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Gibson session Select
Les Paul Standard
Sought-after classics in limited editions
Exclusively at session
Yesterday like today... or: today like yesterday?
It is one of the largest and most popular classics among electric guitars: the Gibson Les Paul Standard. The originals from 1958 and the very rare 1959 models are particularly popular with collectors and are usually traded for utopian sums.
Many guitars from back then are still in good condition today and are used as models for new custom shop instruments and meticulously studied by Gibson 's experienced luthiers.
Our Olli is of course also a big fan of these legendary instruments. He made the long journey to the Gibson custom shop in the USA to hand-select the best woods and components for a very special Gibson Made To Measure edition . The Gibson session Select Les Paul Standard series consists of faithful replicas of the Les Paul Standard guitars from 1958 and 1959, which are visually very close to the originals, but with some upgrades and of course a timeless sound .
Exclusive and only with us!
All guitars you find here have been configured by our electric guitar guru Olli Lohmann and realized in close collaboration with the Gibson custom shop. Absolutely unique!
With so many guitars it's difficult to choose...
Here you can find all exclusive Gibson session Select models. Our Les Paul Standard models are available in several versions: As a 1958 and 1959 Les Paul Standard model as a VOS and Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged variant . Of course, left-handed models are also part of the line-up. Can't decide between the different model variants yet? No problem! Alternatively, you can also view all models at a glance:
Gibson session Select: 1958
Gibson session Select: 1959
Gibson session Select: 1958/59
Everything about the Gibson session Select Les Paul Standard
Below you will find out everything about the unique guitars from the Gibson session Select Les Paul Standard series and how they were created. We will introduce you to the most important properties of these exclusive instruments and explain the most important features and what makes the guitars so special.
Legends among themselves!
The creation of session Select
Our YouTube and guitar legend Olli personally traveled to the Gibson custom shop in the USA to work with the guitar makers there to design a series of Made To Measure models and put together the individual components . This gave him the opportunity to select the most beautiful flamed and plain top tops from a variety of raw maple wood blocks and select the appropriate finish for each.
Of course, he also met with aging legend Tom Murphy to tailor the aging of our instruments to his wishes. The result is instruments that combine classic design and Vintage vibes with modern, typical Gibson workmanship.
History meets modernity
In addition to the unmistakable features that a good Gibson Les Paul Standard must have, such as a one-piece mahogany body, a mahogany neck with an Indian Rosewood fretboard and stylish trapezoid inlays, the models have also been slightly modernized and modified. For example, all guitars, including the 1958 models that originally have a chunky C-shape neck , have a slimmer Authentic '59 Medium C neck profile , which guarantees a pleasant playing feel and is one of the most popular Gibson profiles.
The neck pickup has also been modified. It is “underwoud” , so it has fewer windings than a normal humbucker. This means that the sound remains clear and differentiated when switching from bridge to neck humbucker, instead of becoming too mid-heavy.
The visual highlight is of course the tops, the different burst finishes look simply great on both the plain maple and heavily flamed tops and form a nice contrast to the dark fingerboards and headstocks.
Ultra Light Aging vs. VOS
The Les Paul Standard 1958 and 1959 models are each available as a VOS version or as a Murphy Lab Light Aged version. VOS stands for “Vintage Original Specs”, which means that the guitars are replicas of historical original instruments that appear well-rehearsed to the viewer, but have not been artificially aged. The Ultra Light Aged models have been carefully hand-aged in Tom Murphy's famous Murphy Lab to give the guitars the feel and look of an instrument that has been played for years.
Due to their aging, all guitars are of course unique and look very similar to the historical originals. The including certificate of authenticity and the period-appropriate case round off the overall picture wonderfully and make each model in the Gibson session Select Les Paul Standard series an exclusive instrument that will be popular with active guitarists and collectors alike.
The Gibson custom shop
Musicians and craftsmen work in the Gibson custom shop , all of whom love and live by playing guitar and bass. This passion for good instruments and their manufacture ensures that the manufacturing quality of Gibson custom shop instruments always remains at a high level. Only the best of the best, who have completed a long training course and have a lot of experience, work in the custom shop .
How a guitar is made
The path from a raw block of wood to a finished guitar is a long one. During our visit to the Gibson custom shop , we followed it closely and documented some of the raw material's stages on the way to the finished custom shop guitar. Below you will get an impression of the manufacturing process of a Gibson guitar.
The basic form
After the initial quality control , the body is machine sawn into the correct Les Paul form using a milling machine. The body is then provided with the routings for the pickups and the characteristic curvature, which is decorated with the maple top.
After sawing and sanding, it becomes clear whether the quality of the selected top is sufficient for a custom shop guitar. Sometimes the grain is interrupted by traces of pests or external influences and the top has to be sorted out .
If the beautiful grain remains intact without any visual defects, the guitar can be further processed. To do this, the top is ground and polished to its final form before it is binding around the entire body.
This picture makes it particularly clear where the binding gets its name. The binding material is fixed to the body with thick rubber bands until the adhesive connection has completely hardened.
Of course, the neck also needs to be sawn and sanded into the correct form . Pay attention to the correct neck profile and the correct headstock angle . The neck is then painted.
Before painting, the guitar is inspected again, edges are sanded smooth and any unevenness in the wood is leveled out . The guitar is then ready for painting and aging.
The fine work
After the guitar has been painted and the neck and body have been put together, the fret edges need to be sanded down so that you don't get stuck on them while playing.
The frets must be carefully and cleanly dressed so that no buzzing is heard when playing and no dead spots appear on the fretboard .
The toggle switches are elaborately handcrafted before they end up in a guitar and are soldered to the pickups.
The pickup are of course also wound by hand according to customer requirements. There is a wide range of different pickups that can be used on a Gibson custom shop guitar.
All electronics are then wired and soldered . Pots, switches and pickup are tested for function and are now ready for use.
Throughout the entire manufacturing process, care must always be taken to ensure that the guitar corresponds 100% to the customer's desired specifications, which are noted on the spec sheet
Final quality check
If the guitar has successfully completed all production stages, it goes into the final quality check. This is where it is decided whether the thumb points up or down. The guitar is strung, adjusted and its functions are put through its paces by long-standing experts. If everything works, the guitar is sent to the customer or dealer along with the certificate of authenticity, accessories and case.
You can trust us!
We have been there for you locally for over 40 years and look back on over 20 years of experience in the mail order business.
