2015 Gibson Custom Collectors Choice CC#34, Blackburst

2015 Gibson Custom Collectors Choice #34 1960 Les Paul Standard.

Released in 2015 as part of Gibson’s highly successful Collectors Choice series of guitars. Crafted in the Gibson Custom Shop and unlike other Gibson Reissue that focus on the model year spec, the Collectors Choice series recreates an individual specific instrument in a limited run providing players and collectors the opportunity to experience the precise look, feel, and tone of some of the rarest original examples.

Limited to a run of 100 instruments, Collectors Choice #34 is a replica of an early 1960 Les Paul Standard #0 0162 AKA Blackburst. 0 0162 started its life like almost all Les Paul Standards did in ’58 ’59 and ’60 with the now famous sunburst finish. But thats where it gets interesting for 0 0162, the factory received an odd special order requesting a Les Paul Standard in Ebony finish as the customer couldn’t afford the more expensive Les Paul Custom but had fallen in love with the Ebony nitrocellulose finish. it’s hard to believe but Les Paul Standards weren’t flying off the shelf in 1960 and the factory did the unthinkable and sprayed the guitar Black directly over the already sunburst finished 0 0162. This would only come to light years later as the factory applied ebony finish started to wear and expose the Sunburst underneath.

The Custom Shop has recreated 0 0162 in exacting detail with every minor ding, scuff, and wear patch hand aged to resemble the original. Featuring a 2 piece unique figured maple top finished in Cherry Sunburst under the Ebony, a one piece Mahogany back, one piece mahogany neck with period correct maple splice. A 0-0 serial neck profile. Indian Rosewood fingerboard with aged celluloid Trapezoid inlays, nylon nut, reissue Kluson Deluxe tuners, a lightweight aluminium ABR-1 bridge and tailpiece, Gibson Custom bucker III Alnico pickups, black top hat control knobs. The nickel hardware is aged throughout.

The 0-0 neck profile is not thin as many later 1960 Gibson necks can be, 0 0162 is part of a small group of Les Paul Standards produced in 1960 but sharing the iconic ’59 models traits. The neck is a comfortable mid to large C profile with a hint of rounded off V. The two Gibson Custom Buckers III pickups are articulate and loud with out sounding hot. They have the clarity and top end to be expected of vintage P.A.F without sounding shrill. Into a compressed tweed amp there is a real growl from the low end without the guitar sounding bass heavy.

We’ve been lucky enough to have had a fair amount of the Gibson Collectors Choice series through the shop over the years and they never fail to impress. i believe in part due to the access the team are afforded with the actual instrument, allowing them to take detailed measurements of the neck profile, top carve, wear and finish to through to analysing the pickups and electronics and guitars overall tone. This guitar is no exception and is a unique instrument in both reissue and original form.

The Gibson Collectors Choice #34 weighs 9lbs even and comes with it’s original Gibson Case, Trifold Collectors Choice Certificate, photograph of the actual instrument before the Ebony finish was applied, hang tags and warranty card.