The Gibson Custom Shop Greatest Hits Volume II PSL ’59 Les Paul Standard Reissue – Beauty of the Burst Page 78, Light Aged is a painstakingly accurate recreation of one of the most celebrated original Bursts ever documented. Inspired directly by the legendary guitar featured on page 78 of Beauty of the Burst, this instrument captures the visual character, tonal response, and tactile feel of a true late-1959 Les Paul Standard. Built using uncompromising Historic methods, it reflects Gibson Custom Shop’s highest level of craftsmanship, combining period-correct construction, rare tonewoods, and meticulous aging for an authentic, broken-in vintage experience.

At its core is the unmistakable Les Paul body shape, featuring a 2-piece hand-selected figured maple top, hide-glue fitted to a 1-piece lightweight mahogany back. With no weight relief, the guitar delivers the rich sustain, complex midrange, and powerful resonance that define original ’59 Standards. Finished in nitrocellulose lacquer and treated with a Light Aged process, the guitar shows subtle checking, gentle wear, and a naturally softened feel—faithfully evoking decades of careful use rather than heavy abuse. The 1-ply Royalite binding and historically accurate materials further enhance its vintage-correct appearance.

The mahogany neck is joined to the body using a long tenon hide-glue fit, a critical detail that contributes to the instrument’s legendary sustain and tonal depth. Carved to the 1959 Authentic Medium profile, measuring approximately .90" at the first fret and .99" at the 12th, the neck offers a substantial yet comfortable feel that balances vintage heft with excellent playability. The 24.75" scale length, nylon nut with a 1.687" width, and traditional proportions provide an unmistakably authentic playing experience. A dark Indian rosewood fingerboard with a 12" radius, 22 historic medium-jumbo frets, and cellulose nitrate trapezoid inlays completes the classic ’59 neck formula.

Every hardware and cosmetic element is recreated with obsessive attention to period detail. The guitar features nickel-finished hardware, including an ABR-1 bridge with nickel-plated brass saddles and a lightweight aluminum stop bar tailpiece, enhancing resonance and note bloom. Kluson single-line, single-ring tuners ensure vintage-correct tuning stability, while authentic materials are used throughout—laminated cellulose acetate butyrate pickguard, M69 mounting rings, gold butyrate top hat knobs, amber Catalin switch tip, aluminum strap buttons, black Royalite control covers, and an authentic 1950s no-tube truss rod with a stepped 2-ply truss rod cover.

Electronics are equally faithful to the golden-era formula, featuring a pair of unpotted Custombucker pickups equipped with Alnico III magnets in both the neck and bridge positions. These pickups deliver the airy highs, woody midrange, and warm, touch-sensitive low end that define legendary Burst tone. Wired with CTS 500K audio taper potentiometers, paper-in-oil capacitors, and premium Switchcraft components for the pickup selector and output jack, the guitar responds dynamically to every nuance of a player’s touch.

Strung with .010–.046 gauge strings and housed in a brown/pink reissue 5-latch case, this instrument also includes a Certificate of Authenticity, underscoring its collectible significance. The Gibson Custom Shop Greatest Hits Volume II PSL ’59 Les Paul Standard Reissue – Beauty of the Burst Page 78 Light Aged stands as a world-class example of historic reissue craftsmanship, delivering museum-level accuracy alongside inspiring, stage-ready performance.