2013 Gibson Custom Shop Collector's Choice CC8 #8 "The Beast" '59 Les Paul - Dirty Lemon - SIGNED by Bernie Marsden w/ OHSC

British rocker Bernie Marsden obtained "The Beast," a 1959 Les Paul Standard, in 1974, while he was a guitarist in a band called Wild Turkey. It became his main axe thereafter, perhaps most famously fueling his blues-tinged guitar work with Whitesnake from 1978-1982. There has been ample speculation about the instrument's previous ownership. Eric Clapton, Paul Kossoff, and Andy Fraser are the likely suspects, but as Bernie says, players didn't pay much attention to those things back then. Their main interest in a guitar was its playability and tone. And "The Beast" has both in abundance.

In re-creating this fabulous instrument, Gibson's Custom Shop nailed every detail, right down to its aged and road worn finish, which after more than a half-century, has faded to what can best be described as "dirty lemon burst" over a hand-selected Eastern maple top. Reissue Kluson Deluxe Greenkey tuners add an aura of authenticity, as does the Aniline dye finish on the Grade-A mahogany back and sides. The beefy 1-piece mahogany neck is capped with a single-layer, solid rosewood fingerboard with reissue trapezoid inlays. The Gibson Custom Bernie Marsden Les Paul Collector's Choice #8 is the spittin' image of a classic solidbody electric guitar.

In 1958, the Les Paul got an upgrade to two humbucking pickups, which were designed by Gibson's Seth Lover and are widely called "PAFs" because early examples had "Patent Applied For" stickers on the underside. It wasn't until Eric Clapton plugged a Les Paul into a Marshall amp that the light went on in many players heads: humbuckers equal big, fat tone! The Gibson Custom Bernie Marsden Les Paul Collector's Choice #8 is equipped with two of the best humbucking pickups Gibson has ever produced: BurstBuckers. With a tight low end, complex midrange, and sweet treble, the sound is everything you'd ever want from a Les Paul.

A note from Ryan...

This guitar was owned by a close personal friend of Bernie's who I have known for many years. Originally, Bernie was going to gift him one of these guitars but due to a number of circumstances, Gibson did not have one for Bernie to gift away so Bernie went out and personally selected this one from several examples. I also knew Bernie personally through this mutual friend and when I had Bernie in our store for an event, he told me that this one was nearly indistinguishable from his original Beast. The owner of this guitar is actually a drummer so this guitar has never been played. He kept it tucked away in a smoke free home and it will arrive in pristine/mint condition. This guitar was signed by Bernie at Royal Albert Hall and he also played it several times. This is a KILLER guitar and we believe it will be exponentially more collectible considering it was autographed on both the certificate and the guitar itself. 

Features:

• The spittin' image of Bernie's 1959 Les Paul, affectionately dubbed "The Beast" 
• Limited run of only 300
• Fat, satisfying '50s profile neck with rosewood fingerboard
• 5 (2 x neck and 3 x bridge) Burstbucker pickups deliver formidable tone
• Hardshell case and certificate of authenticity included
• Gibson's lifetime warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service