2010 Gibson Collectors Choice CC#1 Aged Les Paul Standard, Gary Moore, Melvyn Franks, Greeny ‘Burst #099 for sale.

Super rare and highly sought after Gibson Custom Collectors Choice #1 Aged Gary Moore 1959 Les Paul Standard. Released in 2010 CC#1 was the inception of the highly successful Collectors Choice Series that went on to accurately replicate 40 different instruments with unrivaled accuracy. Collectors Choice #1 is the perfect tribute to one of the most important original sunburst 1959 Les Pauls and has become possibly the most desirable reissue Les Paul Gibson has produced. Bought by Gary Moore in the Mid-seventies from Fleetwood Mac legend Peter Green the guitar was used by Moore extensively until retired and eventually sold to collector Melvyn Franks in 2006. Produced in strictly limited numbers with only 125 examples hand-aged by Gibson finish expert Tom Murphy and come with a Certificate of Authenticity personally signed by Gary Moore.

The original has been replicated in every way with Collectors Choice #1 featuring a highly figured top and a beautiful, faded "sunburst" finish with every knock, bump, bruise, mark, and historical repair replicated by Tom Murphy. The neck has the archetypical ’59 profile so desired by many players, accurately carved to mimic the original. The neck is topped with a wonderfully dark Rosewood fingerboard with acrylic pearloid trapezoid inlays and 22 medium-jumbo frets. The headstock is back-angled to the traditional 17 degrees, and glued into the guitar's body with the period-correct long neck tenon. The pickups are a set of bespoke Gibson BurstBucker humbuckers voiced to replicate the tone of the original instrument with the guitar sharing it’s interesting wiring configuration with the wiring and orientation of the neck pickup reversed to create a unique "out-of-phase" middle position. The pickups are wired through high-quality CTS pots for volume and tone, with "bumble bee" tone capacitors, and a Switchcraft three-way toggle switch. The hardware, sympathetically aged to match the original guitar combines a nickel-plated Tune-o-matic (ABR-1) bridge and stop bar tailpiece with a set of nickel-plated Sperzel tuners. Just like the original, the pickguard is MIA.

This guitar is Number 99 of the run of 125 and is in excellent condition, it has seen infrequent, light home use but has been well cared for and treated with the utmost reverence by the previous owner. The guitar itself is one of the good ones, weighing a scant 8.3lbs is feels great in the hand with a supremely comfortably neck profile. The guitar has a loud acoustic voice and plays effortlessly in part thanks to the guitar's fairly low neck pitch. When amplified the guitar really comes alive, its loud, zingy acoustic voice translates into a chimey and open bridge pickup with plenty of presence and a pleasant rounded treble. The neck pickup sounds warm but retains a woody clarity. The middle position is very special - the out-of-phase tonality gives the guitar a quack that is almost Strat-like and very authentic to the original. Whether plugged into a small Fender combo or a 100 Watt Marshall Stack this guitar has the sound.

The guitar comes with its original Gibson Custom Case, hand-signed Certificate of Authenticity, hangtags, warranty card and original shipping box.