Epiphone has announced the release of the Limited Edition 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard guitar, one of the most desirable guitars on the planet.
The Les Paul model guitar is worshiped by players and sought by collectors everywhere as the "Holy Grail" of vintage instruments. Even within that short three-year time span, however, this legendary rock icon experienced a subtle evolution of specs and features. Epiphone's Ltd Edition 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard comes in two distinct variations, therefore, to represent two equally beloved formats of this great guitar within the same year.
Version 1 depicts the early 1960 Les Paul Standard, which mostly carried over the specs of the 1959 Les Paul Standard. As such, it has the'50s rounded "D" neck profile that so many players love on the '59 'Burst that preceded it, and is finished in Heritage Cherry Sunburst. Made in the image of Les Paul Standards from later that same year, Version 3 has the SlimTaper™ "D" profile that Gibson adopted in the early '60s, and is available in either Cherryburst or Heritage Darkburst finishes. Of course both versions are made with all the period-correct details that also helped to make all versions of the 1960 Les Paul Standard certified classics, including the time-tested tonewoods, rock-solid hardware, a flawless and superbly playable set-up, and two of Gibson's most accurate PAF-style humbucking picups with genuine Alnico II magnets.
The magical combination of select mahogany and maple tonewoods has always been at the heart of the Les Paul Standard's sonic splendor, and the Ltd Edition 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard is no different. The body is made from solid (not chambered) mahogany for depth and resonance, and capped with a hard maple top for superb clarity, cut, and definition. To this, a premium Grade-AAA flame maple veneer is added to present the look of the most prized of vintage Les Paul's—further enhanced by a hand-buffed finish in three historical shades of 'burst. A solid mahogany neck is glued in with a deep-set neck joint for superior resonance and sustain and carved into either of two popular profiles to accurately represent necks found through the course of 1960.
On Version 1, there's a rounded '50s "D" profile that is beefy yet extremely comfortable; on Version 3, a thinner SlimTaper™ "D" profile that is fast and sleek. Both are topped with select rosewood fretboards with 22 medium-jumbo frets. A synthetic bone nut provides long life and unparalleled sustain, while it's 1 11/16" width yields the most popular playing feel for Les Pauls through the years. All of this tonewood and attention to detail would be nothing without the right pickups, and capturing it all perfectly is a pair of Gibson U.S.A. BurstBucker™ humbuckers. BurstBuckers™ are Gibson's most accurate recreation of the legendary PAF ("Patent Applied For") humbuckers of the late '50s and early '60s, and include magical details like unpolished Alnico II magnets, unpotted coils, and unequal turns of wire on each bobbin, which results in the added "edge" or "bite" for which genuine PAFs are famous.
The neck pickup is a Burstbucker-1 and is slightly under-wound for a "medium" vintage output. The bridge pickup is a Burstbucker-2 with slightly hotter vintage output that works well in combination with the BB-1 in the neck. One listen and you'll think you have a 50-year-old guitar in your hands! Rounding off this first-class package are a host of other premium components, including a Switchcraft™ toggle switch, Mallory 150™ tone capacitors, gold "top hat" knobs with metal pointers (plus gold inserts on V3), and the lauded combination of Epiphone's acclaimed LockTone™ versions of a nickel-plated Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, two further ingredients in that legendary Les Paul sustain.
Production of the Ltd Edition 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standards is limited to 1,960 worldwide (both versions), so check it out now at your authorized Epiphone dealer, and prepare to ROCK the world! All guitars include a replica brown Lifton-style case with pink lining, a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, and Epiphone's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Support. MSPR - $1,499