RDS Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul 1958 Reissue with Brazilian Rosewood - "Bella" Lemon Burst

The 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard marked a pivotal year in electric guitar history, introducing the iconic sunburst finish that replaced the Goldtop and setting the stage for the legendary “Burst” era. Distinct from the more celebrated 1959 model, the 1958 Les Paul typically features a thicker, rounded "C" neck profile, giving it a chunkier, more substantial feel in the hand Most 1958 Les Pauls are known for their “plaintop” maple tops, with relatively few exhibiting the dramatic flame figuring that would become more common in 1959.

This recreation, which we’ve named “Bella,” has an incredible flame top with undeniable vintage vibes. While the tonal differences are subtle, the 1958’s construction and neck shape contribute to a unique playing experience that many guitarists appreciate. Bella’s neck has been reshaped to .091 at the 1st fret and .101 at the 12th, maintaining a chunky but great-feeling neck.

Bella, of course, has a story. Inspired by Mick Taylor's 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard—one of the most iconic guitars in rock history and closely associated with his tenure in the Rolling Stones from 1969 to 1974—this guitar is famously featured on the cover of the Stones' 1970 live album, Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!, held aloft by Charlie Watts, making it visually one of the most recognized Les Pauls ever. Bella is also fitted with ThroBak MT-102B PAF Humbuckers inspired by Mick's 1958 Les Paul.

But the story is not over, we had Mick Taylor's here at Historic Makeovers for refin and we helped developed the MT-102B PAFs. This is from ThroBak themselves: 

“The first and only clone set of the pickups in the Taylor/Richards Burst! And I'm just going to say it, this set is freakin' cool! But imagine one day you get a call that goes like this, "Jon, holy shit, I got the Burst Mick Taylor played with the Stones in front of me, it has short mags and sounds amazing! I read the pickups at 73 degrees F so I have good numbers... Fed Ex me your gauss meter and I will read the gauss on these pups!!" So I say, "I'm headin' to Fed Ex right now!" Well that was the call I got from Kim Lafluer at Historic Makeovers recently. The result of that call and many hours of testing with the critical info plugged in, is the MT-102B MXV set."

"The original pickups in the Taylor/Richards Burst are in fact short magnet P.A.F.'s. Short magnets in vintage P.A.F. pickups are not typical but not unheard of. And a few years ago I sent a short P.A.F. humbucker magnet from one of my best P.A.F. pickups to T&S in Indiana to be cloned. They sliced it in half, did an x-ray spectrograph to nail the metal mix and made me a custom heat of this very unique vintage short A2 variety. Those short A2 clone magnets have been waiting on the shelf for a special project and now they debut in the MT-102B Custom P.A.F. humbucker clones! Based upon gauss readings and the tone of the Taylor Burst, this vintage beauty very likely has short A2 magnets. The MT-102B Custom set is the result of many test pickups, precisely calibrated Throbak exclusive magnets and specially selected magnet wire, and to top it off, wound on Throbak's time machine, 1957 Leesona-102B.”

Needless to say, we're very proud of this guitar. The Real Deal Series from Historic Makeovers represents the most comprehensive and vintage-accurate restoration, bringing Custom Shop Les Pauls even closer to the original late-’50s Bursts.