SOLD Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop CS9 R9 59 Reissue

guitarmansteve77 · October 2023

If you have a need for a rock machine with a lot of history you can not go wrong with a Gibson Custom Shop '59 Les Paul. This is one of the worlds most iconic guitars and even though it only survived a single year before being changed out it is one of the most sought after models. Revised again for 2015 the CS9 Custom Shop model has brand new hardware and construction to make it one of the best reissues yet.

Now Completely Solid

Back in 1959 manufacturing techniques for building guitars were no where near as advanced as they are today. This meant that they had much simpler designs including completely solid mahogany used on the body and neck with a solid Indian rosewood fretboard. While going for an all solid non weight relieved design does add a lot of bulk to the guitar it also maximizes the resonant qualities of the guitar. If you are after the classic Les Paul sound having this kind of build is an absolute must.

Now because this is a '59 model it had to have a period correct neck. Between '58 and '60 the Les Paul went through 3 main neck shapes that all had a similar shape carves but as the years went on the thickness went down. So as this is the middle year it is in the middle in terms of size. Not quite thin enough to be a shred machine but not big enough to completely stop you from soloing this is a top choice for the versatile player.

Nitro Finish

Most guitars you can buy today have what is known as a poly finish. This is a thicker much more resilient material that means your guitars finish will stay as the manufacturers intended. This wasn't an option back in 1959 though when the best material of choice was Nitrocellulose lacquer that was not only extremely volatile but also wore down quit easily. Because of its thin and somewhat flimsy nature Nitro finishes age wonderfully where the more you play it the better the wear. It also has a tonal benefit as well as it is much thinner your normal poly finish it allows the wood to breath and therefore become more resonant.

Vintage Designed Components

VOS is a term you will see quite often in Gibson's catalogue. It is the term they use to define a guitar that has been worn to look like an original sat in its case until today. The finish will be untouched but all of the hardware goes through artificial wearing to give it a classic look. What some people don't know about this though is that it can also define the specification of the guitar. With a VOS model you not only get classic plastics but vintage inspired wiring with bumblebee capacitors as well. These may not sound like major changes but they all add up to make this guitar as good as it can possibly be.

Custombuckers

Thought to be some of the best pickups Gibson currently produce these Alnico III Custombuckers have some serious vintage flair. Until recently these pickups were only available as part of the Collectors Choice series and other higher end models. Now however they are available on all CS guitars giving you a vintage tone you know you can rely on

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB1fKP

I'm interested in loads of different guitars, Gibson, Fender, PRS, MusicMan, Parker, etc. Might take a Les Paul Standard and another guitar or a guitar plus cash.

Looking for £3995