1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard #9 0871

Even among Bursts, this is an exceptional guitar — with a storied history.

• Beautiful 2-piece figured maple top on a Honduras mahogany body

• Solid Brazilian rosewood fretboard with 22 replacement frets

• Two Patent Applied For (PAF) humbucker™ pickups

• ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic™ bridge

• Nickel-plated zinc alloy Stop Bar tailpiece

• Original controls: two Volume and two Tone knobs, with Centralab potentiometers and Bumblebee capacitors

The sunburst Les Paul Standard is the most iconic electric guitar ever made. For collectors, nothing quite sets pulses racing like the chance to own a vintage 1959 Les Paul Standard. Even among Bursts, this is an exceptional guitar indeed.

This guitar, which sports the serial number 9 0871, shipped in 1959 and features 1959 specifications, with 1959 parts and cosmetics and a 1959 neck profile. Sold by the original owner’s family at a Christie’s auction in New York City in October 2005 at what was then a record-breaking price for a non-celebrity-owned guitar, it was exhibited at the Songbirds Guitar Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before being purchased by Gibson Brands, Inc. and residing in the Vault at the Gibson Garage in Nashville.

During its time in the Gibson Garage Vault, it has been played by numerous celebrity musicians and was used as a benchmark for the Gibson Custom Shop’s Historic reissue and Murphy Lab programs. The maple top’s extensive figuring is a rare and desirable trait that significantly increases its value compared to plainer vintage examples, while the original cherry sunburst has partially faded to a beautiful, iced tea shade around the top’s perimeter. With new fretwire, replacement tuners, and no other major modifications, this guitar is presented in the kind of condition collectors dream of.

Sold as part of Gibson’s world-first Gibson Certified Vintage program and offering collectors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, this 1959 Les Paul Standard comes with an array of exclusive extras:

• The buyer will receive a one-of-one hardcover book from Gibson Publishing, with stunning, immersive photography of the guitar.

• The buyer will also be invited to visit the Gibson Garage in Nashville for a guided tour of the Vault.

• Additionally, the buyer will receive a Les Paul from Gibson Custom’s acclaimed Made 2 Measure program with their choice of a VOS, gloss, or Murphy Lab-aged finish.