Check out six incredible 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standards from some of the world’s best guitar collections
In this compilation taken from episodes of Gibson TV’s The Collection, six famous guitar collectors—Slash (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Paul Stanley (KISS), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), and Gibson President & CEO Cesar Gueikian—show Gibson TV host Mark Agnesi their prized 1959 Gibson Les Paul™ Standard electric guitars. And these iconic instruments have been played—they’re studio workhorses, stage companions, and part of music that has shaped generations.
But what makes the 1959 Les Paul Standard so revered, decades later? Why does it have such a mystique surrounding it? Is it simply the tone? Is it the iconic artists who have become associated with these guitars? Or is it the allure of the way their shimmering maple tops shift under lights, or the sheer scarcity of Bursts thanks to their short production run? In this Gibson Gazette article, we’ll try to answer that question as famous guitarists explain what makes these guitars so special to them. Watch the full compilation episode of The Collection below:
If you’re watching the video via the Gibson Gazette, here are the timestamps:
- 0:00 Slash and his 1959 Les Paul Standard in Darkburst
- 02:12 Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick and his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard (previously owned by Geddy Lee)
- 04:37 Paul Stanley of KISS and his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard
- 08:30 Kirk Hammett and the legendary “Greeny”
- 15:50 Gibson President & CEO Cesar Gueikian and his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, aka the “Birthday Burst”
- 20:55 Brad Whitford of Aerosmith and his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Slash and his 1959 Les Paul in Darkburst
Slash opens the video and sets a high bar with his astonishingly clean 1959 Les Paul in Darkburst, which you can see in unprecedented detail in The Collection: Slash from Gibson Publishing. “When I first saw it, I didn’t think it was real,” he admits. The guitar—which Slash picked up to replace the ’59 he owned that originally belonged to Joe Perry and gifted back to the Aerosmith star—still hasn’t hit the studio, but he confirms that “it sounds f**king awesome.” With “killer wood” and a bold flametop, it’s as beautiful as we imagine it sounds in the hands of a legend. “When they sound good, they sound amazing,” he says.
Image: Slash’s 1959 Les Paul in Darkburst is in remarkable condition
Rick Nielsen and his 1959 Gibson Les Paul previously owned by Geddy Lee
Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick shares a ’59 Burst previously owned by Geddy Lee of Rush—complete with double-cream Patent Applied For humbuckers™, which he discovered after removing the pickup covers, much to Mark Agnesi’s astonishment in the video. “I knew there were double creams under the covers,” he says, revealing he had removed them at home with help from Joe Bonamassa’s guitar tech. Though some collectors consider removing pickup covers “almost sacrilege,” as Mark puts it, Rick is unapologetic: “They look sweet, and they sound great too. It’s my guitar,” he says. “I like to show them off. I liked that Jeff Beck did it in the 60s, and I still like it today.”
Paul Stanley from KISS and his restored 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Paul Stanley of KISS tells the story of four of his 1959 Les Paul guitars, including his beloved “Stanley Burst,” a ’59 Les Paul that appeared on the cover of the book, The Beauty of the Burst. Learn how his current 1959 Gibson Les Paul was re-necked and also refinished, following a Bigsby® snakebite mod. “It feels and plays amazing,” he says. Watch as the flametop shifts with the light and learn how Stanley is more interested in playability than originality when it comes to vintage guitars. “The idea of everything having to be original is of no concern to me,” he says. “If it plays and looks great—it’s great.”
Metallica star Kirk Hammett and the legendary “Greeny”
Next, Kirk Hammett shows off “Greeny,” the famous ’59 Les Paul previously owned by Peter Green and Gary Moore—turning up to the filming for his episode of The Collection with this iconic guitar in a simple gig bag. That’s right. A gig bag. In this section, Kirk talks about how resonant the guitar is acoustically, shows off the wear marks from Gary’s playing, and tells the story of how he carved his initials into it, which has caused something of a stir on online forums: “Why not?” Kirk asks. “It’s the first guitar I’ve ever had that had its own fanbase. It wants to be played. It wanted to be played by Peter, by Gary, and now by me.” See more in The Collection: Kirk Hammett from Gibson Publishing and get your own Kirk Hammett “Greeny” Les Paul Standard – Greeny Burst.
Image: Kirk Hammett’s iconic 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, aka “Greeny”
Cesar Gueikian’s 1959 Gibson Les Paul, aka the “Birthday Burst”
Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian presents the “Birthday Burst,” a legendary ’59 Les Paul played at Les Paul’s 100th birthday celebration in New York City. It was acquired from vintage guitar dealer Drew Berlin, who helped trace its history. “Every one of these guitars sounds different,” Cesar notes. “This one… it just has something.” He also discusses how Gibson Custom artisans in the Murphy Lab use 3D scans of vintage Bursts to create modern recreations that come closer than ever to the originals.
Brad Whitford from Aerosmith and his 1959 Les Paul
Finally, Brad Whitford of Aerosmith showcases a stunning flametop ’59 Burst that served as the basis for his Collector’s Choice model from Gibson Custom. This was his first choice out of five 1959 Les Pauls presented to him on the day he bought it. “It’s the one that hit my ear,” he says. He recalls having the guitar refretted by Joe Glaser and explains why it continues to be a joy to play. “It’s got that classic sound, great weight… everything.”
Pictured: The Gibson Custom 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue Ultra Heavy Aged is as close as you can get to the vintage Burst experience with a new instrument
What makes a 1959 Gibson Les Paul so special?
What is it about the 1959 Les Paul Standard that still captivates players more than six decades later? Chris Vinnicombe, Editor in Chief at Gibson, describes it thusly: “Although Gibson Les Pauls from earlier in the 1950s are some of the finest electric guitars ever made, today most players and collectors agree that the 1959 Les Paul Standard was a high-water mark for feel and aesthetics.
“Subtle refinements introduced that year, such as larger fretwire and a more elegant, soft-shouldered neck profile, transformed an instrument that was already great into arguably the greatest of all time. It took musicians a few years to catch on, but by the mid-1960s, trailblazing guitarists such as Mike Bloomfield and Jeff Beck were changing the landscape of popular music on both sides of the Atlantic and helping to cement the 1959 Burst’s place as an icon of musical instrument design.”
Fortunately, modern Gibson Custom recreations with Murphy Lab aging can get pretty damn close to the sound and feel of original Bursts. These guitars continue to shape music, tour the world, and inspire the next generation of players. And, as the stories in The Collection prove, they’re not just musical instruments—they’re works of art that stand the test of time and have decades upon decades of life and stories to tell.
Shop the full selection of Gibson Les Paul guitars, and also see the full collection of Gibson Custom Les Paul guitars with Murphy Lab aging, which delivers that played-in vintage feel. Check out more on the appeal of vintage Gibson Les Paul Standards here.
