A Real Burst — Without the Six-Figure Price Tag
If you've spent any time in guitar circles, you know the 1959 Les Paul Standard is widely considered the standard by which all electric guitars are measured. Not the most famous — the standard. This 2005 Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue is the real deal: hand-built in Nashville by the Custom Shop's Historic Collection team, spec'd to closely replicate the original '59 Bursts that show up in museum collections and auction houses. This one wears a striking Iced Tea flame maple top — the kind of pattern where the figuring runs in a stacked, almost geometric wave across the entire face of the guitar.
It's a used instrument with genuine history behind it, and it carries the hallmarks of the 2005 Historic Collection era: BurstBucker pickups, a non-weight-relieved one-piece mahogany body, a long neck tenon, and a 100% nitrocellulose lacquer finish. These were serious guitars when they left the factory, and two decades later, they remain some of the most player-loved reissues Gibson has ever produced.
Whether you're a working player looking for a guitar that punches well above its price point, or a collector seeking a well-spec'd mid-2000s R9, this guitar deserves a close look. Pictures are of the actual guitar you will receive.
Body & Construction: Mahogany, Maple, and No Shortcuts
The foundation of any great Les Paul is its body, and the 2005 Historic Collection R9 doesn't skimp. The back is carved from a single piece of non-weight-relieved mahogany — no chambers, no relief routing — which contributes to the dense, sustain-rich tone this platform is famous for. Sitting on top is a hand-carved figured maple cap with a chevron flame pattern in a warm amber-leaning finish, giving this guitar an identity all its own. Every R9 top is different, and the chevron figure on this one is a standout.
Construction follows the long neck tenon method, where the mahogany neck joint extends deep into the body for maximum coupling between neck and body — a detail Gibson's Historic team has cited as critical to vintage tone character. The finish throughout is 100% nitrocellulose lacquer, which is thinner and more resonant than modern polyester finishes and ages naturally over time. After 20 years, this guitar has had time to settle into itself in a way new guitars simply haven't.
Neck & Playability: The Chunky '59 Profile
The neck on a 2005 R9 is one of its defining characteristics. The 1959 rounded neck profile is fuller and rounder than what most modern production guitars carry — you'll feel it immediately in your fretting hand. Some players love it right away; others need a few sessions to settle into it. Either way, it's the profile Gibson spent years researching and refining to match the feel of original 1959 instruments.
The one-piece mahogany neck features a bound rosewood fingerboard with cellulose nitrate trapezoid inlays — period-correct in shape and color. Scale length is 24.75 inches, nut width is 1-11/16 inches (approximately 1.687"), and the fingerboard radius is 12 inches. The headstock carries a holly veneer, as was standard on the originals, with vintage-style tulip tuners.
Pickups & Electronics: BurstBuckers Doing BurstBucker Things
The 2005 Historic Collection R9s were fitted with BurstBucker 1 (neck) and BurstBucker 2 (bridge) pickups — Gibson's PAF-voiced humbuckers designed to replicate the slight mismatch in winding that made original late-50s pickups so harmonically complex. They're unpotted, which means they breathe and respond dynamically the way vintage pickups do. The wiring runs through CTS 500K pots with period-appropriate capacitors.
The hardware is aged nickel throughout: an ABR-1 Tune-o-Matic bridge, a lightweight aluminum stop-bar tailpiece, and gold butyrate top-hat knobs. Everything on this guitar points back to that 1959 source material with genuine intent — not as decoration, but as function.
Product Features:
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Body: Single-piece non-weight-relieved solid mahogany, carved figured maple top with amber chevron flame figure
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Neck: One-piece mahogany with long neck tenon, 1959 rounded neck profile, holly headstock veneer
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Fingerboard: Bound rosewood, cellulose nitrate trapezoid inlays, 12" radius, 24.75" scale length
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Nut: Nylon, 1-11/16" (approx. 1.687") width
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Pickups: BurstBucker 1 (neck) and BurstBucker 2 (bridge), unpotted PAF-style humbuckers
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Controls: 2 volume / 2 tone (CTS 500K pots), 3-way toggle switch
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Bridge: ABR-1 Tune-o-Matic with lightweight aluminum stop-bar tailpiece
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Tuners: Vintage-style tulip tuners
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Finish: 100% nitrocellulose lacquer, amber-toned chevron flame top
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Hardware: Aged nickel
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Year: 2005 | Built: USA (Gibson Custom Shop, Nashville, TN)
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Weight: 8lbs 10oz
This is a used electric guitar from our inventory. Pictures are of the actual instrument you will receive.
This guitar has been previously owned and shows normal signs of use consistent with its age, including light surface scratches, minor pick marks, and other small cosmetic wear that may be present from regular playing and handling. Any significant cosmetic issues will be shown in the photos.
Our licensed guitar technician has inspected, tested, and professionally set up this instrument to ensure it is playing and functioning properly.
Please review all photos carefully, as they are considered part of the description. Feel free to contact us with any questions prior to purchase.
Brand: Gibson
Model: Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue (R9)
SKU: U-2005-LP-REISSUE|95275
Condition: Used
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