1953 Gibson Les Paul - '59 "Burst" Conversion with Sticker PAF's and OHSC

Just in! As close as some of us will ever get to owning a real '59 Burst- this converted '53 has all the coveted mojo you would expect from a mid-century Gibson!

Purchased at Willie's Guitars about 4 years ago, Willie's did most of the heavy lifting with gathering the info on this guitar. As stated, this was a conversion done in the 70s using some Gibson parts, replacement Grover tuners, and the origin of all the plastics is unknown. It dons a juicy, faded burst with a proper worn-in nitro finish- an all honest relic! Only a little over-spray is seen here and there (mostly on the neck). As the 70s skinny neck craze took hold, it seems the owner of this guitar was inspired to reshape the baseball bat into something a little more "with the times". It's a super fast, super comfy neck- and the taller frets allow for some seriously gymnastic feats in the spirit of Jimmy Page if you're into hammer-ons and register leaps. The headstock was broken before the refin, so the repair work is pretty well disguised. Weighing in at a featherweight (for an LP) 8.5 lbs- there's little not to love about this guitar!

Inside you'll find the holy grail of pickups- real, late 50s PAFs which take this guitar to the next level for a conversion model. At some point the covers were removed and then placed back on (likely for verification), so note the extra bit of solder and slightly wrinkled edges. The wiring harness is by no means original, but gets the job done with Bumblebee caps and 500K pots. The neck pickup is one of the finest humbucker examples we've ever laid ears on. Bright enough to cut with voice leading and chording, but with a mellow quality to it that can bring a tear to your eye with the right player. The bridge pickup is all rock n roll. It stings with the best of em and excels with overdrive, bearing that signature stab that sounds all too familiar when you plug in to a Marshall or a Super Reverb. We probably don't need to tell you the middle position is straight up butter...

The original Lifton case is included, but the guitar will ship in a newer brown hardshell Gibson case. The Lifton is as photo-worthy as the guitar with stickers all over for Harley Davidson, All access for Whitesnake (1987), and Robert Plant!

We could talk about this guitar all day- but if you have any further questions feel free to call the shop or write us a message and we'll respond promptly with any info you need on this fine instrument!

Year: 1953

Brand: Gibson

Model: Les Paul

Weight: 8.5 lbs

Case: Gibson TKL Brown Hard Shell and Original Case

Notes: This conversion was done in the mid 1970's. Everything besides the wood has been modified to meet the specifications of a 1959 Burst using 70s Gibson parts and other miscellaneous pieces. 

Body

• Body Wood: Mahogany
• Body Shape: Single Cut 
• Body Style: Solid Body
• Color: Sunburst
• Finish: Nitrocellulose
• Pickguard: Unknown origins

Neck

• Neck Wood: Mahogany
• Neck Profile: Reshaped - Narrow 70s, C-Shape
• Neck Joint: Set Neck
• Neck Finish: Nitrocellulose 
• Fingerboard: Brazilian Rosewood
• Nut Width: 1.65" Bone
• Scale: 24.75"
• Radius: 12"
• Frets: 22 - Narrow Tall 80% height (Refret likely done more recently, post-conversion)
• 1st Fret Neck Depth: 0.854"
• 12th Fret Neck Depth: 0.921"
• 12th Fret Width: 1.959"
• Fretboard Inlays: Original MOP Trapazoid
• Action: .06"
• Strings: 10-46

Electronics

• Pickups: 2 x Late 50s Sticker PAF's
• Controls: 2 x Volume, 2 x Tone

Hardware

• Bridge/Tailpiece: Gibson ABR-1 (Non-Original Vintage 70s) with Stoptail (Lightweight Aluminum, non-Gibson)
• Tuners: Grovers (Non Original, Vintage)
• Knobs: Amber