Gibson · Les Paul Standard · 1958–1960
Gibson Les Paul Burst
Gibson painted the goldtop cherry sunburst in 1958, renamed it the Les Paul Standard and still couldn't sell it. Players found it heavy and old-fashioned, and in 1961 the single-cut gave way to the SG. Estimates of how many were made run from about 1,200 to 1,700, because Gibson's shipping records lumped them in with other Les Pauls. Then Keith Richards picked up a Bigsby-equipped 1959 in 1964, Eric Clapton played a 1960 on the Bluesbreakers album, and Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Paul Kossoff and Jimmy Page followed. No two look alike. The 1958–59 cherry dye faded unpredictably into lemon and tobacco shades, PAF bobbins came black, white or one of each, and necks went from thick in 1958 to thin by 1960. Real ones rarely come up on eBay, so treat any listing as a claim the seller has to prove. Most players will be happier with a Gibson Custom 1959 reissue, and if you want old wood, a well-documented goldtop conversion gets you closer for less.
Les Paul Goldtop with PAFs (1957–1958)Heritage Series Les Paul Standard-80 (1980, Gibson's first '59 reissue)Gibson Custom 1958 and 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissues (USA)Gibson Custom 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue, often called an R9 (USA)Gibson Custom Collector's Choice and Murphy Lab aged Les Pauls (USA)Epiphone 1959 Les Paul StandardGoldtops converted to sunburst
Spec at a glance
- Brand
- Gibson
- Model
- Les Paul Standard
- Family
- Les Paul
- Type
- Solid body
- Years covered
- 1958–1960
- Made in
- USA (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
- Pickups
- Two PAF humbuckers
- Body
- Mahogany with a carved maple cap, plain or figured
- Neck
- Mahogany with a bound rosewood board; thick in 1958, slimming through 1959 to a thin 1960 profile
- Scale
- 24.75"
- Era
- 1950s
- Nickname
- Burst
How to date one
Originals carry an ink-stamped serial on the back of the headstock. On every documented example we found, the first digit matches the year (8, 9 or 0), and early 1960 numbers start 0 0. Around spring 1960 the knobs, tuner tips and neck profile changed, and the 1960 cherry is more orange and fades less. Custom Shop reissues copy the ink-stamp style with the model year first and the build year second, so read the serial together with the rest of the guitar.
What to check before you buy
Headstock breaks are the classic Les Paul injury, and even a clean repair counts against originality. Refinishes, swapped PAFs, replaced tuners and knobs, and goldtops converted to sunburst all turn up, and any break or changed part matters more on a Burst than almost anywhere else. Gibson's rosewood boards of this era are Brazilian, a CITES Appendix I species since 1992, so a sale across borders needs paperwork.
- 01Serial: Ask for a clear photo of the ink-stamped serial on the back of the headstock. It should start with 8, 9 or 0 and agree with the features you see.
- 02Headstock: Look at the back of the headstock in angled photos, or ask about repairs. A clean original shows no glue line, overspray or touch-up there.
- 03Finish: Ask for photos under the pickguard and pickup rings and in the control cavity. Faded original cherry is usually brighter where parts covered it, with no overspray.
- 04PAF decals: Ask for photos of the pickup baseplates and the solder in the cavities. Original decals glow a flat green under black light, and the solder should look old and undisturbed.
- 05Conversion: Check the top and pickup routs in the photos for filled holes or patched wood. Goldtop conversions can be great guitars, but the listing should say so.
- 06Provenance: Ask the seller for the guitar's history and any dealer letters. A real Burst has a past you can trace, and collectors know many of them by name.
- 07CITES papers: If the seller is in another country, ask about CITES paperwork for the rosewood board. Without it the guitar may not clear customs.
Find one on eBay
We haven’t been through this guitar’s listings yet. Search eBay for the exact model and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for clear photos of the neck heel, the control cavity and the back of the headstock, and pass on any listing that won’t show them.
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