2013 Gibson Custom Shop AGED Les Paul 1959 Joe Perry Tobacco Burst Tom Murphy

"The Joe Perry '59 Les Paul truly delivers the full tone, feel, and look of Joe's highly prized Burst."
 
Of all the great original 1959 Standards out there - a pretty small number to begin with - Joe Perry’s personal '59 Les Paul has long been acclaimed as one of the finest. The rich, road-worn character of this guitar, serial number 9 0663, is utterly moving, and it seems to throb with the wealth of music and experience earned over decades of being played on stages and in recording studios around the world. In Joe’s own words, “It’s got everything a great Les Paul is supposed to have. The neck isn’t quite as fat as, say, a ’54 Goldtop, but it’s still got a good, meaty neck. It’s not a high-output guitar, so it’s got a lot of tone... And it’s got all the natural sustain and warmth, and when you turn it up it growls.”
 
As stunning a tone monster as this guitar is, however, the story of it's passage in and out of Perry’s hands over the years is equally riveting. Slash (for the younger generations: Yes, this is the "November Rain" guitar), Boston area guitar legend Billy Loosigian, and Eric Johnson have all owned number 9 0663 over the years, as it did the rounds through the various ups and downs of Aerosmith’s career. Once it was clear that Joe had made the shift from really struggling to thriving as an artist, he sought to recapture his most cherished axe for good. Many years, many phone calls, and many near misses later, this amazing 1959 Les Paul returned to the man who seemed destined to call it his own: Slash gave it back to Joe Perry as a present for his 50th birthday! Talking about friendship...

The guitar has a meatier neck than a usual ’59, with broader shoulders – but you can still feel that slight „V“ in the middle of the profile. Joe Perry has said the original guitar wasn’t all that hot tone-wise, he liked to play it clean and drive it up with his own playing, and that’s exactly how this guitar sounds. The Alnico III Custom Buckers provide lots of clarity and medium-gain punch with an added bit of chime on top. It has a stunning Aged Faded Tobacco Burst finish made by Tom Murphy, Aniline Dyed Mahogany Back and Sides, a Hand-Selected Flame Maple Top to match Joe's guitar, 1-Piece Genuine Mahogany Body with Aniline Dye, 1-Piece Genuine Mahogany Neck with Custom Joe Perry Profile, Hide Glue Neck-Fit etc etc. Comes with the original Gibson Custom Shop OHSC Lifton case, COA, hangtags, paperwork all as pictured.