Gibson Custom Shop MADE 2 MEASURE '59 Les Paul Standards!
Published on 29 March 2023
Few things delight a guitarist’s soul quite like the sight of a superb Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard. As iconic axes go, it’s at the top of the ‘pretty’ list for sure, whatever your tastes happen to be.
We see a lot of lovely Les Pauls here at guitarguitar, as you’d no doubt expect. From affordable Epiphones and cool Studios to excellent 50s and 60s Standards and luxurious Les Paul Customs, we love them all. That said, there is a special place in our hearts for a great flame top, finished in a beautiful burst finish. It’s just one of life’s indelibly enjoyable things, isn’t it?
Made 2 Measure
If only there was a way to be able to choose the tops for some of our Les Pauls we get in stock? If we were able to somehow be presented with a range of figured maple blanks and select the finest, most visually beautiful examples, to then be used on guitars that we would order up and receive somewhere down the line?
Wouldn’t that be awesome?
Well, you’ve no doubt already guessed your way past our subtle hints there, but that’s exactly what the Gibson Made 2 Measure range of guitars is. Dealers like ourselves are able, on these occasions, to choose the tops we want to see on the guitars we order.
Well, that’s what we did, and now we’ve taken delivery of the ‘fruits’, so to speak. Everything you see in this article is from this Made 2 Measure delivery!
Our Made 2 Measure order is made up of exquisite ‘59 reissue Les Paul Standards. Every one of these guitars has been hand made with loving precision in the Gibson Custom Shop, making these some of the most playable, comfortable and and downright delicious guitars we have on offer.
We’ve selected each and every figured maple top you see on these guitars. When choosing, our criteria was simple: go for the most impressive flames, whether that meant the widest, densest figuring or the tightest tiger stripes. Eye-catching was a priority here, basically. The top of a Les Paul Standard is primarily a decorative feature, and we want to sell you the greatest Les Pauls on the planet, so we chose only the most incredible maple blanks available at Gibson’s Custom Shop. It pays to be discerning: we think these are some of the most beautiful guitars we’ve seen in a long time.
The ‘59 Les Paul Standard, in Two Bursts
Our order was for a batch of gorgeous ‘59 Standards. As you know, 1959 is the most revered year for historical Les Pauls, mainly due to the combination of a great neck profile, wonderful sounding pickups and a timeless look. There’s also the scarcity element, too: comparatively few were ever made, and fewer still have survived to this day in any playable condition. This means that proper replicas, built by renowned authorities with access to vintage originals, is an extremely potent proposition for any serious player.
These instruments play wonderfully, and use mahogany specially chosen for it’s light weight to make the bodies. Then you have our hand-selected tops, and a choice of two burst finishes: Aged Cherry Sunburst and Dark Butterscotch Burst. As you’d expect, each of these instruments is a little different since they are all hand made, with hand-selected tops. Because of this, each individual guitar is listed on our site along with its serial number. You see a guitar you like? You click through and get that exact guitar, not one from some undisclosed number. We think this is more than worthwhile in order for you to get the precise guitar you love into your hands.
Murphy Lab Choice
We also spec’d some of these Les Pauls to receive a ‘Light Aged’ process from the illustrious Murphy Lab. To get a detailed lowdown on all things Tom Murphy, please watch our exclusive interview with the man himself in the video below, but in brief, the Murphy Lab is a process of ageing the instruments in a sympathetic, historically accurate and ‘real’ way. This isn’t so much ‘doing a relic’ as it’s recreating the patina of age in a wholly convincing way.
The Murphy Lab offer three stages of progressively more intense ageing: all of today’s Murphy Lab Made 2 Measure Les Pauls are ‘Light Aged’, which is the least intense degree. You’ll see some light discolouration and checking to the finish, some distressing to the edges of the body and that type of thing, but nothing that’s too invasive to the look.
This applies to some, but not all, of our delivery. The rest are finished in keeping with Gibson Custom Shop’s VOS (Vintage Original Spec) parameters. You decide if you want the ageing, and you pick the exact top you like the best. Like the name suggests, it’s pretty much made to measure! We know you’ll love these wonderful Les Pauls, so make sure you get in quick whilst we have ‘em!
