Here is a guitar that proves again what I have been thinking for a few years, the Historic Selects and the instruments made by Gibson in their True historic program, presented in 2014 and produced between the end of 2014 and 2017, are the best Gibsons that the American brand has produced since 1960…  And it’s not Edwin Wilson, the True Historic program manager at the Gibson factory who will contradict me. The imitation of old Les Paul Burst made by Gibson’s custom shop is, according to them, as good as the originals, and one would be tempted to believe them, but since this instrument costs at least 30 times less, let’s not even ask the question to ourselves, because this is one of the best Les Pauls we’ve had with some of our Mark Knopfler Aged and our Nielsen Aged & Signed. This instrument is amazing in timbre, sustain and gives an impression of blatant quality. Everything resounds and everything sounds ample and full. Simply fabulous.

When Gibson started their True Historic programm they made a few limited runs called Historic Select. Only a handful of each model were made. The specs matches the True Historic models but they have some design changes that were not available in 1959 so that’s why it’s not called True Historic. Beautiful flamed maple top, mahogany body and neck with matched graining, rosewood fretboard, 59 profile neck (medium chunky), all hide glue construction, True Historic parts and a pair of Gibson Custom Buckers. This guitar is aged to look like an original. The Relic work is really top, for a few years and some Collector’s Choice already, Gibson really masters the thing, no doubt. The True Historic are really the panacea of ​​Gibson manufactures and these specifications unique to this series, Double Carved top, Double Carved neck, and the hand-rolled fretboard really bring a plus to these instruments.

This Historic Select Gibson Les Paul Standard 1959 Aged Southern Fade is a marvel that has spent 7 years in the stocks of Swiss distributions. Probably too greedy, distributors eventually put this guitar away and didn’t release it until December 2022, when Leadmusic acquired it for the first time, New Old Stock. We then sold that baby to a good musician and collector. The beauty weighs just over 3.8 kilos and has an absolutely superb one-piece mahogany body, topped with a beautiful maple top. The slightly cracked Nitro finish is also splendid, and the instrument offers really great playing comfort. Everything is right, everything is successful, everything is so well done, in short, everything reinforces my idea that the Historic Select and the True Historic are the best recent Les Pauls made by Gibson…

That superb guitar is in mint condition, with its COA, documents, accessories and original hardcase.