the magic is that for one, they were unpotted. This gives you a more immediate snap on the attack. Most modern humbuckers are wax potted to get rid of any possible squealing or unwanted noise. You can still get unpotted pickups today from builders but most manufacturers make them wax potted 2) they are very low wind and this allows for way more clarity. They are quieter, but because they have less gain, they are much clearer because of it. Less bottom end so less whoofiness. A real awesome PAF should sound almost like a tele pickup but on steroids. Mind you it was also about the way they wound the pickups and the magnets that were used. Tom Holmes built amazing PAF replicas some of the best in the world and he used alnico 2 magnet in the bridge instead of 4 or something else for example. Even the covers matter - Tom Holmes uses very thin covers
Part of that is the very low amount of winds, and also the magnets that were used are important. Most Modern humbuckers have much more winds around the bobbin and they're much louder but that carries with it Whoofiness and Mud and a very honky mid range. You lose the clarity and warmth and articulation. Check out something like the Lollar low wind Imperials if you want that early PAF sound, or if you find a good pickup builder, get them to build you some that are Unpotted and low wind. I recently had a set of Unpotted PAF style made for me by a pickup maker and they sound much more "vintage" to me than the wax potted ones I had before.
@@jamesemerson4102 funny you mention that. I exchanged my Gibson 498/490 from my Les Paul and replaced the. with Lollar imperials (low wind in the neck). It sounds so much better taut still not as clear as these pickups
What a Gorgeous Burst, wish Gibson could make something like this nowadays in a standard price point, I have a Standards also a Greco 80’s guess which one is better?
What a great finish , love the bikini lines under the poker chip etc... , the mixture of Iced Tea w/Lemon + Green , very interesting , I've never held a real 59' in my hands nor spied one with me peeps , so thank Trogly for a video with a beauty full specimen , Thanks Trog !
Whatever this is it absolutely sounds amazing. Much better than my R9 Custom Shop replica I owned a couple of years and was also amazing but the original PAFs somehow still sound differently.
It all gets back to that strange, large wear-mark between the upper end of the pick guard and the cutaway. That’s evidence of someone with a unique playing style, to have heavy wear in that particular location. I think the one commenter may be on to something with the idea that the player may have been holding it there as part of doing some neck-bending. I think that’s where I usually hold my Peavey T-60 if I decide to (carefully) imitate a whammy-bar effect (it doesn’t have one - it’s bone-stock). I don’t care if it’s completely original (what car guys would call “matching numbers”) - it’s a beautiful-sounding guitar that is at least “period correct”, even if it’s basically a high-end parts-guitar. 👍
I think this may have been the personal Les Paul Std played by Doctor Miguelito Loveless in the mid-late 1960s CBS-TV series "The Wild Wild West." That would explain the strange wear mark under the pickguard from a metaphysical standpoint.
damn - the sunburst and case reminds me of the 1965 Gibson ES355 I bought half-shares with a friend - over the years living in different cities we alternately shared holding it for a while at a time - until last time I gave it to him he's avoided the topic when I asked for it, and last he shrugged his shoulders saying "I don't know what happened to it" - yeah, right 🤨🤥😖 Looks like they're asking upwards of $12,000 now - I can guess what happened ... 😞
the prices of those Les Pauls makes me glad I'm an SG man. idk what the early 60s SGs go for but i would guess much, much less than a quarter of a million dollars(!). the Les Paul is a fine guitar and all but I don't get why the SG doesn't get as much love.
I don't get why ANYONE thinks that the age of a guitar means a god damn thing. If you're into that, then you're a collector, not a player. There was no CNC back then. It was mostly hand made and if you wanted a good guitar, you had to be lucky enough to get it through the hands of half a dozen people who were great at what they did. Most didn't. There's a lot of utter crap out there going for stupid money for no reason other than how old it is. It's insane!
The neck has never been taken off just refinished and refretted, original 59’s if played regularly wore out to bare wood and a lot of owners didn’t like that hence the refinish just confirm with Bonamassa his very approachable especially with original bursts and back in the day the middle position was preferred by so many guitarist and this burst sounds the way it should “Totally Stellar” …..
I'm curious about the large bare spot below the pick guard on the single cutaway bout of the guitar. Just what could cause that kind of wear and tear. It doesn't seem that it was caused by too aggressive picking action because it's to far up by the neck and is more horizontal than vertical ,as something you would expect from normal picking motion. Maybe it was from anchoring a sweaty ring finger to steady the picking hand for quick picking action. Just a thought.
Real or not, that’s one of the best sounding guitars you documented. The Clapton riff was very full and smooth. And the higher gain parts had way more character than the recent reissues.
Wow, Trogly! You did a relatively thorough inspection. Haven't seen a video of yours in a while now. Your playing has certainly improved, and it looks like you've lost a little weight. Dan Erlewine might be a reputable source as to this Beauty's Provenance. All the Best to you, you warmhearted Gibson Guitar Nerd Connoisseur!
I understand that roughly 95% of Stradivarius violins do NOT have their original necks made by Antonio. They removed those necks and replaced them with a "modern" style neck for better playability. And you are correct, still worth millions of dollars. Replaced neck or not, this will always be a real Gibson 59 burst.
Correct. Many great Strads have had their spruce tops shaved, supports added, even replaced. One of the best I ever heard was from the 1720s and had a top made by a luthier in the 1800s. The neck and scroll were not original either, but, WOW!, did that violin sing. Tuning pegs, bridges, and tailpieces are often replaced with no degrade in value.
Thanks for that reply. True that many Stradavari violins have been modified to play and sound better. Many don't have the original Antonio made necks. I have read that the most valuable ones are all original and rare as hens teeth. Stradavari made around 1116 total instruments. 960 of which were violins, 15 violas, around 75 cellos, around 4 guitars, 2 mandolins and 1 harp. Only 650 - 700 survive today. I wonder how many Gibson goldtops have been converted? It's estimated roughly 1500 sunburst Les Paul's were made between 1958 - 1960. Not even close to the value of a Stradavarius, unless you happen to be Jimmy Page!
True. Page's #1 burst has had it's neck shaved thinner, refinished neck, no serial number from refin, a T-top pickup replaced the original in the bridge position, possibly a Duncan pickup replaced the T-top, multiple over sprays after the tours ended. But still worth millions because of celebrity association with Page.
I hope you enjoyed a look at this viewer's guitar!
🟢My Website: www.troglysguitarshow.com
🔴Reverb: tidd.ly/4aFiyhC
🐕 Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/
Well done Austin! What a treat that was.
Great Job Trog! Who Owns? Also I was born in 59, in case you wanna do a spotlight on me😀
Gibson made around 1,200 sunburst Les Pauls between 1958 and 1960. Sadly, only about 2,000 survived.
😂😂😂😂
copy that
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
It makes sense mathematically
Every year I see a few get "discovered".
I've seen enough videos documenting and authenticating 'bursts to know for certain that I have no idea if it's original or not.
Know what you mean but you're not convinced.
It just doesn't look old to me ..... 🤔
As a certified butcher I can 100% confirm this ain't a steak
Not Trogly...He knows... LOL
Its def mine..i was painting my gold and pink bathroom at the time it was stolen..id like it back
Yes we shared in that work. I want 50%.
Lmao
Jeremya, look mate if you get it, I'll swap two sheep for it , One you can BBQ on the beach with your mate, The other one, if you can't get any women to the Beach BBQ, you can share among your mates, (Oh Yeah, Its Our summer here in New Zealand)
That's too easy , lmao
I lost a rare 1958 single cut 3/4 scale Junior in tobacco burst..still looking for it 😔
I had to double take, lol. I thought the title said "A viewer BOUGHT me a Gibson Les Paul Burst"
Lol..I still thought it said bought untill I read this comment and looked back at the title
thats what I thought too...darn you Ai...making me think things that don't even exist.
Same here
Mee too😂
Yes me to 😂😂😂
Appreciate how you didn't over-hype this one.
Sometimes people will start going crazy when reviewing bursts.
I’m not especially interested in the vintage/authentic instrument world, but this video has been expertly put together and brilliantly narrated. Very enjoyable.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’ll trade you 3 Harley Benton’s, an Epiphone Jr that was touched by a guy that touched angus young , 4 rare guitar picks and a can of Dinty Moore beef stew for it?
You forgot the partridge in a pear tree.
Is this Post 10?
I didn't know you played guitar!
Do you have authentication that it was actually touched by a guy that touched Angus Young? Too many people going around saying this when really, they have a guitar that was touched by a guy who touched Angus Young's personal chef.
Two cans of Dinty and you got yourself a goddamn deal!!!
If you scroll down enough you’ll probably find someone saying their $150 Harley Benton is better than this. Never fails with some of the HB owners.
Even though the neck has been replaced, this is a very nice specimen of a 1959 Les Paul burst. and the small amount of work that has been done on it, has been professionally done. pretty good for a 63 old surviving specimen.
The neck has been replaced, and the body replaced twice. Shows that the original owner really cared for the instrument. (Just kidding, don't sue me!)
Right at 12:26 in the video It looks like you can see the shadow of the original serial #. A wonderful guitar!!!
yeah but behind the new 9 is a faint 2 @ 12:17
Thanks for diving in deep on this beautiful guitar ... the neck finish makes me wonder if the original owner did what many Gibson mandolin players did in the Fifties and Sixties which is essentially sanding the finish off the back where the hand contacts it till it has a satin feel when playing ...
It's a Max, the ad in the LA times in the early 90s along with the neck should tell you it is a replica of the caliber of Slash's.
Makes sense. The top wood grain doesn’t look similar to any of the actual original burst tops.
Interesting plot twist kind of theory.
Max's LP's are so good they're worth nearly as much as the originals now (some people say they're even better lol)
@@jubei7259 idkkk, I’m not sure if it was the pickups, or Trogly’s amp or recording setup… but the tone on this guitar really didn’t blow me away like the sound on other original Bursts I’ve seen.
Didn’t seem to have that classic honky, crisp clarity, velvety kind of tone that original bursts have
Just what i was thinking. Top doesnt look like a 59 but it looks very well made.
I'd be the first guy to scoff at the "magic of PAF's" or whatever, but that thing sounds mean as hell. Great clarity on all strings even with a ton of gain
For sure. When he hit that a chord of ten years gone it was perfect.
The pickups def sound like PAFs
No more than collectors choice 1 or 2 both have that sustain and vibe, In a blindfold test you would not know - when your told its 250k + oh yeah I hear the difference
I hope some of you have seen Kirk Hammett’s collection vid he did with Gibson from the other day, WOW.
Yeah, great collection. But Hammett sure is a little weirdo.
lol that’s dudes as odd as a 3 dollar bil
I think there’s something cognitively happening with Kirk’s brain. He repeats himself a lot and it seems tough for him to get sentences or thoughts out. We’ve all seen him tell those stories a million times at this point about Greeny
@@Zoso981 I think it important to point out here, most musicians are..
@@StringTensionnah, not like Kirk. Something is happening there mentally
I was looking at the neck pickup cavity. Wild how clean/consistent that looks if the neck has been out.
(i'm no pro...just thought that would be an obvious area of change)
That's a giveaway. Fake guitar.
It looked very clean for for 65 years of grime. I'm 67, so I'd expect it to look a bit like the inside of my mouth 😂
@rodennis418 I was thinking the same thing.
To me a non-expert, the neck tenon looked shorter than others I’ve seen pictures of.
For Sale, 1959 Gibson Les Paul all original and untouched. All original parts. Except, replaced tuners, pickups, pots, knobs, bridge, tailpiece, pickup rings, fingerboard, inlays, frets, pickguard, neck and body, refinished optherwise as shipped from factory in 1959.. guitar was once in the same room as Jimmy Page, though not at the same time. $1,000,000,000. OBO
Lol, yup. I bet it's a conversion and not even a real burst either. The owner is smoking bananas
Just like Trigger's broom. UK viewers will know what I mean.
LOL!!!
😂👌
It's a major fake
Gibson’s PAF-style humbucking pickups sound the best, both Clean and Dirty, and handle-EVERYTHING-from clean jazz to crunchy rock to crushing hard rock to the heaviest of heavy metal and beyond... The ‘Whole Lotta Love’ main riff only sounds right when played through these pickups with the TREBLE/BRIDGE pickup selected and engaged. I’m super impressed with the clarity and how you can hear every note; even in complex and tight chord voicings like on ‘Ten Years Gone’ by Led Zeppelin. Well done, Austin! 🔊💎🤘🏻
Page played a '59 TELECASTER given to him by Jeff Beck on "Whole Lotta Love."
@@philmanson2991😂😂😂😂😂 always question those who sound the most over confident
@@chillpillology I didn't question. I provided a fact.
Since the pickups were brought up. I must say, they're really hot for '59 PAF's. They'd be hot even for '60 PAF's. For me, that raises a question. But who knows, maybe someone didn't want any leftover wire on the spool when they were winding them on that day.
News flash- Page played his brown telecaster on Ten Years Gone
Don’t care if it’s original or not, love Trogly and always good viewing. Peace and love from Australia
That was purchased by George McFly for his future son, Marty, to honor his good friend Calvin who rocked the house at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance in 1955. True story.
Maybe uncle Joey had a hand in this too.
Hilarious, almost fell off my chair when reading this comment, this is even funnier than the comment where they wrote 1200 were made sadly only 2000 survived, did not think that comment could have been beat but you did it freaking hilarious.
That middle position has that classic, beautiful LP chime to it!
I had # 9 1208 I bought it in 1982 for $ 7,500. I sold it in 1989 for $ 7,500. I guess that was a goof.........
I was on the road with my band in 1988 in Baltimore. A dude brought a early 80's V and a 59 Burst to our room to try and sell us. He said they was his grandaddy's and he wanted to sell them. I don't know if they were stolen but he wanted $400 bucks for the burst and $200 for the V. I didn't have the knowledge I do now about bursts, but I knew Gibsons and I knew it was worth something, I offered him 200 and he declined. I was playing suped up Fenders and thinking Les Pauls were dated so it wasn't a big loss at the time. I'm quite sure it would be worth a cool price today.
I HEAR YOU! SERENITY NOW...I COUNT MY BLESSINGS! I HAD A '57 GOLD TOP I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I HAD...I WAS TOLD IT WAS A REISSUE IN 1982 AND I WAS A TEENAGER. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A '70 REISSUE BUT NOT! GOD BLESS YOU
@@DougCanney1 600 bucks to half a mill easy
@jamesadamgleason9471 oh I'm aware of how dumb I was, I've owned a piece of two music stores in my life and I authenticate Les Paul's for people now. I had a lady come into my store a couple years ago with a 1960 Les Paul burst. Her husband had gotten it used a couple years before he went to Vietnam, played in a band when he got back and then never played it again. He had passed away 8 years before that and she was just now getting around to selling it. She asked me if it was worth 1,500 bucks, as I was looking at it she actually lowered the price. I took it all apart and looked at it, it was absolutely stock, without much wear at all. I told her it was worth about $65,000, and I gave her two names to call. She cried right in my store and hugged me. The guy I was in business with at the time told me I should have offered her $1,200, telling you what a prick he was will take a whole other thread. I just don't roll like that.
Do you have any pics of 9 1208? If so, send them to Austin (Trogly) for all to see!
Its positivity a real 59 and not a max, ive painted them not his work. . Not a factory reneck its missing the crown headstock inlay used to id replacement. Painted over the serial number with clear , correct fonts. No sign fretboard was off probably just a local luthiers work. Repaint neck during a refret. Ct scan would prove the neck wasn't removed. Neck joint in the cut away looks like paint weathered off dard line , its the finish not the wood.
My barely knowledgeable ass seconds this opinion. :)
The neck isn’t a Gibson. Look the fingerboard binding is all wrong, the side dots are wrong, the headstock lacks the asymmetrical “mustache” carve, heck….the mahogany isn’t even Honduran. 😮
100% wrong. I do this for a living. Painting since the 70s . @@ikefork2606
@@ikefork2606 yes you are correct! Good catch.
The side dots on a real '59 are not black. They're actually brown tortoise shell
They are tortoise shell. Sometimes that is hard to see. Especially in a video
I love the way that one has aged . Lets see Murphy Labs recreate this one. That is a peculiar area to have wear there near the neck below the pickguard. Usually its either nearer to the bridge pickup ot below it. Ive only ever seen one guitar with similar wear near the neck. It was fron the owner / player neck bending placing the hand near the horn rather around the area the toggle switch is. It wasnt as worn as this one but similar type of wear.
Really? It's fake.
@ChrisShortyAllen nothing fake there.
@@ChrisShortyAllen Not a fake, but not a Burst. Likely a converted 1957 Gold Top. Serial number was modified.
John Sebastian owned one of the first 1959 Les Paul's. A friend bragged about the sound of his guitar, so they compared them. After his friends guitar, John plugged his '59 in, and his friend said, "Oh."
He went on to use it on many Lovin' Spoonful hits. (!)
The wear below the pickguard indicates a player, a serious player, that used their thumb to pick and rested the fingers on the body - like the great Wes Montgomery. A quick googlin' of him shows lots of pics with his custom Gibson L-5 and an ES-175 yet no indication he ever played a Les Paul like this one.
Looks totally real to me - working at a shop in 1999 I saw a Gibson reissue 'burst when they were so exactly the same - in the rout under the bridge pickup it had something like 'CLASSIC AAA' stamped deep into the wood under the finish, to show it was not a real '59 or '60.
Thanks for the explanation of that wear area. I was trying to figure out what sort of playing style would lead to such wear but the thumb playing makes perfect sense.
Well there you have it folks…1959 P.A.F pickups…and they sound…..like humbucker pickups🫤
Austin, happy for you that you got to review this guitar!
This video made me smile… it’s so cool to see a burst up close, even if it is just on RUclips 😄
I am 77 and had a gold top with soap bars was about a year or two older. You described the neck shape the way I would describe that gold top. It was just one size thinner than the thickest documented for that time. As you know it was a guideline not an exact spec. In the 80's I got a Xerox of the two thickest necks. I had a Fender clone made from a sketch by Leo in 1952 that he had in mind for 53 as the next Fender. It has a Fender Jazz Master body but without the offset. Being a Gibson guy I had the all maple Fender style bolt on neck made with a 24.75 scale and with the shape of the gold top, my favorite neck.
Its an interesting Les Paul I hope the owner enjoys playing it. I'm old enough to remember when these were just second hand guitars. I traded my no serial number 52, for a custom colour 57 strat ex Elvis Costello which I still have.
Even the Entwistle Burst proved to be a fake.
Imagine if they all were fake and it was just a gag ?
But it had been in the same room as Pete Townsend 😂
@@69spookalso Pete Townshend
@@69spook The Rev Billy Gibbons blessed it. It is now completely weightless.
@@blueeyedsoulman Pahaha
Absolutely love that top!
My brother would retell the story about going into a pawnshop in Los Angeles in 1971. And on the wall were two what would come to be known as "bursts" with $350.00 & $400.00 price tags. He played guitar but preferred acoustic over electric. "If only i knew then what i know now" he'd say.
350 dollars in 1971 is equivalent to approximately 2727$ nowadays. But still nothing compared to what they cost now 😅
That top has some real character.
That may well be the best sounding guitar you've ever had on your show.
Really I thought it sounded poor. Looks nice but close your eyes and listen to sound samples again.
I actually laughed out loud when he started playing because they all sound the same lol
@SubxZeroGamer I couldn't disagree more.
Bridge was a bit of a let down. The neck though sounded great.
I have to agree. If not, he really dialed in the sound. Sounds huge. And chimey. Even with high gain.
Don’t burst usually have a line down the middle where the two pieces of wood meet?
Thank you, Austin, for sharing this with us. Not only the guitar, but also your new journey through legendary territory
Beautiful coloured top with interesting texture in the maple.
Yes, but what does it taste like? 😂
Neck pocket shows no signs of being disturbed. If the neck had been replaced all of the fit & finish work in the neck pocket would be obvious.
Agree - a black light over the tenon would have been useful. Jumping to a reneck, rather than a refin'd neck might be too far? Cavities are clean. I've seen plenty of dirt free/clean vintage cavities.
3:02 😱that made my heart pump !
Good video. I bought a VOS R8 CSB a while ago. It makes me happy to look at it.
Wow you got the guts to take it apart, a lot of people wouldn't dare to do that. This will be a very good one. Burst or not still looks very good, love that top.
Steve Soest is a good guy. Did a bunch of business with him and he's a straight shooter.
Backside original pickguards should have a tool marks as slightly visible parallel lines along the entire guard
👍
15:10 that thumb under the neck move is something you don’t see every day
What an amazing episode! I don't go throwing exclamation points around all willy-nilly, either.
I do!
The PAFs also have the L shaped tooling marks on the feet where the screws pass through. Very important
He missed a lot of tells, has no business tearing one apart
That sounds great. Way brighter than my 2001.
@3:21 where the pickguard screw location lines up evenly with the fret, is a good sign the guitar might be legit.
It is definitely not Murphy lab. The pickups look legit the outer rim of the route just under the control cavity looks legit. Definitely an old refinish on the neck. Many original or era correct parts. The headstock doesn't look right to me or the logo position. It might just be the angle you were filming at. My final comment will be on the wood, specifically the maple top. Not a typical late '50s top. Could have also been renecked by Gibson or someone else. The neck has been off. I am not knocking the guitar at all considering how rare they are. If there was a water slide decal on there, possibly could be a Max or less of a chance, it's Derrig. No need to be hating by the a-holes in the peanut gallery. He's trying to legitimately help someone. I know. I appreciate your time in showing me this guitar. Thank you! Yes, I have about six Gibsons from the 1950s.
That’s what I thought, I’ve never seen actual original bursts with a top that looks like that… the colors also don’t look right
About??
Both of the pickups on sounds so good on that one . I like the middle position sound a lot and that guitar. Good video
Your neck assessment .... based on the one "cracked" seam and the two other oversprayed seams, you think it was off. But there may still be a chance the one seam just had natural separation and the other two were blended in a neck refinish while attached, no?
Neck Cavity had the super rare. 4:02 Batman cave cut. Done by
Diablo the batman. ( he was a super comic book fan )From Gibson. It’s his signature. Cutout
3:49, shouldn't the pickup/switch wiring through-passage be a round hole and not a routed channel?
Beautiful Instrument, possibly over valued if not original!
came here to say that
For sure on 50s Customs since they were a solid chunk. Not a top. So had to be drilled from the jack plate opening. Don’t know what they did on Bursts though back then. Someone will know.
Any solid mahogany LP regardless of era will have the round channel. It's a function of the drill bit they had to use to get to the switch cavity from the control cavity for solid mahogany bodies. For a maple top, the channel was made with a router bit, hence the squared shape. Then the top was glued on.
All bursts are maple tops. There were maple topped Goldtops that were later refinned to be bursts once bursts became more desirable. I imagine that many other solid top of the day was refinned as a burst, hence the higher than production numbers of bursts "found".
@@GhostpainOG You are indeed correct, I just checked my Gibson Les Paul, and Yes, it is a channel route for the wiring passage.
Interestingly though, I have a newer 1954 Goldtop reissue built by the Tokai Custom Shop in Japan, on that guitar the wiring passage from the control cavity to the selector switch route is a single 5/8 bore hole originating at the output jack passage!
I can't stress enough the high quality of the Tokai Custom Shop guitars, same specifications of a Gibson Custom Shop instrument at a little more than half the price!
That’s 💯 % authentic burst sound! Real bursts sound like they’re coming down with a cold in their voice. The best ones sound like a semi-hollow or hollow Gibson
Very nice vid. The tone and sustain seem to be right on!!! Please update us with any new info about this special example...Thanks.
I don't know about the guitar but I once owned an original NOS ABR-1 from 1959 and I did a ton of research to authenticate it. The real ones have a mis-stamp on them on the right hand side, you can see a double line instead of just one, and it's there. Fakes and reproductions don't have it (though it's possible that one repo that Gibson did in recent years had it, not 100% sure). Believe it or not a close look at the saddles and the screws can tell you if it's legit too and date specifically to 1959, I can't see the screws (the shape of the bevel on the tops is the key) and the "tell" on the saddles is not showing in the vid (it's the mill marks on the flat side of the saddle). From what I can see though, it looks right.
The sound of that LP is astounding. Why would there not be any binding bleed on this '59? (genuine question here. I have a CS '58 (R8) and got binding bleed on both the neck and body within 1 month. Hate it.
Bleed fades with time, I love it.
I would be tempted to swap the bridge and neck pickup around as the necks way hotter than the bridge
The "red eye" staining around the switch makes me think this one also sat in a shop window with its tag on. I wonder how many suffered the same fate?
No Pot Date Codes or closeup video of the control cavity?
I think it appears to be a great instrument, just not one from the 1950s (IMHO).
The neck tenon doesn't look right and the square/routed wiring passage are both suspect.
That said, I'd still love to own it. Many times Les Paul style guitars are fitted with original vintage '50s pickups, wiring and hardware, this could be one of those.
2:34 it was actually mine in a past life, you can just send it to me if you want. the pink paint was from me painting my 58’ shell pink coupe deville and the yellow/gold was actually similarly from a ‘77 camaro that had this weird thing happen to it where the radio would just change stations. thought it was something speaking to me but it could’ve been my wife barb
DON'T TELL DEB GOBBLES
@ CRANK THAT HOG AND THANK THAT LOG GOBBLESS
Your playing has improved a lot since I first tuned in 5 years ago.
Whatever it is, it's a super old guitar that looks cool and sounds cool.
This is why I don’t buy Gibson custom shop stuff. All they do is try and recreate brand new guitars to make them look like this. I’ll just buy a few guitars, play them, enjoy them, and let them age naturally. Well this and I can’t afford custom shop stuff at the moment. Gibson USA it is for me. Maybe I’m the crazy one lol.
It’s a gorgeous guitar - I have never played one so I don’t know the aura or the sound. I’m sure there is something to how good these vintage ‘59s sound. I also believe there is a subjectivity to it. I would love to try one but under no circumstance would I be able to afford one. I have a few guitars that are under $3k that, to my ear, leave nothing to be desired for my taste and I use one pedal and the volume knob. I don’t take those guitars out of the house as I have a few ~$1k battle tested tools that sound as great as I can imagine and get the job done. Maybe I’m just not that discriminating. 😂
Beautiful specimen but a I'm not sure the neck has been off due to the appearance of the neck cavity. It has been refinished and repaired for sure!
Autumnburst. I like it.
Is the headstock at the correct angle for a 1950’s les Paul? Looks as if there is enough old finish under that respray to match the back, it looks like it’s trying to peek thru! Great non bias exam. Beautiful guitar.
WOW! Not everyday you get to play a quarter million dollar guitar! What a beauty!
Sounds so correct. Great job playing and recording it.
I don't know if it's a "real burst" but man, it sings on Ten Years Gone.
Almost thought it was red eye, with that red around the switch. Beautiful guitar though!
Someone loved that guitar for a long time.
Having the Burst i think it is an absolute MUST to pay for a Proper authentication to have appropriate documentation along with the instrument. SPECIALLY if one has wonderful Top like this one has!:)))))
Because "Bursts" with more beautiful tops can have Insane difference in its price As well as how Guitar is getting its unique name)))) (and getting into "Magazines" about Bursts😊)
those old pafs are so much clearer than modern Gibson pickups
I always wondered if the old PAFs sounded like that new, or did they have to age into that sound.
@@ArchieOnEarth If you get something like Tom Holmes PAF replicas, they do have that sound immediately. It's also the ageing and the guitar itself though. Part of the magic is that for one, they were unpotted. This gives you a more immediate snap on the attack. Most modern humbuckers are wax potted to get rid of any possible squealing or unwanted noise. You can still get unpotted pickups today from builders but most manufacturers make them wax potted 2) they are very low wind and this allows for way more clarity. They are quieter, but because they have less gain, they are much clearer because of it. Less bottom end so less whoofiness. A real awesome PAF should sound almost like a tele pickup but on steroids. Mind you it was also about the way they wound the pickups and the magnets that were used. Tom Holmes built amazing PAF replicas some of the best in the world and he used alnico 2 magnet in the bridge instead of 4 or something else for example. Even the covers matter - Tom Holmes uses very thin covers
Part of that is the very low amount of winds, and also the magnets that were used are important. Most Modern humbuckers have much more winds around the bobbin and they're much louder but that carries with it Whoofiness and Mud and a very honky mid range. You lose the clarity and warmth and articulation. Check out something like the Lollar low wind Imperials if you want that early PAF sound, or if you find a good pickup builder, get them to build you some that are Unpotted and low wind. I recently had a set of Unpotted PAF style made for me by a pickup maker and they sound much more "vintage" to me than the wax potted ones I had before.
@@jamesemerson4102 funny you mention that. I exchanged my Gibson 498/490 from my Les Paul and replaced the. with Lollar imperials (low wind in the neck). It sounds so much better taut still not as clear as these pickups
They are fake
Hi, love your content! Black light on the neck tenon inside the neck pup rout should cast more light on the question of a neck removal or reset. 🙂
What a Gorgeous Burst, wish Gibson could make something like this nowadays in a standard price point, I have a Standards also a Greco 80’s guess which one is better?
Massive sounding pups, and the top really moves
Thanks for this cause Its the first time I got the opportunity to look inside a real burst. Im curious how do you compare it with a Murphy lab ?
65 years old, that's amazing.
Nice playing, bro. And very thorough documenting of that beautiful instrument. Made 2 years after I was born. So, of course, it's excellent!
I wondered where I left that guitar dude. If you can send it back that would be sweet. lol.
Very interesting video and cool guitar. Thanjks for demoing it with a clean tone.
What a great finish , love the bikini lines under the poker chip etc... , the mixture of Iced Tea w/Lemon + Green , very interesting , I've never held a real 59' in my hands nor spied one with me peeps , so thank Trogly for a video with a beauty full specimen , Thanks Trog !
Whatever this is it absolutely sounds amazing. Much better than my R9 Custom Shop replica I owned a couple of years and was also amazing but the original PAFs somehow still sound differently.
It all gets back to that strange, large wear-mark between the upper end of the pick guard and the cutaway. That’s evidence of someone with a unique playing style, to have heavy wear in that particular location.
I think the one commenter may be on to something with the idea that the player may have been holding it there as part of doing some neck-bending. I think that’s where I usually hold my Peavey T-60 if I decide to (carefully) imitate a whammy-bar effect (it doesn’t have one - it’s bone-stock).
I don’t care if it’s completely original (what car guys would call “matching numbers”) - it’s a beautiful-sounding guitar that is at least “period correct”, even if it’s basically a high-end parts-guitar. 👍
Peavey T-60s are cool guitars, even if a bit blessed with the ounces.
I think this may have been the personal Les Paul Std played by Doctor Miguelito Loveless in the mid-late 1960s CBS-TV series "The Wild Wild West." That would explain the strange wear mark under the pickguard from a metaphysical standpoint.
That's from a dog attack.
damn - the sunburst and case reminds me of the 1965 Gibson ES355 I bought half-shares with a friend - over the years living in different cities we alternately shared holding it for a while at a time - until last time I gave it to him he's avoided the topic when I asked for it, and last he shrugged his shoulders saying "I don't know what happened to it" - yeah, right 🤨🤥😖
Looks like they're asking upwards of $12,000 now - I can guess what happened ... 😞
Idk if its real, but it sounds great! The middle position is exactly how a burst should sound
the prices of those Les Pauls makes me glad I'm an SG man. idk what the early 60s SGs go for but i would guess much, much less than a quarter of a million dollars(!). the Les Paul is a fine guitar and all but I don't get why the SG doesn't get as much love.
I don't get why ANYONE thinks that the age of a guitar means a god damn thing. If you're into that, then you're a collector, not a player. There was no CNC back then. It was mostly hand made and if you wanted a good guitar, you had to be lucky enough to get it through the hands of half a dozen people who were great at what they did. Most didn't. There's a lot of utter crap out there going for stupid money for no reason other than how old it is. It's insane!
Please do a follow up video on this one.
Great video. Love that you explain everything and then you rock it out!
The neck has never been taken off just refinished and refretted, original 59’s if played regularly wore out to bare wood and a lot of owners didn’t like that hence the refinish just confirm with Bonamassa his very approachable especially with original bursts and back in the day the middle position was preferred by so many guitarist and this burst sounds the way it should “Totally Stellar” …..
I'm curious about the large bare spot below the pick guard on the single cutaway bout of the guitar. Just what could cause that kind of wear and tear. It doesn't seem that it was caused by too aggressive picking action because it's to far up by the neck and is more horizontal than vertical ,as something you would expect from normal picking motion. Maybe it was from anchoring a sweaty ring finger to steady the picking hand for quick picking action. Just a thought.
When you see stevie ray Vaughan strum at the 12th fret youll know😮
Real or not, that’s one of the best sounding guitars you documented. The Clapton riff was very full and smooth. And the higher gain parts had way more character than the recent reissues.
Wow, Trogly! You did a relatively thorough inspection. Haven't seen a video of yours in a while now.
Your playing has certainly improved, and it looks like you've lost a little weight.
Dan Erlewine might be a reputable source as to this Beauty's Provenance.
All the Best to you, you warmhearted Gibson Guitar Nerd Connoisseur!
Who else can TOTALLY TEAR APART A REAL '59 BURST, like it was a cheap import copy? JUST ONE MAN.
And did you notice how fast Trogly is at it!
Just a guess, but it looks like it might have gotten a lacquer refresh.
Sounds great. I would rather have a nice house, though
Nice specimen! I love the checking on this one. It seems so uniform...
They replace almost every part of a Strad violin and the value continues to increase.
I understand that roughly 95% of Stradivarius violins do NOT have their original necks made by Antonio. They removed those necks and replaced them with a "modern" style neck for better playability. And you are correct, still worth millions of dollars. Replaced neck or not, this will always be a real Gibson 59 burst.
Correct. Many great Strads have had their spruce tops shaved, supports added, even replaced. One of the best I ever heard was from the 1720s and had a top made by a luthier in the 1800s. The neck and scroll were not original either, but, WOW!, did that violin sing.
Tuning pegs, bridges, and tailpieces are often replaced with no degrade in value.
Thanks for that reply. True that many Stradavari violins have been modified to play and sound better. Many don't have the original Antonio made necks. I have read that the most valuable ones are all original and rare as hens teeth. Stradavari made around 1116 total instruments. 960 of which were violins, 15 violas, around 75 cellos, around 4 guitars, 2 mandolins and 1 harp. Only 650 - 700 survive today. I wonder how many Gibson goldtops have been converted? It's estimated roughly 1500 sunburst Les Paul's were made between 1958 - 1960. Not even close to the value of a Stradavarius, unless you happen to be Jimmy Page!
They also replaced the pickups.
True. Page's #1 burst has had it's neck shaved thinner, refinished neck, no serial number from refin, a T-top pickup replaced the original in the bridge position, possibly a Duncan pickup replaced the T-top, multiple over sprays after the tours ended. But still worth millions because of celebrity association with Page.