Gibson Collector’s Choice #26 1959 Les Paul “Whitford Burst”

Gibson introduces the 26th Collector’s Choice guitar, based on the 1959 Burst finish Les Paul of Brad Whitford.

Gibson Collector's Choice #26

Related Feature:
Gibson Collectors Choice #1

Brad’s original 1959 Les Paul was instrumental (pun intended) in building the sound of Aerosmith, propelling the band to the worldwide popularity that they continue to enjoy.

He used his Les Paul even during the challenging early years of his band. He worked together with Joe Perry, another Les Paul fanatic, and his band mates to turn Aerosmith into what many considers as the best-selling American rock band of all time.

Now this special Les Paul gets a special treatment from Gibson Custom luthiers, thoroughly examined and replicated from its road-worn exterior to its best-selling tone. According to Gibson, “Collector’s Choice #26 1959 Les Paul Whitford Burst captures every nuance of look, tone, and feel of Brad’s original, from its individual neck profile, to the output of its original PAF pickups, to the dents, dings, and finish fade that are all part of its just right vintage Burst appearance, this is the closest you could possibly come to owning Brad’s actual ’59 Les Paul, and a truly stunning acquisition for player and collector alike.

The guitar starts off with a one piece mahogany body topped by figured eastern maple tops that were carefully chosen by the builders. The mahogany neck with maple spline is carved to closely resemble the feel and look of Brad’s original guitar, featuring a comfortably round ’59 neck profile. The 1-piece Indian rosewood fretboard has a 12″ radius and 1.687″ nut width, and is wrapped by cream colored binding.

To get as close as possible to the tone of the original, Gibson built custom designed pickups that follow the exact specs of the PAFs found in Brad’s 59 burst. The two humbuckers are routed to a set of traditional controls, which include 2 volume and 2 tone knobs and a 3-way toggle switch.

Other hardware include Reissue Kluson Deluxe Green Key tuners, ABR bridge and stopbar tailpiece. The guitar’s finish is meticulously hand-aged to mimic the finish of Brad’s original guitar.

The new Collector’s Choice #26 1959 Les Paul “Whitford Burst” comes with a premium price tag of $7,998, and will only have a limited production run of 300. Head over to Gibson for more information.

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Looking for a great amp to pair this guitar with? Check out our Top 10 Guitar Amps List!

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