Here's a big "Thank you" to the owner of these guitars for letting us see and hear them. It is great to see Paul and James playing them and talking about them and to see what a good time they had.
I have played two 59 Les Paul burst...the first one was while I was in the Air Force in 1982..I could have bought it for 5000 dollars....it might have well been 500,000 dollars... being an airman first class it was way out of my reach....but it was like nothing I have ever played or heard...it had that horn like quality to it like all the great burst have....the second one was also a 59 and it belonged to a guitar player that played in my uncle's country and western band...that one was even better...it was majical....it played unbelievably easy...his had more of the baseball type of profile on the neck....he later sold that one to a collector from Japan for 400,000 dollars and ended up in the book THE BEAUTY OF THE BURST...I bought that book here a few years ago and saw it in there...I knew it was the one I played as soon as I saw it... And it had been like 15 years since I had held it...but I took a mental picture of it...the 59 he had was highly flamed and it was probably an 8 out of 10 condition wise....I bought an R9 about 10 years ago and I have to say it is very very close to the real thing.... great video guys......🎸🎸🎸
All the people in the comments that haven't played an actual burst might not get it. Glad to see I'm not the only one who's played a handful of em (4 for me). They really are worth it. You can't get that last 10% and the horn-like clarity in anything else (I've played a few high-end fakes/replicas, a bunch of MIJ Tokai/Greco versions, and a ton of Gibson reissues). Only thing that's come close was a 5-figure replica and a couple high-end Greco LP's.
@@SqualoDeiCelestini He probably won't see your comment, could have left the page number for us, but whatever - they are just guitars, some have prettier tops than others. Perhaps the best one is in Brian Ray's personal collection, he has one of each model he loves, but the BEST of the best. His 1959 is pristine, just like new, and not only that - it's a killa playa with the perfect neck (they were all different, like now), probably the finest example of a 1959 I've ever seen. Speaking of great deals, when I used to know Brian back in the early 1970's, just before he got the Etta James gig, he bought his famous 1957"Goldie" for $850. He had been playing a red ES-345 before that, if I remember correctly. After 50+ years now Brian says it "looks like Keith Richard's face" (it actually does on the back!).......
@@pharmerdavid1432 I’ll check the “bryan ray one”, thank you! 850 dollars for a 57 it’s crazy… But it’s all about the storic period, at that time 850$ for a guitar were a lot i think.
I have played many of them here in Nashville. All we are hearing is the unpotted pickups on the verge of feeding back under the covers. Nothing more. And this saying came from a famous close friend that owns one. I may add one thing. The action is always just a bit higher on them and the pickups are usually set low. IMO, most LPs can sound just like that.
I fulfilled one of my bucket list items a few years ago, and it was to play a genuine original burst. An old guitar dealer/broker friend let me play a 1960 passing through his posession. My thought was the same as you stated: it was wonderful and bizarre to hold one item in my hand worth more than an average house. It was awesome.
A friend was recently repairing a Red '58 LP Special double cut. I had a '59 TV Yellow that needed more repair work than I could do. (Neck was broken 3X) I got to plug in the '58 and play for a while. What hit me was the solid feel of the wood. Nothing new feels like it at all. .Not even a little.. The wood had character and body and depth. I don't know how else to describe it. I almost cried.
Great video, it would be awesome to hear a full set on instruments like this. Mere mortals can get similar tones with low wind, non-potted custom PAF offshoots/replicas, or with pre-late-70's vintage T-tops, combined with good 500k pots and caps of choice.
The only 59 Burst I have played was slightly more aged than the one being played here. However, the throatiness of the wound strings was heaven. The one I played was not the same balance that I hear with the one in this video. Great guitar!
I played a 59 back when everyone had one and was no big deal. It sounded great, the pickups were as crisp as an October morning with enough heat to take you into next year, and then all of a sudden.....I woke up....dang! Although, I am truly happy with all the USA models since new management in 2019.
I have a 2010 Traditional and it rings like a bell and plays like butter. Can't understand all the hate on those years, really. Plus, it has an AMAZING top.
Its not genuine hate it's people spewing what they've read or heard on a video. The facts are , there's good and bad ones put out every hear regardless of management. People are followers and can't think for themselves nowadays.
I just bought a new Gibson Les Paul Standard which I did some light relicing on which I really really love! The pickups are very articulate, and the overall construction was quite good, although Gibson's quality-control definitely still needs attention.
When talking about the differences in neck profiles between years e.g. 58 vs 59 etc, I think it's important to take into consideration that for the first few months of 59, the factory would be using all their leftover parts from 58. Therefore you could get two 59's with noticeably different neck profiles.
That Burst is Georgeous! Even though it is not over the top with the flamed maple it has what is known as a "Peek a boo" top. What that means is on some angles it looks like a plain top and on other angles it has some flame. I really like that personally! Plus that color is faded just Perfect! that shade of Ice tea is incredible! Some prefer the more plain maple tops. The best part is a Burst like that is a lot less money to buy a highly figured top burst can fetch over $500K U.S dollars whereas the more plain top 59's are several thousand less. I love that one because it has that "old 50's guitar that was really taken care of" look.
The funny thing is: a lot of times the old Les Pauls are described as really bright and clear sounding. One of the things that could contribute to that (if it has the original pots) is that the pots often increase a lot in resistance due to their old age. Which in turn results in quite a roll off of the low frequencies and a "brighter" sound.
What a great guitar! I never had the luck of playing an original 59' but I had the luck of playing an Original 53' Goldtop and fell in love with it. It of course had the original P-90's in them. The guitar was so clean and put some overdrive? it growled and made this sound we all want. I ended up putting a nice chunk of change on an R8 and almost paid off to be in my hands, can't wait! great video, there is magic in vintage for sure, they all have a story too.
@@richardgregory3644 I still have my deposit on it. I’ll have the balanced payed towards the end of the month. I can’t wait lol. It’s a new Wildwood Soec R8 in green lemon fade.
So cool… What a dream to be able to put your hands on a real one. I’m going to head into the house and play my Les Paul and pretend LOL thanks you guys always appreciate you
Supposedly the pickups used in every ‘59 LP were wound differently. Don’t know if by hand or the machine, either way there wasn’t a count on the winds. I believe that is why the tones are different on each and every ‘59. If I’m wrong please add the correct info. Thanks!
Never had privilege of playing any 57 58 59 60…but played an original 55 gold top with p90’s and it was in 80’s was awesome…I have an R9 2007..vos..lemon burst its beautiful..closest I’ll ever get I suppose..I guess the stigma alone makes you sublimity…go ga ga….remember not many were produced..
Clive seems to have an amazing collection of guitars and these videos have been awesome. Now he has to figure out how to get you two out of his house because I wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon!🤣
There only worth what people are willing to pay for them they are one of the best playing and sounding guitars in the world also one of the most beautiful
I certainly can't afford a vintage Les Paul , but $500,000 is often Chump Change for the rich... Saying a 1959 LP isn't worth the money because ones wallet Can't stretch is as silly as a mega rich guitar player saying a $1000 guitar is just junk which is also wrong. The price I quess is reflected in the scarcity, desirability...not necessarily how good the instrument is . While some originals will be better than current production, some current production will be better than the originals..
Sounds beautiful, nice playing! But it sounds like a lot of modern guitars on TH-cam. So, let the collectors, like stock market hedge people, amp up up the value. The rest of us will deal as we always do.
I’ll say no they are not worth the price but if you’ve got the Money and want one why not. The only one i would pay that for is greeny. Huge Gary Moore fan.
HP Sauce.. Yes Agree! Love to hear neck!...My favourite though is the Middle.. Probably because the most famous LP player of all, Jimmy Page used it 'much more' than the others.. Middle was his go to..
@@joshuahymer15 Yes, many mistake the middle sound thinking it's the the bridge..The classic one being Rock and Roll off the Live Album.. Clearly middle position from the get go. Black Dog middle position.A lot of solos played in middle...That said, the Middle position will sound very wrong on modern Les Paul pickups.
@@zivaradlovacki2666 Those mods was done in 1982 (The Firm era) by Steve Hoyland on Jimmy's #2 back up Les Paul.. Many years later Jimmy #1 Les Paul had an OOP mod done. Nothing was modded during the Zeppelin era, except in April 1972 when a Gibson T Top replaced a broken bridge PAF. I make replica 1973 era Jimmy Page Pickups.. Hear them on my channel ( last video).. There is a waiting list for them at present.
Why is it when ever someone picks up a ‘Burst, they turn into EVH in ‘78, and shred the shit out of it?!?! I just wanna hear the tone of single notes and chords, the sustain, and some blues riffs. Anyone can shred, can you make it sing?
Good Morning sir! I believe this guitar you should send me to my home free! Honestly, I am not joking! It’s going to be Best Christmas Ever 🎁🎄 I want to learn blues music, deep blues from the soul and the ground into the stars and I will love this dream guitar forever! Reconsider sir the value of this guitar, subjects as how much costs… it doesn’t matter. Music for changes, Music for Love.
Gibson only made 640 of them! If there were 64,000 of them they wouldn't be any where near that valuable. I have a Custom Shop '59 Burst Reissue and it's AMAZING!
Yes I bought a 2023 Murphy lab heavy aged R9 and visually it looks 100% dead on to a old original. The trick to getting them to SOUND like one is the PAF's and the wire harness. If i were to put a set of 59 PAF's and use a 50's harness it would zero in to sounding like a old original.
I've owned a few R9's ( through my shop) which I couldn't fault..I also have had some " Premium" Tokais with long neck tenons, hide glues, correct neck angles etc. These go "toe to toe" with my R9s and are are fair step up from the Garden Variety Gibson product...The Japanese Gretsches are another example of proud Japan Craftsmanship..
@@NitroModelsAndComics Yes, I was a Gibson Custom Shop dealer ( Auckland Guitar Centre NZ) for 12 yrs.. The Guitar like you have here were top notch...Fantastic...Many of the 70's Norlin Era Gibsons ,the Heavy Pancake Bodies were pretty bad... Worse than any copies produced today...Funny isn't it, they went from Fantastic(late 50s) to Junk, (70s) to being great again ( Custom Shop)
I bought my then new 1984 Explorer and was so entranced by it that it has journeyed with me for for the last 38 years. Ill not go into all our many adventures but it must be said it has not once let me down. Despite the Kahler it received year one, to the many pickups and paint jobs and upgrades it has delivered whenever asked with tone, playability and a presence many lesser fiddles could never do. And despite my many attempts to break it, it has remaind whole and hale through it all. It does need a fret job though. But she will accept it with all the grace that a pice of wood and steel can muster. I could never ask for more.
@@NitroModelsAndComics You're lucky you have a guitar that you prefer to "Any Other"... Just goes to prove you don't have to spend 'the world' to get the best.. Well done..
We have to remember the bursts were a commercial failure for Gibson. In reality by the following year production was ceased. Highly likely the reason the likes of Clapton, Page Green etc were playing them in the mid 60s was because they were probably cheap and far from desirable guitars. An interview with Billy Gibbons always springs to mind when 59s are discussed. He went on to explain that for many years he has been searching for a stand in for his 59 Pearly Gates. He said he has tried many from very bad to quite good. He is right in saying they were all hand made at that point therefore, they are all going to be different. As he correctly points out pearly gates was built on the right day, by the right people using the right combination of parts. Out of the 800 or so made in 59 it is inevitable that Friday afternoon Monday morning syndrome would come into play. Hence, there must be some utter dogs of 59s out there but they will still fetch the huge bucks. I strongly suspect the one you were playing may have previously been owned by John Martyn. John inherited a bunch of Les Pauls from Paul Kossoff when he passed away as he living with John & Beverly Martyn and touring with John at the time of his death.
Yes they were all different, particularly the PAFs....I was blessed that Clive Coulson the Guitar Tech of my favourite player ( Jimmy Page) was a customer of my Guitar shop in New Zealand ...I have replicated those pickups and re created that tone in a few instruments ....No other 1959 will sound anything like Jimmy's , particularly because the Neck pickup was possibly a " one off"...Really High DCR resistance coupled with an Alnico 2 Magnet SO LOW in power it almost couldn't drive the pickup.. Possibly a Factory error? Who knows....It is interesting that in a blind listening test, I cannot tell my guitars apart if loaded with those particular pickups.. I wonder in 1957- 1960 how many Les Pauls left the Factory where the Neck Pickup was a Hotter wind than the Bridge like Jimmy Pages.?
@@peacefulruler1 The Magnet was unique in Jimmy Pages neck pickup in Zeppelin.. By time Gibson copied the Guitar in 2004, the Zeppelin Pickups were well gone ( All 3 of them . The neck and both bridge reiterations). Gibson just stuck A3 magnets in the 2004 reissue . That reissue was nothing like the Led Zeppelin instrument ( electrically)
This guitar doesn't even look like it's been played! That's usually a bad sign to players that it's not a player, like one that shows signs of wear from being played. Somebody bought it and put it in their closet for 60 years.
It's ridiculous to think that in 2024 we can't make that guitar today even better ? 65 years of technology and we are still confused how to re make this ? Part of me thinks it's ridiculous if that's the case ?? That being said I play since 1978-1979. I think 99 percent of people couldn't tell the difference in a blind test between a 59 and a R9. I'm not knocking the 57-60s at all, I'm just trying to think logically about it.
The thing is, that its not ONE THING, that makes these guitars so good. Its the HARDWARE, its the PAF's, its the HARNESS, POTS, CAPS, and even the BRAIDED WIRE. ITS EVERYTHING. Probably the wood has something to do with it too, but nobody I know of, has done any science of the woods in the real world. I was told that those old woods were water cured, but no idea if thats true or not. Why don't modern Gibsons come close? Because they are a corporation. What do corporations do? MAKE MONEY. The hardware, harness, fake "nitro," Indian Rosewood, budget slimmed neck tenon, poorly done humbuckers, its all low bidder quality and lack of caring about recreating history. But, its also that ALL THE MATERIALS FROM THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, have no exact modern matches. I'm not trying to sell you anything here, but I put over 20 years in the reverse-engineering of vintage PAF's, using real science methods and the help of a Senior Ferromagnetics alloys engineer, for the magnetic circuit parts, and laboratory analyses of vintage plain enamel from old PAF's, covering every year they were made. But its not even close to all the work I did, was along very complex difficult and heart breaking journey to unlock the truth about them, nothing was simple. We collectively covered the period from 1937-1977 of every model pickup Gibson made. But PAF sound isn't from steel, or magnets or butryate or wire, its ALL of that. My expertise is in PAF's, but I also turned to the hardware they used back then, especially the ABR1 bridges, which are a key element in that sound. Nobody else had done any of this before or after my work. 3 friends and myself successfully reproduced the ABR1's using the same reverse-engineering methods I learned in the PAF 20+ years project. Science WORKS. These guitars CAN be very closely duplicated, but there are only a couple guys actually doing it. So, words don't mean anything without real world results. Here is a set of real PAF's from 1959 that I had in my shop to repair the legs on both baseplates. One of them is a double white, there is nothing "magic" about double whites, they aren't any hotter or different sounding than the other years, though there were many changes PAF's went thru each year, so much that a '57 PAF and a '60, are quite different. Using the knowledge from all these years, I made a point of seeing if what I learned could duplicate this particular '59 set. Take a listen for yourself, only to show you that its not impossible to very very closely get the same sounds. A sole lunatic like myself can do what a huge corporation has consistently failed to do, because they are closed loop environments if. you get my drift. Enoy.... Dave Stephens Note: Before you watch this, I did not try to get a "good tone" with a highly distorting amplifier, distortion makes everything sound the same. This is a '73 Vibroluxe plugged into a Celestion Alnico Gold 12" speaker. You can't get more clean and sparkly than that. The reason is that I wanted people to hear the tiniest details of the 1959 PAF's and NOT some dark Marshall sound. This make the comparison as brutally honest as I could make it. No pedals, no effects.... th-cam.com/video/r17XQ3Vj02Q/w-d-xo.html
Great video paul.Heres the 1 owner from new 1959 LP i got to play -th-cam.com/video/XzAToA8qM-U/w-d-xo.html There were 2 the one in the video was just beautiful dreamland stuff.The other was very good but not incredible.Always enjoy your videos and knowledge/playing.happy to chat anytime via e mail etc
I know nothing about guitars... What makes it worth so much -- are there not many of them around? I was thinking maybe it had belonged to Keith Richards or Jeff Beck, Clapton or Jimmy Page or something, but its history is unknown. So why is it worth so much? :0)
Tha main reason is that they are not many around, as you say. Gibson stopped producing them for a while. Besides, a lot of famous guitarists played them during the 60s-70s (those you also mentioned above). That's the sound that shaped rock music in a lot of ways and people chase THAT sound. There is a lot of mystique around these guitars specially because the players and the nostalgia. I love the LP sound, but it's a matter of pickups and a nice amp... and of course your own fingers! They are not worth it considering how much you pay for them. The issue with vintage guitars is also that they might be a hit or miss, and if the guitar has been laying under a bed or inside a closet for more then 30 years it's no going to sound as good as a played one. It happens with acoustic guitars too.
If the bursts are so great and so easily cloned that it's so difficult to tell the real from a fake, then why doesn't Gibson get into cloning them? Could you really tell a $400,000.00 burst from my $2000 2002 LPS?
What is anything worth? Why is gold valuable? Rarity and quality pay a part, but things are valuable because people are willing to pay for them, these 59s are iconic in music history so you are paying to own a piece of that history. The wood and metal it's made of are practically worthless but as a guitar it commands adoration like nothing else.
No, they are not. Any respectable luthier out there can build you one for no more than 4-5k...Simple. And yes, you CAN find the same woods, BETTER pickups rather than the old random ones etc.....They only cost that much due to rarity and hype. These guitars were going for peanuts back in the 70s and early 80s...The SAME guitars. Are they good guitars? Eh, NO. The Les Paul shape has HUGE problems, fret access, playability, weight, tuning etc...Do they have a good tone? They have a VERY SPECIFIC tone that sounds great when dialled in but thats it. Are they beautiful guitars? YES, they are, but still goes down to taste. I have a Historic 59 which I bought as a bargain new (cos no one was buying it) and it is a GREAT guitar....or better a great LES PAUL guitar. It does THAT sound perfectly and stays in tune. and I'm pretty sure if you put it side by side with Skinnerburst or Greeny, using the same gear...it is going to sound the same and no-one will be able to tell.
Seriously guys it sounds like a les Paul. That’s all. No better than Les Paul’s made today. I have two Les Paul’s. People just love the mystery and mythology. It’s that simple. Fool yourself if you like. That’s fine.
We are very fortunate that more genuine 59’ Les Pauls continue to be made every day !
lmaoooo
The old wood has depth and clarity and the paf's are like microphones that allow that clarity to come through. Sounds like bells ringing!
Here's a big "Thank you" to the owner of these guitars for letting us see and hear them. It is great to see Paul and James playing them and talking about them and to see what a good time they had.
I have played two 59 Les Paul burst...the first one was while I was in the Air Force in 1982..I could have bought it for 5000 dollars....it might have well been 500,000 dollars... being an airman first class it was way out of my reach....but it was like nothing I have ever played or heard...it had that horn like quality to it like all the great burst have....the second one was also a 59 and it belonged to a guitar player that played in my uncle's country and western band...that one was even better...it was majical....it played unbelievably easy...his had more of the baseball type of profile on the neck....he later sold that one to a collector from Japan for 400,000 dollars and ended up in the book THE BEAUTY OF THE BURST...I bought that book here a few years ago and saw it in there...I knew it was the one I played as soon as I saw it... And it had been like 15 years since I had held it...but I took a mental picture of it...the 59 he had was highly flamed and it was probably an 8 out of 10 condition wise....I bought an R9 about 10 years ago and I have to say it is very very close to the real thing.... great video guys......🎸🎸🎸
All the people in the comments that haven't played an actual burst might not get it. Glad to see I'm not the only one who's played a handful of em (4 for me). They really are worth it. You can't get that last 10% and the horn-like clarity in anything else (I've played a few high-end fakes/replicas, a bunch of MIJ Tokai/Greco versions, and a ton of Gibson reissues). Only thing that's come close was a 5-figure replica and a couple high-end Greco LP's.
What’s the page of the book that shows that 59?
@@SqualoDeiCelestini He probably won't see your comment, could have left the page number for us, but whatever - they are just guitars, some have prettier tops than others. Perhaps the best one is in Brian Ray's personal collection, he has one of each model he loves, but the BEST of the best. His 1959 is pristine, just like new, and not only that - it's a killa playa with the perfect neck (they were all different, like now), probably the finest example of a 1959 I've ever seen. Speaking of great deals, when I used to know Brian back in the early 1970's, just before he got the Etta James gig, he bought his famous 1957"Goldie" for $850. He had been playing a red ES-345 before that, if I remember correctly. After 50+ years now Brian says it "looks like Keith Richard's face" (it actually does on the back!).......
@@pharmerdavid1432 I’ll check the “bryan ray one”, thank you! 850 dollars for a 57 it’s crazy… But it’s all about the storic period, at that time 850$ for a guitar were a lot i think.
I have played many of them here in Nashville. All we are hearing is the unpotted pickups on the verge of feeding back under the covers. Nothing more. And this saying came from a famous close friend that owns one. I may add one thing. The action is always just a bit higher on them and the pickups are usually set low. IMO, most LPs can sound just like that.
I fulfilled one of my bucket list items a few years ago, and it was to play a genuine original burst. An old guitar dealer/broker friend let me play a 1960 passing through his posession. My thought was the same as you stated: it was wonderful and bizarre to hold one item in my hand worth more than an average house. It was awesome.
I don't know, but what ever it is, after I heard the first few notes, I realised these guitar's have a soul, amen.😊🎼🎵
Gorgeous and iconic!!! The ‘59s are incredible. Thanks for another great episode of the Studio Rats.
Banging your ring against a £300,000 Guitar! Well done.
That guitar's real BANG for your buck! :)
A friend was recently repairing a Red '58 LP Special double cut. I had a '59 TV Yellow that needed more repair work than I could do. (Neck was broken 3X) I got to plug in the '58 and play for a while. What hit me was the solid feel of the wood. Nothing new feels like it at all. .Not even a little.. The wood had character and body and depth. I don't know how else to describe it. I almost cried.
that damn cup of coffee going over the top of the guitar!
Great video, it would be awesome to hear a full set on instruments like this. Mere mortals can get similar tones with low wind, non-potted custom PAF offshoots/replicas, or with pre-late-70's vintage T-tops, combined with good 500k pots and caps of choice.
This one sounds particularly good and has exceptional balance across the neck based on what you guys played
The only 59 Burst I have played was slightly more aged than the one being played here. However, the throatiness of the wound strings was heaven. The one I played was not the same balance that I hear with the one in this video. Great guitar!
Im impressed he was comfortable sipping his tea while holding the guitar.
I played a 59 back when everyone had one and was no big deal. It sounded great, the pickups were as crisp as an October morning with enough heat to take you into next year, and then all of a sudden.....I woke up....dang! Although, I am truly happy with all the USA models since new management in 2019.
I have a 2019 new management Les and it’s fuckin amazing
I have a 2010 Traditional and it rings like a bell and plays like butter. Can't understand all the hate on those years, really. Plus, it has an AMAZING top.
Its not genuine hate it's people spewing what they've read or heard on a video. The facts are , there's good and bad ones put out every hear regardless of management. People are followers and can't think for themselves nowadays.
@@benallmark9671 true!
I just bought a new Gibson Les Paul Standard which I did some light relicing on which I really really love! The pickups are very articulate, and the overall construction was quite good, although Gibson's quality-control definitely still needs attention.
It sounds great, just like the Gibson "custom bucker" pickups do - they really nailed that sound with those!!
Exactly
Really appreciate that you both played clean, it really showed how good they are.
When talking about the differences in neck profiles between years e.g. 58 vs 59 etc, I think it's important to take into consideration that for the first few months of 59, the factory would be using all their leftover parts from 58. Therefore you could get two 59's with noticeably different neck profiles.
I would think so.. I noticed that the early 60's look like 59's for that reason.
Imagine getting something so right..like Leo with tele strat…I guess these things happen ..from time to time…maybe not though in this techno age
I see set of Grover’s..we’re put on..That’s a beautiful guitar………Those ltd 59’s seem magic..when u hear them.cheers🤙🏻🤙🏻
Absolutely beautiful guitar
That Burst is Georgeous! Even though it is not over the top with the flamed maple it has what is known
as a "Peek a boo" top. What that means is on some angles it looks like a plain top and on other
angles it has some flame. I really like that personally! Plus that color is faded just Perfect!
that shade of Ice tea is incredible! Some prefer the more plain maple tops. The best part is a Burst like that is a lot less money to buy
a highly figured top burst can fetch over $500K U.S dollars whereas the more plain top 59's are
several thousand less. I love that one because it has that "old 50's guitar that was really taken care of" look.
I'm one who prefers the more plain maple top. I like stripes too, but prefer the former.
The funny thing is: a lot of times the old Les Pauls are described as really bright and clear sounding. One of the things that could contribute to that (if it has the original pots) is that the pots often increase a lot in resistance due to their old age. Which in turn results in quite a roll off of the low frequencies and a "brighter" sound.
Higher value pot would make a guitar brighter. Strats and Teles use 250k vs 500k for humbucker guitars
@@peacefulruler1 exactly
Also, wood has aged and matured in its time since manufacture. Lends a quality that can't quite be reproduced.
Due in part to 50s style wiring? I wired a strat 50s style and it sounded so bright and direct that I could keep the tone knobs at 6 or below.
It sounds AMAZING, both clean and dirty!! Would be nice to know the actual weight. Are we taking 9#, 9.75#, 11#?!??
What a great guitar! I never had the luck of playing an original 59' but I had the luck of playing an Original 53' Goldtop and fell in love with it. It of course had the original P-90's in them. The guitar was so clean and put some overdrive? it growled and made this sound we all want. I ended up putting a nice chunk of change on an R8 and almost paid off to be in my hands, can't wait! great video, there is magic in vintage for sure, they all have a story too.
Did you get the newer R8 with custom buckers? They are some of the best sounding reissues
@@richardgregory3644 I still have my deposit on it. I’ll have the balanced payed towards the end of the month. I can’t wait lol. It’s a new Wildwood Soec R8 in green lemon fade.
So cool… What a dream to be able to put your hands on a real one. I’m going to head into the house and play my Les Paul and pretend LOL thanks you guys always appreciate you
Would really like to learn to play exactly what you played in this video on my les paul traditional.
Started my first lessons last week.
Supposedly the pickups used in every ‘59 LP were wound differently. Don’t know if by hand or the machine, either way there wasn’t a count on the winds. I believe that is why the tones are different on each and every ‘59. If I’m wrong please add the correct info. Thanks!
having heard Clive's 59 played live i have to say the his Gold top is the kiddie sound wise
Never had privilege of playing any 57 58 59 60…but played an original 55 gold top with p90’s and it was in 80’s was awesome…I have an R9 2007..vos..lemon burst its beautiful..closest I’ll ever get I suppose..I guess the stigma alone makes you sublimity…go ga ga….remember not many were produced..
Clive seems to have an amazing collection of guitars and these videos have been awesome. Now he has to figure out how to get you two out of his house because I wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon!🤣
There only worth what people are willing to pay for them they are one of the best playing and sounding guitars in the world also one of the most beautiful
Beautiful tone great guitar
Fantastic. @4:10 I thought you were going into the back half of the Now I'm Here riff. These are a great series of videos.
Of course... If you have that money. Is a piece of history and art. But only a few people can spend that amount.
Would've been nice to hear the neck pickup on its own. Maybe next time...
This owner is extremely cool… and rich or at least rich enough!
I certainly can't afford a vintage Les Paul , but $500,000 is often Chump Change for the rich...
Saying a 1959 LP isn't worth the money because ones wallet Can't stretch is as silly as a mega rich guitar player saying a $1000 guitar is just junk which is also wrong.
The price I quess is reflected in the scarcity, desirability...not necessarily how good the instrument is . While some originals will be better than current production, some current production will be better than the originals..
Sounds beautiful, nice playing! But it sounds like a lot of modern guitars on TH-cam. So, let the collectors, like stock market hedge people, amp up up the value. The rest of us will deal as we always do.
Sounds amazing!!! Thank you!!!
Great video! Beautiful top, and sounds great. What's the weight of the guitar, if I may ask. Did you ask him?
That thing is super clean
Speechless.
Love that, in the first 2 minutes, he drinks a coffee over it and knocks his ring on the neck!😂
It was built to be played not looked at.
Very very very good sound.
My Harley Benton sounds exactly the same.
i dont know, i have the R8 in my lap while watching, and they sound identical. maybe i need to be in the room.
Now that's a real bang for your buck guitar :).
Просто BOMBA SOUND!👍
I’ll say no they are not worth the price but if you’ve got the Money and want one why not. The only one i would pay that for is greeny. Huge Gary Moore fan.
Have just purchased 59Epiphone inspired by Gibson,, wondering,,,,, any chance of a swap 🤔
I hope the original tuners are in the case...!
Worth it to a seller.
Simple answer, if Joe Bonamassa is playing it, yes its worth it.
Wow you play a 59 Les Paul and don't put it on the neck pick up. What a dissappointment!
HP Sauce.. Yes Agree! Love to hear neck!...My favourite though is the Middle.. Probably because the most famous LP player of all, Jimmy Page used it 'much more' than the others.. Middle was his go to..
@@bryanwilliams3665did he
@@joshuahymer15 Yes, many mistake the middle sound thinking it's the the bridge..The classic one being Rock and Roll off the Live Album.. Clearly middle position from the get go. Black Dog middle position.A lot of solos played in middle...That said, the Middle position will sound very wrong on modern Les Paul pickups.
@@bryanwilliams3665but Page had modified his less paul to split pots etc. Used it same as Peter Green without turning neck pickup around.
@@zivaradlovacki2666 Those mods was done in 1982 (The Firm era) by Steve Hoyland on Jimmy's #2 back up Les Paul.. Many years later Jimmy #1 Les Paul had an OOP mod done. Nothing was modded during the Zeppelin era, except in April 1972 when a Gibson T Top replaced a broken bridge PAF.
I make replica 1973 era Jimmy Page Pickups.. Hear them on my channel ( last video).. There is a waiting list for them at present.
Why is it when ever someone picks up a ‘Burst, they turn into EVH in ‘78, and shred the shit out of it?!?! I just wanna hear the tone of single notes and chords, the sustain, and some blues riffs. Anyone can shred, can you make it sing?
Maybe because they’re playing for themselves and not for you.
No guitar is worth that much money. But, it sure sounds nice!
Good Morning sir! I believe this guitar you should send me to my home free! Honestly, I am not joking! It’s going to be Best Christmas Ever 🎁🎄
I want to learn blues music, deep blues from the soul and the ground into the stars and I will love this dream guitar forever! Reconsider sir the value of this guitar, subjects as how much costs… it doesn’t matter. Music for changes, Music for Love.
Gibson only made 640 of them! If there were 64,000 of them they wouldn't be any where near that valuable. I have a Custom Shop '59 Burst Reissue and it's AMAZING!
Yes I bought a 2023 Murphy lab heavy aged R9 and visually it looks 100% dead on to a old original. The trick to getting them to SOUND like one is the PAF's and the wire harness. If i were to put a set of 59 PAF's and use a 50's harness it would zero in to sounding like a old original.
Beautiful!!
I was played a Les Paul black beauty which the owner took out of a vault. It was scary to say the least. 😳
Insane pricetag! Great guitar, though.
Use a wound G string it will make a difference.
And just like that there is a Fuchs ODS. How do you like the amp?
Funny enough it was my least favourite out of the three. There’s a vid coming soon.
@@TheStudioRats looking forward to the video and your take on the amp.
Robben Ford wants one.
An R9 is just as good aside from it not being 60 plus years old.
I've owned a few R9's ( through my shop) which I couldn't fault..I also have had some " Premium" Tokais with long neck tenons, hide glues, correct neck angles etc. These go "toe to toe" with my R9s and are are fair step up from the Garden Variety Gibson product...The Japanese Gretsches are another example of proud Japan Craftsmanship..
Sounds likw youve giveni t all a fair shake.
@@NitroModelsAndComics Yes, I was a Gibson Custom Shop dealer ( Auckland Guitar Centre NZ) for 12 yrs.. The Guitar like you have here were top notch...Fantastic...Many of the 70's Norlin Era Gibsons ,the Heavy Pancake Bodies were
pretty bad... Worse than any copies produced today...Funny isn't it, they went from Fantastic(late 50s) to Junk, (70s) to being great again ( Custom Shop)
I bought my then new 1984 Explorer and was so entranced by it that it has journeyed with me for for the last 38 years. Ill not go into all our many adventures but it must be said it has not once let me down. Despite the Kahler it received year one, to the many pickups and paint jobs and upgrades it has delivered whenever asked with tone, playability and a presence many lesser fiddles could never do. And despite my many attempts to break it, it has remaind whole and hale through it all. It does need a fret job though. But she will accept it with all the grace that a pice of wood and steel can muster. I could never ask for more.
@@NitroModelsAndComics You're lucky you have a guitar that you prefer to "Any Other"... Just goes to prove you don't have to spend 'the world' to get the best.. Well done..
Only if you have money like we have water is it ok to buy one of these quarter of a mil guitars.
Worth more than the average house that Les Paul.Its worth more than twice my house
I enjoyed this, not as much as you two did.
Bro I would NOT be drinking a cup of tea while holding a fucking 59 burst!
It’s fine, it’s only worth £300K.
We have to remember the bursts were a commercial failure for Gibson. In reality by the following year production was ceased. Highly likely the reason the likes of Clapton, Page Green etc were playing them in the mid 60s was because they were probably cheap and far from desirable guitars. An interview with Billy Gibbons always springs to mind when 59s are discussed. He went on to explain that for many years he has been searching for a stand in for his 59 Pearly Gates. He said he has tried many from very bad to quite good. He is right in saying they were all hand made at that point therefore, they are all going to be different. As he correctly points out pearly gates was built on the right day, by the right people using the right combination of parts. Out of the 800 or so made in 59 it is inevitable that Friday afternoon Monday morning syndrome would come into play. Hence, there must be some utter dogs of 59s out there but they will still fetch the huge bucks. I strongly suspect the one you were playing may have previously been owned by John Martyn. John inherited a bunch of Les Pauls from Paul Kossoff when he passed away as he living with John & Beverly Martyn and touring with John at the time of his death.
Cheers for the insightful info John!
Yes they were all different, particularly the PAFs....I was blessed that Clive Coulson the Guitar Tech of my favourite player ( Jimmy Page) was a customer of my Guitar shop in New Zealand ...I have replicated those pickups and re created that tone in a few instruments ....No other 1959 will sound anything like Jimmy's , particularly because the Neck pickup was possibly a " one off"...Really High DCR resistance coupled with an Alnico 2 Magnet SO LOW in power it almost couldn't drive the pickup.. Possibly a Factory error? Who knows....It is interesting that in a blind listening test, I cannot tell my guitars apart if loaded with those particular pickups..
I wonder in 1957- 1960 how many Les Pauls left the Factory where the Neck Pickup was a Hotter wind than the Bridge like Jimmy Pages.?
@@bryanwilliams3665perhaps that pickup was rewound after the fact?
@@peacefulruler1 The Magnet was unique in Jimmy Pages neck pickup in Zeppelin.. By time Gibson copied the Guitar in 2004, the Zeppelin Pickups were well gone ( All 3 of them . The neck and both bridge reiterations). Gibson just stuck A3 magnets in the 2004 reissue . That reissue was nothing like the Led Zeppelin instrument ( electrically)
Not going to lie It would definitely be intimidating holding a $350k guitar!
👍👍
The way you keep swinging that guitar round. I'm waiting for you to Bang it against that thing behind you I can't watch any more.
Ah....yes! Definitely yes
good! now I'm convinced that it sounded the same or my chinese knockoff sounds even better
This guitar doesn't even look like it's been played! That's usually a bad sign to players that it's not a player, like one that shows signs of wear from being played. Somebody bought it and put it in their closet for 60 years.
Do you avoid playing any 'famous' riffs or songs for copyright reasons? It's hard to appreciate the tone from fragmented chords and noodles.
She's a playah .
It's ridiculous to think that in 2024 we can't make that guitar today even better ?
65 years of technology and we are still confused how to re make this ?
Part of me thinks it's ridiculous if that's the case ??
That being said I play since 1978-1979.
I think 99 percent of people couldn't tell the difference in a blind test between a 59 and a R9.
I'm not knocking the 57-60s at all, I'm just trying to think logically about it.
Gutted to pile all that money for Guitar to find that the neck pick up doesn’t work? 😮
dear me , it's sounds like an les paul : )
The thing is, that its not ONE THING, that makes these guitars so good. Its the HARDWARE, its the PAF's, its the HARNESS, POTS, CAPS, and even the BRAIDED WIRE. ITS EVERYTHING. Probably the wood has something to do with it too, but nobody I know of, has done any science of the woods in the real world. I was told that those old woods were water cured, but no idea if thats true or not. Why don't modern Gibsons come close? Because they are a corporation. What do corporations do? MAKE MONEY. The hardware, harness, fake "nitro," Indian Rosewood, budget slimmed neck tenon, poorly done humbuckers, its all low bidder quality and lack of caring about recreating history. But, its also that ALL THE MATERIALS FROM THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, have no exact modern matches. I'm not trying to sell you anything here, but I put over 20 years in the reverse-engineering of vintage PAF's, using real science methods and the help of a Senior Ferromagnetics alloys engineer, for the magnetic circuit parts, and laboratory analyses of vintage plain enamel from old PAF's, covering every year they were made. But its not even close to all the work I did, was along very complex difficult and heart breaking journey to unlock the truth about them, nothing was simple. We collectively covered the period from 1937-1977 of every model pickup Gibson made. But PAF sound isn't from steel, or magnets or butryate or wire, its ALL of that. My expertise is in PAF's, but I also turned to the hardware they used back then, especially the ABR1 bridges, which are a key element in that sound. Nobody else had done any of this before or after my work. 3 friends and myself successfully reproduced the ABR1's using the same reverse-engineering methods I learned in the PAF 20+ years project. Science WORKS. These guitars CAN be very closely duplicated, but there are only a couple guys actually doing it. So, words don't mean anything without real world results. Here is a set of real PAF's from 1959 that I had in my shop to repair the legs on both baseplates. One of them is a double white, there is nothing "magic" about double whites, they aren't any hotter or different sounding than the other years, though there were many changes PAF's went thru each year, so much that a '57 PAF and a '60, are quite different. Using the knowledge from all these years, I made a point of seeing if what I learned could duplicate this particular '59 set. Take a listen for yourself, only to show you that its not impossible to very very closely get the same sounds. A sole lunatic like myself can do what a huge corporation has consistently failed to do, because they are closed loop environments if. you get my drift. Enoy.... Dave Stephens
Note: Before you watch this, I did not try to get a "good tone" with a highly distorting amplifier, distortion makes everything sound the same. This is a '73 Vibroluxe plugged into a Celestion Alnico Gold 12" speaker. You can't get more clean and sparkly than that. The reason is that I wanted people to hear the tiniest details of the 1959 PAF's and NOT some dark Marshall sound. This make the comparison as brutally honest as I could make it. No pedals, no effects....
th-cam.com/video/r17XQ3Vj02Q/w-d-xo.html
9:07 he doesnt like listening to 59 is alot heavier
sounds like my harley benton but doesn't look as good.
Great video paul.Heres the 1 owner from new 1959 LP i got to play -th-cam.com/video/XzAToA8qM-U/w-d-xo.html
There were 2 the one in the video was just beautiful dreamland stuff.The other was very good but not incredible.Always enjoy your videos and knowledge/playing.happy to chat anytime via e mail etc
I know nothing about guitars... What makes it worth so much -- are there not many of them around? I was thinking maybe it had belonged to Keith Richards or Jeff Beck, Clapton or Jimmy Page or something, but its history is unknown. So why is it worth so much? :0)
Tha main reason is that they are not many around, as you say. Gibson stopped producing them for a while. Besides, a lot of famous guitarists played them during the 60s-70s (those you also mentioned above). That's the sound that shaped rock music in a lot of ways and people chase THAT sound. There is a lot of mystique around these guitars specially because the players and the nostalgia. I love the LP sound, but it's a matter of pickups and a nice amp... and of course your own fingers! They are not worth it considering how much you pay for them. The issue with vintage guitars is also that they might be a hit or miss, and if the guitar has been laying under a bed or inside a closet for more then 30 years it's no going to sound as good as a played one. It happens with acoustic guitars too.
@@Lalairu Thanks! :0)
@@williamr3840 you are welcome :)
Banging his ring on the neck binding....nice!!
jez man, its a guitar, its meant to be played.
If the bursts are so great and so easily cloned that it's so difficult to tell the real from a fake, then why doesn't Gibson get into cloning them? Could you really tell a $400,000.00 burst from my $2000 2002 LPS?
The Average guy can't AFFORD a 59 let alone take it out and play one on stage.
NO
Are they the original strings.. 🤣….
Weren't the new PRS compared to these....Tim Pierce and the guitarist from Heart. The thoughts were for the PRS
Ahahahahah PRS???? Tim Pierce is full of shit....and probably is paid by PRS. I've played $8000 PRS guitars and they are hideous.
What is anything worth? Why is gold valuable? Rarity and quality pay a part, but things are valuable because people are willing to pay for them, these 59s are iconic in music history so you are paying to own a piece of that history. The wood and metal it's made of are practically worthless but as a guitar it commands adoration like nothing else.
I'm not blowing my own trumpet ( but I will ) my 2008 MIJ Edwards Les Paul sounds easily as good as this .
Please, tune this low E string !!! :’(
Which one is the E string?
@@TheStudioRats ask Keith Richard!
Who?
No, they are not. Any respectable luthier out there can build you one for no more than 4-5k...Simple. And yes, you CAN find the same woods, BETTER pickups rather than the old random ones etc.....They only cost that much due to rarity and hype. These guitars were going for peanuts back in the 70s and early 80s...The SAME guitars. Are they good guitars? Eh, NO. The Les Paul shape has HUGE problems, fret access, playability, weight, tuning etc...Do they have a good tone? They have a VERY SPECIFIC tone that sounds great when dialled in but thats it. Are they beautiful guitars? YES, they are, but still goes down to taste. I have a Historic 59 which I bought as a bargain new (cos no one was buying it) and it is a GREAT guitar....or better a great LES PAUL guitar. It does THAT sound perfectly and stays in tune. and I'm pretty sure if you put it side by side with Skinnerburst or Greeny, using the same gear...it is going to sound the same and no-one will be able to tell.
Seriously guys it sounds like a les Paul. That’s all. No better than Les Paul’s made today. I have two Les Paul’s. People just love the mystery and mythology.
It’s that simple. Fool yourself if you like. That’s fine.