1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard

We’ve looked at quite a few Les Pauls here at the FJ including a nice 1954 Les Paul Model, a 1958 Les Paul Standard, a 1960 Les Paul Custom with three PAF pickups, a customized 1971 Les Paul Custom and the 1969 Les Paul Custom that James Williamson used on Iggy Pop’s classic Raw Power LP. Today’s Catch is perhaps the most desirable of them all, a 1959 sunburst Standard that was special ordered with a Bigsby whammy bar. This guitar looks like it’s in very nice condition. The original reddish sunburst has faded to a lovely amber color. (If you look carefully at the bass side lower bout you can see a little bit of the red is still there.) The finish looks to be in very good condition, with no significant checking. There is just a little bit of belt buckle wear on the back, which still has its red color. Because the top is faded but the back is still bright I wonder if the guitar spent its youth hanging in a store window where it got a lot of sun? I don’t need to tell you that this is one of the most dreamed about guitars of all time. Sadly, that dream comes with a hefty price tag. This example is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $250,000, which is fair chunk of change. Still, if I had the scratch I’d be sorely tempted.

Click here for the original listing.