By: Nathaniel Riverhorse Nakadate

Gibson goldtops from 1956, '53, '98, and '03, along with a 1955 Fender Deluxe, a '56 Pro, and a '50s Bassman. All photos: Kerry Beyer.
In the good ol' days of 1952, jazzmeister Les Paul strutted to the center of the world's stage and proudly whipped out his golden Gibson electric guitar. Simple-minded purists howled "Foul!," locked up their daughters, and accused him of indecent mahogany-wood exposure. No matter, there'd be no turnin' back.

Gibson's first solidbody electric, the Les Paul model, was soon gracing the world. And thankfully so, because without it we may have indeed heard "Laaadies and gentlemennn, may I introduce, for your listening pleasure... Sir Eric Clapton and the Vibraphone Experience, with special guests James Page on the cowbell, the Reverend Billy F Gibbons on washboard, and Neil Sedaka on the..." stop right there, amigo. We don't need any more of that vision!

Today, these vintage gold bars are priced so high the average six-string Joe finds them inaccessible. So, what's a lonely guitar man do? Armored car heist? You'd probably find yourself playin' 7th chords for the Folsom Prison Men's Choir. Perhaps a more fiscally appropriate avenue would be to snag one of Gibson's Historic reissue goldtops, with menu flavors ranging from the 1954 and '56 P-90-loaded ass-whippers to the humbucker-piloted '57 models.

Do these newer golden-hued beasts even make the grade? The only way to know is to run them full-bore against the good ol' boys.

With the help of a few Houston lynchpins, we set about to whip these gold bars side-by-side to see whether older was better. Mark May has toured with Dickie Betts and made a name as a guitar man on his own; Albert King Award winner Jonn Richardson, fresh back from a European tour with Otis Taylor and Gary Moore (VG, September '07); Bart Wittrock, owner of Rockin' Robin Guitars, and the fellow who showed relic genius Tom Murphy the ropes when he came through Texas decades ago.

Bona fide amp perverts will be pleased to know we loaded the stables with a couple of period-correct Fender tweeds - a 1955 Deluxe and a '56 Pro - as well a seriously special blackface '66 Super Reverb to aptly analyze the clean capacities. And yes, we dialed them in the same two ways for the initial whack, and then had our way with them at the tail end of redlining each goldy.

The mere concept of running reissues against actual vintage (and mind-bogglingly valuable) goldtops from the "Golden Era" had even the most staunchly open-minded Texan curious as to what would unfold. Inherent subjectivity allowed, this dogfight would be one for the books.

Riding The '53 "Wraparound"
"Holy s***, I feel like I just drove a semi-truck through the front door of my ex-wife's mansion!" said Mark as he put the '53 through the Deluxe (on 10, by the way). As much as he'll pretend he didn't run that bulldozer, we know better. But yes, indeed, the beautiful, greasy tone coming from that amp was anything but subtle. Lawd have mercy, what a start!

1956 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop.
The '53 rang in at an amazing aged and bar-smoke-dried weight of 7.8 pounds - lightest in the bunch. The neck was almost V'd at the nut from decades of rippin', the tailpiece basically embedded in the body, and the mojo hard to ignore. Jonn got a bit frothy on the neck pickup through the tweed Pro, since his deal is all old-school and vintage. The pickups were a bit backed off, and unfortunately the bridge was unappealingly microphonic.

The neck pickup, though, was one woody and monstrously "stratty" beast, all but curling our toes and rollin' our eyes back in our heads, especially with the Super Reverb; dark and borderline muddy, which is perhaps why it loved pushing around the Super. For the record, the wraparound didn't resonate quite as boisterously as they usually do, but all complaints aside, this weathered old soul was the real deal.

Gettin' Kicks on (Gold) Route '56
The '56 rang in at a delicious 9 pounds on the nose. In much better shape, physically, than the '53, its neck was average-shouldered. The pickups came in a bit muddy in a nice way, and backed off a bit gain-wise, as well - yet another telling clue to some of what the early deal was.

With the Deluxe, the guitar had nice clarity on the bridge, but was still not pushing the amp very hard. The Super produced instant Freddie King tones, funkified spank to the Nth power. Anyone up for "Hideaway," floored? Dear gawd this 51-year-old thang loved being mated with the Pro! They came from the same year, alright. It was a little grainier and high-end feisty, and yes, true vintage P-90s have that hum syndrome, but who's to argue the beauty in imperfection? Count up the numerous odes to big-legged women and you have your answer.

The R4 Elephant's Trunk
This 2003-sown bruiser was our heavyweight, at a satisfying 9.3 big 'uns. The neck was massive and even unplugged, thanks to the wraparound, it let the boys know it was ready to sing loud and proud. For years, purists and geeks have tried to figure out a few truths and myths regarding body weights and neck sizes. And yes, huge necks with lighter bodies can indeed thunder, but be aware that the occasional magical boat anchor will crush all tiny pretenders when wood, quality parts, grain, and craftsmanship align.

This guitar simply reminds us that P-90s rule - damn straight. The jump and resonance of this beast was downright inspiring. There was a seriously deep tone coming in... - giant, and ass-whippin'. Through the tweeds it delivered mean grit and, once locked and loaded into the Super, the round warmth and chunky cleans turned to smoke and gunfire when given the green light on the volume dial. You want to get crazy with the cheese whiz all night long baby? Well, right here and right now, we gots ourselves a party!

The R6 Lightning Rod
Gibson's Custom Shop slammed the strongman's bell at the county fair with this 1998 offering, weighin' in at a respectful 8.9 poundcakes. The neck was very nice with the faintest of gentle tapers, and definitely in the middle of the road. Only I knew that it was loaded with Lollar P-90s, a secret ingredient. "What in the hell is going on with this?" yelled Mark. The rest of the crew stared with raised eyebrows. "Welcome to Lollarville, gentlemen," I smirked.

Back of the '56 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop.
Through the Deluxe, the neck pickup was full and gorgeous. The Lollars simply are big, full, incredibly clear, and seriously musical. The bridge was the most usable of all, with a rounder and sweeter treble. The Lollars also proved markedly more responsive to height adjustments than any of our other test P-90s, and produced no mud whatsoever - just the widest glide imaginable.

As the battered old cases were latched and the last empty bottles tossed, Mark walked up to the Pro with the R6 and let loose with a raucous, jaw-dropping 40-second lick that peeled the paint off the walls and left witnesses without eyebrows. He then calmly waltzed out the front door with a grin wider than Texas.

P-90 Cage Match
Straddling the fine line of pickup camps has always been anything but cut and dried, and even political, as the age-old "single-coils versus humbuckers" riff has dug deep trenches and firmed lines in the sonic sands. P-90s ride the glorious middle territory, the seemingly forgotten backroads those in the know understand as one-of-a-kind tools that allow a discriminating player to cover everything from warm cleans to nail-spittin' fury. Gibson is doing a fine job of covering the bases; its pickups are nice and creamy - definitely backed off and tucked in, in a vintage sort of way. Fine, fine, fine! And the Lollars deliver everything from rounder-than-round cleans to viciously nasty front-end-pushin' swirls. And oh, the wicked growl!
Lowdown on the Throwdown
In the end, we learned a few things: vintage guitars have aged to become lighter, more resonant creatures, and their pickups are certainly darker, in cool but interesting ways. The '50s-era pickups are also much less gained up, and the frets on the vintage goldtops are much smaller.

Through the tweeds, all of the goldtops sounded incredibly cool. Surprisingly, the Fender blackface amps let player and guitar dial in all sorts of huge tones, especially with the neck pickups. If you want grease, just raise the pickups a bit and pour the coals to it, or lay down chunky warm rhythms just before crossin' the border. For dirtier work, just dime her.

Beyond the noted subtleties, we didn't hear or discern anything in the vintage guitars that couldn't be reproduced by the reissues. Anything more is simply splittin' hairs. There is no substitute for mojo, and hell yes, it was a Golden Era. Without question, the best of the best and the vintage pieces blew our minds. But as long as Edwin Wilson and the Gibson Historic Art and Custom Shop are crafting these remarkable and mesmerizing reissues (see sidebar, "Digging Deep"), there will forever be serious gold in them there Nashville hills.
________________________________________

Thanks to Ronny Proler, Charlie Daughtry, Walter Carter, George Gruhn, David Wilson, Huey Pinkney, Bart Wittrock, Mark Tinsey, Mark May, and Jonn Richardson.

Nathaniel Riverhorse Nakadate has been held at gunpoint/machete three times, hit by two cars, and shot in the leg. He can often be found playing dirty slide guitar or sleeping alone on the cliffs of third-world countries while chasing waves to surf. He is currently on a solo assignment in New Zealand and Australia trying not to become fish food.
________________________________________

Historical Highlights of the Golden Pickaxe

Gibson's first solidbody electric guitar, the Les Paul model, was introduced in 1952. It had a gold finish, mahogany body, P-90 pickups, trapeze-style bridge/tailpiece, and a maple top (per Les Paul's request because it transferred clarity and brightness). Most were finished with gold only on the front of the body, but some were sprayed with gold paint on the back of the body, neck, and back of the headstock.

The guitar's fingerboard was unbound and the pickup screws on the cover were diagonal in relation to each other. There was also no rhythm/treble ring around the pickup selector switch, and for the first several months of prouduction, no serial numbers. By mid '52, Gibson added binding to the fingerboard and the pickup setscrews were repositioned.

By the end of '53 the trapeze bridge was replaced by the wraparound "stud" tailpiece designed by Ted McCarty. The first of these guitars with the new bridge still had a shallow neck set/pitch, but by early '54 the neck pitch was accentuated to allow for easier bridge adjustments. In '55, the bridge became a tailpiece, and the Tune-O-Matic Bridge was installed.

In early '57, Gibson introduced the Seth Lover-designed humbucking pickup. By early '58, the last of the original goldtops came off the line.

At least two Les Pauls with Cherry Red finishes (serial #8 1689 and serial #8 1782) were carved out. Guitar authority and VG contributor Walter Carter believes these guitars indicate some experimentation on the part of Gibson.

"In my opinion, the Cherry guitars represent Ted McCarty trying to make up his mind on the new finish for the Standard," he said. "Both pre-date any known sunbursts, and both are shaded red all around - front, back, and back of the neck - sort of like the old 'shaded mahogany' on mandolins of the 1910s."

In '58 Gibson added a touch of violin-like class to the Les Paul, with a flame-maple top and sunburst finish. The 'Burst phenomena was born.

< < more images >>

One of two vintage carving machines converted from steam power. All photos: Kerry Beyer.
________________________________________

Digging Deep
Gibson gets candid on its Historic and VOS axes

Since Gibson first offered a reissue Les Paul goldtop based on vintage axes borrowed from Gruhn Guitars and individual collectors, it has continually tweaked details and made changes like moving where the neck joins the body, fret thickness, etc.

Its latest version, the Vintage Original Spec series, uses gently aged hardware, rolled fretboards, softened headstock edges, and a proprietary buffing and sanding process. New with the V.O.S. was the application of the patented Plek system (VG, May '04), which grinds the frets and cuts the nut consistently from guitar to guitar. It proved so popular that all Gibson Custom Shop guitars are now getting the treatment.

V.O.S. guitars also retain the key features of other reissues, including long neck tenons, bumblebee capacitors and CTS pots, lightweight aluminum tailpieces, period-correct fingerboard inlays, holly headstock veneers (not plastic), and nitrocellulose lacquer finishes.

As you might think, Custom Shop guitars are incredibly labor-intensive. Gibson says much of the work is still done by hand - often with the same tools and processes with which the guitar was originally built; all Custom Shop necks are hand-rolled on a belt sander, and it takes considerable skill to accurately re-create the true feel of a '57, a '59 and a '60 neck. As a result, Custom Shop necks can vary from one to the next - just like the originals.

The Custom Shop does use CNC machines for things ranging from initial cutting (i.e. carving maple tops) to drilling control cavities, pickup cavities, pot and switch holes, etc. This saves the handwork for the parts with the most impact, like attaching necks to bodies, applying binding, fretboard placement, painting/lacquering, sanding, final assembly of electronics, and so forth. And one person builds each guitar - there is no "assembly line" involved.

The '59 and '60 Les Paul Standard reissues are the flagships of the Custom Shop, and while all of the wood it receives is selected in a process that takes weight into consideration, the lightest pieces are set aside for '59 and '60 reissues!

But not everything in the Gibson CS is ultra-modern. Lending a true vintage vibe to every reissue is the fact the shop uses two early-20th-century carving machines that back in the day ran on steam power generated at the Gibson facility. These have since been fitted with electric motors, and both are still used, as are the original forms developed in building Gibson archtops. - Nate Nakadate

George Gruhn.
________________________________________

The Price of Gold
George Gruhn and Bart Wittrock on the market for '50s Gibson Les Pauls

Guitar-centric discussions in the 21st century all too often tend to focus less on "What's it like? or "How does it play/sound?" to "What's it worth?"

And no matter who you talk to, you're lollygagging in Speculationland, where it's best to be in good company. So we asked two industry vets, George Gruhn and Bart Wittrock, to talk about the current market for goldtops, and where they think it might be headed.

How is the market for the early goldtops?
George Gruhn: The market for vintage Les Pauls in general is very strong. Goldtop Les Pauls made from 1952 to '58 are highly saleable; however, the market tends to be much stronger for the later goldtops than the earlier ones.

Bart Wittrock: Later models do have the most growth potential, but in general, goldtops are in the upper 20 percent of vintage guitars.

At recent shows, there have been significant discrepancies in prices for vintage goldtops. Are dealers simply having a hard time pricing these pieces in the wake of the 'Burst frenzy?
GG: Goldtops evolved over the years. The models with a trapeze bridge/tailpiece bring far less than those with stud-mounted bridges produced from late 1953 through mid 1955. The late-'55 through mid-'57 goldtops with Tune-O-Matic bridge and P-90 pickups bring considerably more than the previous versions, and the mid-'57 through mid-'58 models with PAF humbuckers greatly surpass all the other goldtops in current market.

I don't doubt that some dealers have been asking speculative prices, but asking and getting are not the same. The range of prices probably reflects the difference in time periods.

BW: The market is going through a correction. Now some guys really want to sell, and at the Dallas show, some of the asking prices were actually down - a healthy correction, in my opinion, as it was getting out of hand with goldtops and everything else.

So is the market driven by playability more than age?
GG: Goldtops from 1952 and '53 with the trapeze bridge/tailpiece bring far less than later ones. Most players find them awkward to play.

And the earliest Les Paul models are not the rarest, so age alone does not equate to a higher price on Les Pauls or numerous other fretted instruments. Players and collectors are more concerned with having a fine example from a "Golden Era" period. Similar examples are Gibson flathead Mastertone banjos of the 1930s, which bring far more than Gibson raised-head or ball-bearing Mastertones of the '20s.

Bart Wittrock
BW: As goldtops go, the more functional the guitar, the higher the price. This also assumes you embrace humbuckers as the high-water mark and the simple fact that some vintage homos still have their heads underwater. So in a nutshell, regarding the '50s-era goldtops, the newer the configuration, the higher the prices.

How do Gibson's reissue goldtops stack up in matters of quality and tone?
GG: Modern reissues by Gibson and other makers tend to be more consistent in specifications than any of the originals. To a large extent, this is due to the fact that today, factories have Computer Numerical Control (CNC) equipment, so dimensions will not vary by more than a few thousandths of an inch from one instrument to another. In the "good ol' days," while factories had heavy-duty power equipment as well as jigs and patterns, the work was still guided by hand, and there was considerably more variation from one guitar to another. Old pickups were hand-wound such that they also vary significantly from one to another, whereas new ones tend to be much more uniform.

I remain firmly of the opinion that the best of the Golden Era vintage instruments have a feel and sound, as well as physical appearance that exudes personality and soul, which has not been attained in the reissues.

BW: Current reissue goldtops, in my opinion, are as well-made as the best '50s goldtops, with the exception of the pickups. They are getting it right, no doubt about it. That said, not all - maybe even very few - '50s-era PAFs or P-90s have a real magic sound. The variance was quite interesting.

Any bold predictions on the future of the vintage goldtop market?
GG: Obviously, it is intimately interwoven with the market for vintage fretted instruments in general. In more than 40 years of involvement in this market, on a number of occasions I have been convinced that prices could not possibly go much higher. While I have seen prices plateau, especially from 1976 though the mid '80s, it has been my general experience over more that while the market can be quite unpredictable, the general trend has been upward. Past predictions of gloom and doom have proven to be pessimistic. While I do not claim to be clairvoyant, based on past experience, I expect the market for goldtop Les Pauls, as well as most of the other vintage fretted instruments, to remain healthy for the immediate foreseeable future.

BW: It's all going up once the market corrects, though hopefully not as fast as the past year or two. The '57s and '58s are by far the best bets, money-wise, and P-90 models are still a bargain. The difference between a $500,000 burst and a $75,000 goldtop is a coat of paint and maybe some grain! Yes, 'Bursts are special. But in the blindfold test, who knows! - Nate Nakadate

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By: Ward Meeker

A 'Burst by Any Other Name...
One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twelve.

To the uninformed, 1,712 is simply a number. But in guitardom, it's arguably the number. After all, 1,712 is the number of Les Paul Standards Gibson produced between 1958 and 1960. And little did the company know that by simply giving the maple tops of its longstanding Les Paul model a sunburst finish, it would create a phenomenon, even if it didn't immediately create a viable market.

But it did. Because even though it took years to happen, the '58 to '60 Les Paul Standard was the first solidbody electric guitar to become truly, and unquestionably, collectible.

The Les Paul model debuted in 1952 with P-90 pickups, a trapeze tailpiece, and gold-painted top after jazz guitarist Les Paul approached the Michigan-based Gibson Electric Instruments a second time in hopes of coercing company president Maurice Berlin into making an electric guitar that wouldn't feed back when amplified at higher volumes, like archtop/hollowbody electrics of the day were prone to do. Though rebutted when he first presented the idea in the late 1940s, he was more convincing upon his return in part because the upstart Fender Musical Instruments had been very successfully marketing a solidbody electric since 1950.

From '52 to '58, the Les Paul Model evolved to include humbuckers, a stud tailpiece, the Tune-O-Matic bridge, and - in late '53/'54 - a black finish on the new Custom variation.

Despite Gibson's attempts to develop mass-market appeal for the Les Paul, the increasing popularity of the newfangled "Rock and Roll" music (with its propensity for twangy tones) meant that within a few years, interest in the model began to fade, in part because Les Paul's own popularity had peaked, but also because the guitars that bore his name had gained a reputation for being heavy.

By '58, Gibson, looking to increase the model's share of the market, needed an alternative to its black and gold finishes. So it was that on or about June 30, 1958, the "sunburst" finish - perhaps the oldest use of paint and lacquer on electric guitars - met the Les Paul.

Thus, the 'Burst was born.

Musical Magic
Any guitar player will be quick to tell you that finish alone does not a fine guitar make. From the start, Les Pauls were made primarily of mahogany. As Les Paul himself tells it, much work went into deciding which woods to use.

"The first thing we considered was sustain," he said. "The purpose of the model was to sustain without having to mother a note or pick the string twice. And it needed to be even, long, and with distinctive decay."

The model's "perfection" was aided along the way by several key developments, most importantly the humbucking pickup and the Tune-O-Matic bridge. So when the Standard was being prepped for market, things came together perfectly.

"It had the right combination of mahogany and maple - and pickups," Paul said.

But goldtops and Black Beauties offered heaps of sustain, in part because both had been given the gift of humbuckers. Still, the market wasn't reacting like Gibson had hoped. The guitar needed something more.

Flame, Curl, Quilt, Tiger-Stripe, etc...
When Gibson opted to fancy-up the 1/4" maple cap on its Les Paul by adding a sunburst finish, its plan was to make the guitar more accepted in the marketplace.

And from all indications, those caps were applied randomly, with no regard for degree of flame. So throughout the original Standard's production life, that flame ranged from nearly nonexistent to outright exquisite.

In the eyes of players of the day, those with flamed tops had an air of upper-crust quality and craftsmanship.

"The curl connects the 'Burst to the world of fine violins," said noted author and former Gibson historian Walter Carter. "And it gives each guitar its own identity. So you never get tired of looking at them."

"The [looks] set it apart from just being functional," added longtime 'Burst aficionado Tom Wittrock, Third Eye Music. "While most guitars with curly maple used it on the back, this one brought it to the front for all to enjoy."

"Each one, because of the differences in the wood tops, has a unique personality," says veteran So Cal-based collector/dealer Norman Harris.

The PAF
The most vital part of the 'Burst's tone is its pickups. In '57, the Les Paul Model and ES-175 semi-hollowbody were used as platforms to launch a new type of pickup called the "humbucker."

Designed by Gibson electronics whizzes Seth Lover and Walter Fuller, the humbucker's purpose was to eliminate the buzz and hum associated with playing in live settings where a guitar player could encounter interference from a host of sources. It started life as part number p.u. 490 in Gibson books at the time, but is commonly called a "Patent Applied For" or "PAF," in reference to the small sticker on its bottomplate, placed there to discourage other companies from copying the design.

Though work on the hum-cancelling design began in 1955, Lover wasn't officially granted the patent (#2896491) until July, 1959. But in an apparent effort to further intimidate potential copycats, Gibson used the "Patent Applied For" sticker until late '62, when a new decal was employed showing the patent number.

Those who've heard many PAFs know there can be a significant difference in tone and output from one to the next. The reason is simple.

"Gibson's winding machines of the day did not have automatic-stop counters, and they turned about 2,060 turns per minute," said pickup manufactuer Seymour Duncan, who has done extensive reverse-engineering of PAFs. "So although the design called for each of two coils to be wound with 5,000 turns of 42 plain enamel copper wire, many were made with significantly more turns simply because the person working the winders couldn't watch each machine closely enough to stop it at precisely 5,000."

So over-winds of 15 to 20 percent weren't unusual, and as a result, there are PAFs with 5,500 to 6,000 turns (or more) of wire!

The magnets in 'Burst PAFs were made of Alnico II and IV (the numeric designation indicating the "grade," or formulaic mix of aluminum, nickel, and cobalt - the higher the number, the stronger the magnetic field it produces), which are also made to tolerances, but still vary from one to the next.

The Complete Package
After all was said and done, what the world had was simply the ultimate solidbody electric guitar. In the words of noted Nashville collector/dealer George Gruhn, "The sunburst Les Paul is the Gibson solidbody guitar in which everything 'comes together'; they look great, they feel great, and they sound great. They have all the best features Gibson ever offered on a solidbody guitar."

Plus, "Playability and rarity," added Vic DaPra, proprietor of Guitar Gallery, and author of the book Sunburst Alley: A Pictorial Gallery of the Sunburst Les Paul 1958-1960. "And I think the woods they chose were much better back then. They were dried better, they were older."

"The feel of a '58 and '59 necks, the sound of two PAFs, and the way the maple top reacted with the mahogany body, not to mention the sunburst finish and the flame..." said Drew Berlin, vintage specialist for Guitar Center/Hollywood Vintage. "They all combine to make hard, sweet magic."

But as eyecatching as the sunburst finish was, especially when it was on a beautiful flamed top, and as smoothly as the guitar played, and as sweet as the PAFs sounded, ultimately, Gibson couldn't justify keeping the guitar on the market...

Gaining Notoriety
Though market factors forced Gibson to eliminate the single-cutaway Les Paul in the latter half of 1960, the design ultimately proved to be far ahead of its time; and its untimely demise ultimately proved the reason we covet the 'Burst today.

The Les Paul name remained attached to Gibson's new double-cutaway thin-bodied SG until late 1963, several months, apparently, after the second of two five-year licensing agreements expired between Gibson and Les Paul. The SG held its own in the market through most of the '60s as it underwent variations in pickups, tailpieces, finishes, and appointments.

But while Elvis ruled the pop music scene in the late '50s (with the help of Scotty Moore and his Super 400), and the Beatles "arrived" carrying Rickenbackers and writing pop for the masses, there were percolations about... Almost simultaneously, two players - one in the U.S., one in England - started making waves with both their playing styles and their instruments.

In the U.K. in early '65, axeman Eric Clapton had parted ways with the Yardbirds because he wanted to play pure blues. He hooked up with John Mayall and became the first in a revolving-door lineup of superstar guitarists in Mayall's Bluesbreakers. But he was in the band long enough to plug a '59 'Burst into a Marshall 1962 combo and make history by recording one of the all-time most influential albums in blues/rock history - John Mayall's Blues Breakers featuring Eric Clapton. Friends call it "Beano."

Back in the U.S., a kid in Chicago had also started drawing notice for playing hardcore blues. Michael Bloomfield spent a good part of his youth sneaking into Windy City blues clubs - often as the only white person in the house - and though he never recorded an album as influential as the Mayall/Clapton set, his playing exposed the white masses to the wonders of the blues. And guitar players were all over it - they had to have what he was playing. And in his heyday, Bloomfield was playing a 'Burst.

"In my opinion, Bloomfield was the single most important, most significant player who ever played a sunburst Les Paul," said Gruhn, who was selling guitars when Bloomfield emerged. "He, more than anyone, is the one who revived interest in the model. And though he never was a great commercial success, he was a cult figure greatly revered by other players. Some have success selling albums and making money, but have little or no impact on guitar trends. Bloomfield created the demand for Les Paul models, and for vintage electric guitars, in general."

So it was that 'Burst mania came to be, though its beginnings were humble.

By the late '60s, however, burgeoning guitar giants like Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor were all playing them in the studio and live.

And Gibson saw the writing on the wall: the single-cutaway Les Paul model was revived in 1968.

Then, as Led Zeppelin rose to heights unseen for a hard rock/blues-based band, Page became the de facto 'Burst El Capitan.

"Page, without a doubt, is the number one reason anyone is paying the big bucks today," said Timm Kummer, vintage buyer for Mars Music. "I remember other guys playing 'Bursts before him, but he put the thing on the minds of all the earliest guys I sold them to."

As the '70s kept on truckin', other players joined Page in keeping the 'Burst mystique alive, by using it to make some of the greatest rock and blues music ever put to record.

"Duane Allman hits home for me," said Berlin. "Also, Billy Gibbons and his famous 'Burst, 'Pearly Gates,' could do no wrong in my book."

The Ultimate Collectible Guitar?
Again, the 'Burst is arguably the reason solidbody electric guitars are collectible today. But even in the late '60s and very early '70s, you needed serious money to get one: $600 to $800. That was "holy grail" coin at the time, and also could've gotten you into a Martin Herringbone.

But then came Page, Beck, and company, and by the mid '70s demand had increased to the point a would-be owner needed $2,000 to $3,000 to play ball. By the early '80s, prices were creeping (or had crept) to $5,000.

Then, when the babyboom generation emerged and started buying and collecting guitars, things got really crazy.

"From 1984 through the end of '92, most collectible guitars, banjos, and mandolins increased in price tenfold," said Gruhn. "The sunburst Les Paul was no exception."

Wanna Play?
If you're looking to get into the club today, bring your checkbook - after you sell the lodge at Aspen and call your broker - and prepare to heed the advice of many dealers who warn against being hypnotized by an exotic 3-D quilty/flamey/curly top.

"Newer collectors are putting too much finality into a guitar with a cracked headstock or a removed Bigsby, or one that's been refretted," said DaPra. "If the guitar hasn't been totally boogered or refinished or had new pickups, then there has to be a market for them. They're still very valid, and the anality of many a new collector is keeping them from getting their first 'Burst.

"There are a lot of fine examples out there, whether they be with a cracked headstock, or removed Bigsby. And they don't stay on the market very long, so to knock their value down 30 or 50 percent is insane. When you're searching for a 'Burst, but you keep passing them up, you're going to end up with nothing."

"For myself and many of my 'Burst buddies, the wood grain is the motivating factor in how much desire we personally have for a particular 'Burst," said Wittrock. "And yes, I would rather have 'wood' (curly maple) than pristine condition, assuming a guitar is usable. But it's a shame some collectors can't see past the dollar value. Being obsessed with perfection has led to many great 'Bursts being looked down upon simply because they were repaired, made in 1960, or had a Bigsby tailpiece.

"Some of the best 'Bursts I've ever owned were not in pristine condition. And I've never experienced a 'bad' 'Burst, except when one suffered some calamity.

"They all sound a little different, play a little different, and weigh a little different, but they all seem great to me."

"I think many collectors and players are entirely too wrapped up in worrying about the grain of the wood rather than the quality of the instrument," added Gruhn. "I have difficulty understanding why someone would pay multiples more for a sunburst Les Paul with beautifully figured curly maple. While the curly example is certainly worth a lot of money, and should carry some premium, I don't see why that premium should be $50,000 or more when a plain-grained example will play and sound exactly the same.

"One can buy the real thing with plain grain and still have enough money left over to panel one's entire house in exquisitely curly maple, and even finish it in sunburst if you desire!"

Crystal Ball
So what does the future hold? While trying to predict such things is akin to guessing when aliens will visit Earth, few dealers see any reason to believe the market will do anything but continue to go up.

"The 'Burst market is stronger than ever," said Richard Friedman, vintage product manager for Sam Ash Music. "The most recent sales I know of include $200,000 for one that was one serial number away from the Frehley 'Burst, $175,000 for a mint flametop, and the Bloomfield guitar, I'm told, sold for approximately $250,000. I think 'Bursts will eventually bring $300,000 to $500,000."

"I see no end in sight to the interest in 'Bursts and their escalating prices," added Wittrock. "Twenty years ago, when they reached $5,000, many people said that was the limit. I said then that we weren't even close. And I still think we aren't.

"About 10 years ago I said they could reach $1,000,000 some day, and I don't see a reason to back off of that. We're still a long way from it, but the market has shown plenty of strength lately, and prices have surpassed $100,000 on a few magnificent examples."

"The 'Burst is long-established as a classic design, and consequently the only threat to the market might be a technological advance that would make the electric guitar as we know it obsolete," suggested Carter. "The demand for plainer examples and less-than-pristine 'players' might be affected in that situation, but the 'Burst has such strong aesthetic and historical appeal that it's hard to imagine the market ever going soft for nice examples."

DaPra agrees wholeheartedly.

"I think the market hasn't even hit its peak yet," he said. "It's just going to keep getting crazier and crazier.

"The 'Burst is the Stradivarius of the 20th century; it's just the best electric guitar ever made."

VG would like to thank everyone who helped create this piece. If you're travel plans include New York City anytime soon, go see Les Paul play at the Iridium. He's there on Monday nights, and quite often has some special guests stop by to sit in.

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The Gibson Byrdland, introduced in 1955, has one of the more unusual stories of any artist signature model. For starters, it was named after two artists, neither of whom would have been the first thought that came to mind upon hearing the model name. The model name carried a stronger reference to the phonetically identical Birdland jazz club, even though both of the Byrdland's signature guitarists were known as country guitarists (for an extra twist of irony, both of the signature artists were, in fact, very capable jazz players). And though the Byrdland's calling card was its short-scale neck, its most important feature in the context of Gibson history was its thin body - it was Gibson's first thinbody model.

The Byrd in the model name was Billy Byrd, a Nashville native who was a disciple of Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt. In the late '40s, Byrd took two young Nashville guitarists under his wing - Harold Bradley (who would become the dean of Nashville session guitarists) and Hank Garland, whose last name would provide the "land" in Byrdland.

William Lewis "Billy" Byrd played with Western swing groups before World War II, but in the late '40s, as Nashville began to blossom as a recording center, he began playing with country artists. Ernest Tubb hired him in '49, and Byrd's simple, tasteful lead lines became a signature sound of Tubb's records. Tubb would often call out Byrd's name before a guitar solo.

Walter Louis "Hank" Garland was born in Cowpens, South Carolina, and moved to Nashville as a guitar prodigy at age 16 in 1946. Three years later he recorded a catchy country tune called "Sugarfoot Rag" that became an instrumental hit. In 1950, Red Foley recorded a vocal version featuring a guitar solo by Garland, who was henceforth nicknamed Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland.

In the early '50s, Garland's continuing interest in jazz led him to Barry Galbraith, an influential jazz guitarist who, in 1952, had started using a guitar made by Elmer Stromberg of Boston that featured a 23 1/2" scale. The shortened scale - a full two inches shorter than that of a Gibson L-5 - allowed for wider hand stretches and complex new chord voicings, and Garland ordered his own Stromberg G-5.

In 1954, Gibson exhibited its instrument line at the convention, and Gibson rep Clarence Havenga met with Garland and Byrd to talk about new ideas for guitar design (as recounted in A.R. Duchossoir's Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years, Garland remembered the year as 1955, but since the deejay convention was held in the fall and the first Byrdlands appear in Gibson ledger books in April of that year, a meeting at the deejay convention would have to have been in '54). Garland and Byrd suggested a hollowbody electric with three unique features - a short scale, 22 frets (two more than the L-5), and, for playing comfort, a thinner body.

Gibson used the L-5 as the base model, and the first two Byrdlands (held by Garland and Byrd in an advertisement) were only distinguishable from an L-5 when viewed at an angle. For the production version, Gibson did away with the L-5's large, flat tailpiece and fitted the Byrdland with a bent-wire tailpiece with three loops. Otherwise, the "look" was the same as the L-5CES, with pearl-flowerpot peghead ornament, pearl block fingerboard inlays, gold-plated hardware, two Alnico V single-coil pickups, Tune-O-Matic bridge, etc. The differences were the scale, 15/8" nut width (compared to 111/16" on the L-5), 22 frets, and 21/4" body depth (compared to 33/8" on the L-5).

Gibson introduced the Byrdland at the National Association of Music Merchants trade show in July of '55. At $550 for sunburst finish and $565 for natural, it was only $25 cheaper than the L-5CES. To promote the new model, Gibson created an ad that described the guitar as having been "designed for progressive guitarists." "Progressive" was obviously a code word for jazz, reinforcing the reference to the most famous jazz club in New York - Birdland.

The catch word in the ad copy was fast - "...unusually fast and brilliant tonal response" and a neck designed for the "fast action needed in modern playing." However, looking at the ad copy from a historical perspective, the most interesting phrase was "...combining the characteristics of the solid body and conventional guitars." The Byrdland did not have any solidbody characteristics at all, but that statement shows that the concept of combining solidbody and traditional design was simmering at Gibson a full three years before emerging in '58 as the ES-335, Gibson's first semi-hollowbody electric.

The Byrdland went through the same changes as the other high-end archtop electrics, from Alinco V pickups to humbuckers in 1958, from rounded Venetian cutaway to pointed Florentine cutaway in late 1960 (then back to rounded in '69), and from solid two-piece back to laminated one-piece in the early '60s (then back to two-piece in '69). Additional experimental versions included a "Charlie Christian" bar pickup in the neck position (a configuration played by Garland), a double-cutaway body, and stereo-Varitone electronics.

The Byrdland's short-scale neck offered guitarists something fundamentally different from any other Gibson, and guitarists liked it. After shipping only three Byrdlands in 1955, Gibson shipped 56 in '56 - one more than the 55 L-5CESs shipped that year. For the rest of the '50s and on through the '60s, the Byrdland significantly outsold the thicker-bodied/longer-scale L-5CES.

The Byrdland's basic design strength carried it along after Garland and Byrd were no longer active influences. Although it was surpassed in sales by the L-5CES in the '70s, the Byrdland maintained its popularity, averaging 115 per year for the '70s compared to 124 per year for the '60s. Gibson finally discontinued it in 2008.

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While celebrity collectibles have been a good investment for years, guitars themselves have largely been overlooked. However, the guitar was perfected between the 1930s and the 1960s, depending on the model, and instruments from this period are highly regarded. Some people think that in fifty to a hundred years, guitars from the mid 20th century will be thought of in the same way as violins and cellos from the 17th and 18th century.

The appeal of any guitar grows over time, and there hasn't yet been a period when the market sank. That makes a vintage guitar a great investment choice, as well as a visually and emotionally rewarding collectible. There's nothing like being able to say that you own the guitar once played by a legend.

Values only continue to go up, too. While a 1959 Fender Sunburst Stratocaster, one of the most famous guitar models, originally cost about $250, it brought between eight and nine thousand dollars in 1997. Today, you might have to pay seventeen thousand for a model with a slab fingerboard.

Recent stock market unpredictability has meant that people are more interested in guitar collecting. These vintage instruments are a great type of protected investment. For collectors who want to cover all the bases, consider a varied collection - acoustic, electric, exotic, antique, vintage, contemporary and even custom guitars.

Over the past couple of years the vintage guitar market has taken a hit here and there but overall has proven to be a sound investment for most. The experts say that when inflation accelerates and the dollar shrinks collectibles prove to be a good place for your money. Although vintage guitars in general have shown a slowdown in appreciation in the past couple years, the most desired guitars continue to increase in value. Some of those guitars, Gibson, will be discussed in some detail below.

There is a very limited supply and there still seems to be a high demand for these pieces of history which has proved to be a good choice for those who have invested in these instruments, such as the Gibson Les Pauls' from the same era. (50's, 60, and 70's).
A good place to start collecting vintage guitars as an investment would be to focus your efforts on obtaining guitars from the list below. This list includes Gibson guitars that have been inducted into Vintage Guitar Magazine’s Hall of Fame. There are, of course, other lists and other guitars worth investing in, but this is certainly a great place to begin.

Gibson SG Standard
Inducted in 2009
By 1960, declining sales of the Les Paul model had Gibson looking to revamp the guitar. So the company gave it a radically redesigned, much thinner (and lighter!) body intended to better compete with Fender's Strat. But the things that made up its very heart and soul - especially its humbucking pickups - remained. Today, the early-'60s version is a true classic.

Gibson Les Paul (Goldtop)

Inducted in 2008
Les Paul tried for years to convince Gibson it needed a solidbody in its line. Finally, Ted McCarty brought a single-cut experiment guitar to Les for his approval. Though its origianl bridge/tailpiece was far from perfect, the instrument served as Gibson's test bed through the '50s. Eventually, it reached the pinnacle among guitars and today sits among the top collectibles.

Gibson J-45
Inducted in 2007
Martin's "dreadnought" flat-tops were big and dominated the guitar market of the 1930s. By the early '40s, Gibson knew it needed a big flat-top to compete, and he J-45 ("J" for Jumbo, "45" indicating its price in dollars) was it. A 16" round-shoulded flat-top, even in the tough times of its launch, it received a very warm welcome and has ever since remained one of - if not the - most popular Gibson guitars.

Gibson ES-5
Inducted in 2006
One of the first guitars built after Ted McCarty took charge of Gibson, it helped solidify the company's position as the world's preeminent electric archtop maker. Today, its late-'50s variant with three PAF humbuckers and Switchmaster tone control is one of the most collectible of its ilk.

The 1954-'56 Gibson Les Paul Custom
Inducted in 2003
Can you say "Black Beauty?" Though Gibson didn't give it the name, Les Paul himself chose black as the secondary color for the guitar bearing his moniker. Gibson did, however, use it to experiment with a three-pickup configuration and to introduce its famed Alnico-magnet pickup.

Gibson SJ-200
Inducted in 2002
A landmark amongst acoustic flattops, the SJ-200 was designed for cowboy guitarist Ray Whitley, and any cowboy worth his salt played one. Its popularity carried over to other genres, and never faded. From its jumbo-sized, sunburst-finished body to its ultra-fancy pickguard, bridge, and headstock, it was considered the consummate flat-top. Just ask Emmylou!

Gibson ES-150
Inducted in 1999
Gibson's first electric Spanish guitar was also the first good-quality electric to hit the market. Favored by Charlie Christian, it housed Gibson's first pickup, which is still in high demand and considered a classic.

Gibson Flying V
Inducted in 1996
One of the most distinct guitar designs ever created, but it wasn't a hit when it came out in 1958. Rock and rollers discovered it the late '60s and the V still makes a unique statement today.

Gibson L-5
Inducted in 1994
Introduced in 1922 and with a design guided by the legendary Lloyd Loar, the L-5 was the first modern archtop guitar. Initially a non-cutaway acoustic, the L-5 went through many changes, ultimately becoming a single-cutaway with two humbuckers.

Gibson Super 400
Inducted in 1993
Introduced in 1934, with its 18" body and deluxe features, the Super 400 was the largest and most expensive guitar in the Gibson line. Its influence was soon apparent in the designs of many of the great archtops built by others. Whether the earlier non-cutaway acoustic version or the later double-pickup cutaway, it remains a true work of art.

Gibson ES-335
Inducted in 1992
Born during Gibson's "golden era," the semi-hollow body ES-335 wedded archtop looks with solidbody performance. Whether it has dot inlays or blocks, it remains one of the coolest designs in guitardom.

Gibson Les Paul Standard ('Burst) Inducted in 1990
Also an easy first-year selection, LP Standard was introduced with a sunburst finish in 1958, and the '58 to'60 models are the most valuable vintage solidbody guitars. The Les Paul Standard is a classic no matter what finish it bears.