We opened our doors in 1958, right at the beginning of the original Les Paul Burst era, so it’s safe to say we’ve seen a Les Paul or two.
An original late-’50s Burst may be out of reach for most players, but that’s exactly why we work with the Gibson Custom Shop: to get you about as close to the look, feel, and experience of the originals as possible.
And as you can see below, the Chuck Levin’s Guitar Department picked out some seriously standout quilted maple tops for this run of 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissues.
It Started with the Wood
We weren't looking for six tops that all looked the same. We wanted each guitar to have its own personality.
The result is a group of six hand-selected, bookmatched 5A quilted maple tops. Some have wider, rolling figure, while others are tighter and more dramatic. The quilt changes as the light moves across it, and no two tops react quite the same way. FIVE of these beauties have already arrived and we're still trying to pick our jaws up off the floor!!!
The six tops as we selected them, before any finish went on.
All six are finished in gloss Faded Tobacco Sunburst, matched to a selected finish sample and applied to bring out the depth and movement in the maple. The pickguards were intentionally left off and packed in the cases, because there's nothing like opening up the case and seeing these tops in all their glory!!!
Built on the R9 Platform
The tops may be the first thing you notice, but these guitars are built on Gibson Custom's 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue platform.
Each one pairs its quilted maple top with a super-lightweight mahogany back, a mahogany neck, and a one-piece rosewood fingerboard with aged cellulose trapezoid inlays.
The R9 V1 Carmelita neck profile measures approximately .860 inches at the first fret and .975 inches at the twelfth. It has the substantial feel you would expect from a late-'50s Les Paul without becoming uncomfortable or oversized.
A pair of unpotted Alnico 3 CustomBuckers handles the electronics. The guitars are also equipped with an ABR-1 bridge, lightweight aluminum stopbar tailpiece, Kluson Deluxe tuners, nickel hardware, and True Historic plastics.
The Short Version
- Hand-selected, bookmatched 5A quilted maple top
- Gloss Faded Tobacco Sunburst, matched to a selected finish sample
- Super-lightweight mahogany back and mahogany neck
- One-piece rosewood fingerboard, aged cellulose trapezoid inlays
- R9 V1 Carmelita neck profile, approx. .860″ at the 1st fret and .975″ at the 12th
- Unpotted Alnico 3 CustomBuckers
- ABR-1 bridge, lightweight aluminum stopbar tailpiece, Kluson Deluxe tuners, nickel hardware
- True Historic plastics, pickguard left off and packed in the case
- Vintage-style lacquered reissue case, certificate of authenticity, and Historic Collection materials
Six Guitars, Six Different Tops
These guitars share the same build, finish, and specifications, but they don't feel like six copies of the same instrument. The figuring gives each one a completely different look, and choosing a favorite is going to come down to which top speaks to you. Check out the first 5 to arrive in the shop 🤯
#960034See this one → 
#960104See this one → 
#960147See this one → 
#960148See this one → 
#960184See this one →
The five that have landed so far. Each one is its own listing, so the guitar you see is the guitar you get.
A Closer Look
The quilt does something different at every angle, so here is the whole group from a few more of them.
We've been helping players find that guitar since 1958. Nearly seven decades later, it's pretty special to see our history cross paths with one of the most important guitar designs from the same era.
Explore the five that have arrived at ChuckLevins.com or stop by the store to compare them in person. Trying to grab the 6th one? Give us a call!!