Description
Collector's Choice #3 1960 Les Paul "The Babe" is a precise recreation of what is an unusual and extremely desirable Les Paul by any standards, and production is strictly limited so it is destined to remain an extremely collectible guitar. It is based on a marvelously well-preserved Les Paul Standard and presents an unusual combination of late '59 features on an early 1960 model-year guitar, as well as being one of very few verifiable Standards of the era produced with a factory-ordered Bigsby vibrato (called a "Floating Bridge" at the time). In a little over 60 years on this planet, the original has had only four owners, three of whom preferred to remain anonymous, while one is very much known to the guitar-playing public, Joe Bonamassa.
The original guitar currently in Joe's possession exhibits a vibrant Cherry Red Sunburst finish (which has retained most of its Aniline red dye, a rarity among vintage Les Pauls), although such finishes would soon appear more orange-red on Les Paul Standards as 1960 progressed. Gibson Custom has accurately recreated this "Cherry Tea Burst" finish on a two-piece maple top carved from woods that have been hand-selected to closely represent the grain pattern of the original, and the results are hand-aged to recreate the gently aged patina of the original instrument. The one-piece genuine mahogany body back and neck are finished in an accurate dark Analine red dye, while the top and the rosewood fingerboard are bound in vintage-accurate plastics.
Further examples of its unusual "transitional" status, this Les Paul retains the somewhat heftier neck profile of the '59 Standard. Recreated from precise measurement of the original guitar, the one-piece, quarter-sawn neck measures .920" deep at the 1st fret and 1.01" at the 12th, a depth and shape that make it just about the perfect profile in the hands of many players today.
In addition to several other precise measurements, Gibson Custom has accurately recorded the specs of the original PAF humbucking pickups on "The Babe," and used them to recreate a pair of Custom Buckers. Made with Alnico III magnets and accurate numbers of turns of period-correct coil wire, these pickups meticulously recreate the specifications, look, and-most importantly-the tone of the original late '59 PAF pickups, offering all the characteristic warmth, depth, edge and clarity of some of the greatest pickups ever created.
Further period-correct details include Vintage Reissue fret wire, aged acrylic trapezoid fingerboard inlays, tortoise side dots, accurately aged hardware (including the unusual aluminum base beneath the Tune-o-matic bridge), single-band green tuner keys, gold "Top Hat" knobs without silver inserts, and reproduction "Bumble Bee" tone caps. In short, "The Babe" represents a painstaking effort to recreate the character and individuality of the original guitar, and gives a fortunate few players and collectors the opportunity to own as near to an exact recreation of "The Babe" as it is humanly possible. From its original owner via a mere two further stops to the collection of one of the most renowned guitarists of our time, Joe Bonamassa, this is a prized and precious 'Burst that you won't want to miss out on.
Cosmetic Condition: Great shape overall with a variety of little dents & dings and a tiny chip in the finish near the input jack.
Neck: Chunky, one-piece mahogany neck with cream binding & tortoise side.dots. Beautiful rosewood fingerboard with mother of pearl trapezoid inlays. Frets are in great shape with no wear. Gotoh Reissue Green Key tuners. 1 11/16" nut width; 24 3/4" scale length. Neck is straight & truss rod works perfectly.
Body: Solid, one-piece mahogany body with hand-selected Eastern maple top in Cherry Tea Burst finish. There is some pretty bird's eye & flame figuring in the top. Bigsby vibrato tailpiece & ABR-1 bridge with aluminum base. Single-ply cream pickguard & jackplate. Nickel hardware. Guitar weighs 9 lbs 6.7 oz.
Electronics: Custom Bucker (Alnico III) humbuckers with cream bezels & nickel covers. Dual volume & tone controls with gold "top hat" knobs. 3-way toggle swith & Bumblebee caps. All electronics & are in perfect working condition.
Case: Original hardshell case included along with COA & hang tags.
