Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen is the latest artist to associate with Gibson Custom, resulting in the new Rick Nielsen 1959 Les Paul Standard.
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This limited run release features aesthetics, build and profile that follows after Nielsen’s favorite stage and studio 1959 Les Paul guitar. Designed by Gibson Custom in close association with the artist himself, their joint effort ensured that every detail of the look and sound of the guitar is well represented.
Rick Nielsen has been using his original 1959 Les Paul on many of his studio work and stage appearances, and as such it is an integral part of his sound and his musical career. Now Gibson is paying tribute to this special guitar by making premium replicas available in limited numbers, and just in time before the band Cheap Trick gets inducted in the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 8th at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Gibson Custom shop ensured that all the smallest details are reproduced, so much so that Nielsen declared it “Remarkable” when compared side-by-side with this original workhorse instrument. It is said that part of the reason why this guitar is built, is to give Nielsen a more “road worthy” alternative to his original and now very expensive Les Paul, which should give his roadies a sigh of relief.
Gibson Brands Chairman Henry Juszkiewicz said, “Rick Nielsen has had an illustrious career, lending his talent in the creation of so many Cheap Trick classics. We’re thrilled with the result of our collaboration with Rick, brining fans and fellow guitar players an amazing, intricate replica of his 1959 Les Paul Standard that has been by his side for 25 years.”
As expected this guitar follows after historic specifications, following vintage 1959 Les Paul designs, more specifically, precisely mimicking the construction, build and profile of Nielsen’s Les Paul. The top is double-carved from two-piece figured maple, that are carefully selected to closely match the grains of Rick’s instrument. The body is crafted from one-piece mahogany following traditional Les Paul builds and feature the all too familiar single cutaway design.
The guitar’s one-piece mahogany neck has a 22-fret solid Indian rosewood fingerboard, both of which follow the shape and playing feel of the guitar they are based on. Specs follow tried and tested Les Paul templates, with a scale length of 24.75″, fingerboard radius of 12″ and nut width of 1.687″.
Giving the guitar its sound are two custom wound humbuckers that are tweaked to precisely replicate the sound of Rick’s actual guitar, which are both routed to basic Les Paul set of controls that include independent tone and volume knobs for each pickup, and a 3-way pickup selector switch.
Other features include “True Historic” hardware, which basically means that they are artificially aged and designed to carefully mimic the ones found on the old Les Paul. This includes the pickguard, truss rod covers, gold top hat knobs, switch washer and other hardware. The same can be said about the Reissue Kluson Deluxe Green tuning keys, ABR bridge with thumbwheels and Reissue lightweight aluminum tailpiece.
Gibson concludes, “Crafted to True Historic Specifications and offered in two finish options (Aged and Vintage Gloss), and with the first 50 hand-signed by the artist himself, the Rick Nielsen 1959 Les Paul Standard is available on a limited basis, with qualifying materials ultimately determining the size of the run.”
The new Gibson Rick Nielsen ’59 Les Paul has an MSRP that starts at $8,599. For the complete specifications of this new guitar, visit Gibson.
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