Gibson has unveiled the Jeff Beck “Yardburst” 1959 Les Paul Standard signature guitar, replicating one of the late guitar great’s beloved instruments.
To mark Gibson’s 130th anniversary, only 130 of these guitars were handmade by luthiers at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, and each was Murphy Lab-aged to match the original in its Dark Cherry Sunburst finish.
“Jeff was enormously proud to have owned the original of this guitar,” said the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s widow, Sandra Beck, in a press release. “He was aware and fully supportive of the amazing job and love that Gibson Custom provided to create this instrument and would have hoped that this guitar will give hours of pleasure to those who play it.”
The “Yardburst” 1959 Les Paul Standard (available here) is a faithful recreation of the ’59 Les Paul Standard played by Jeff Beck during his time in the influential UK rock band The Yardbirds.
Gibson Custom Shop replicated the identifiable traits of the original, such as the classic white bobbin humbuckers, black single-ply pickguard, and 1-piece Lightweight Mahogany body. It comes housed in an aged Lifton hardshell guitar case that also includes a selection of ephemera commemorating the life of the late guitar legend. All 130 of the “Yardburst” guitars were aged to match the original as it appeared during Beck’s Yardbirds days.
“Working on this project has been an absolute honor and we are thankful for the trust and support shown by Jeff Beck, as well as his friends and family,” remarked Gibson’s Lee Bartram in a press release. “The original guitar is very special, full of history and stories from a pivotal era in British music. As always, Gibson Custom has done an exceptional job in capturing the essence of the original, creating a wonderfully accurate tribute to one of the true guitar pioneers.”
The limited-edition Jeff Beck “Yardburst” 1959 Les Paul Standard is available for $9,999 via Reverb or Gibson.com.
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