"The Breathtaking Rebirth of a '59 Les Paul"

2013 Gibson Les Paul Collectors Choice #9 "Believer Burst"

This Collectors Choice #9, reissue of 1959 of Vic DaPras' 'The Believer Burst' is one of the earliest of just one hundred guitars (worldwide) specially made and accurately 'aged' for 2013. This superb guitar, accurate in every detail, has a perfect 'Burst' weight of 8.50 lbs. Two-piece book-matched solid carved 'uber' flamed 'Cherry Burst' maple top with single-ply cream binding on a one-piece solid mahogany body. One-piece mahogany neck with a perfect nut width of 1 11/16 inches, a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches and a very comfortable medium-to-thick profile (0.87 behind the first fret gently rising to 1.00 inch behind the 12th fret). Bound rosewood fretboard with 22  jumbo frets, inlaid pearl trapezoid position markers and dark red side-dot markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and "Les Paul Model" silk-screened in gold. Individual 'single-line' Gibson Deluxe tuners with single-ring-ring Keystone plastic buttons. Serial number "CC 09A 017" stamped in black on back of headstock. Single-layer cream plastic pickguard. Two Gibson 'Custom Bucker Alnico III' PAF re-issue humbuckers, each with a small black rectangular label on the underside with "Patent Applied For" printed in gold, each with cream plastic surrounds with outputs of 8.07k and 7.35k. Four controls (two volume, two tone) on lower treble bout, plus three-way selector switch on upper bass bout. Gold-plastic bell-shaped "Bell" knobs. ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic non-retainer bridge with metal saddles and separate stud tailpiece. Inside the control cavity, on the inside edge of the maple top is "9 0850" stamped in black. This guitar is in mint 'aged' (9.50) condition. Housed in the original Gibson Custom, five-latch, shaped brown hardshell case with padded burgundy plush lining (9.50). Complete with all of the original 'case candy' including the original burgundy leather folder containing the Gibson Collectors Choice Certificate of Authenticity: "9-0850 / CC 9A 017 / The instrument bearing the serial number above is a limited edition / for 2013 hand-built by Gibson Custom, where highly skilled artisans / are committed to carrying on the company's century-old tradition of / creating exquisite, investment-quality instruments. This guitar boldly / reflects the highest standards of imaginative design and / masterful craftsmanship." Signed in white marker by Rick Gembar, General Manager, Senior Vice President, Gibson Custom Shop.

The Gibson Gold Warranty has the following information filled out in black ink: Model No. "LPR9 CC #9 Aged"; Serial No. CC 09A 017". This is the seventeenth "Believer Burst" reissue that was produced by the Gibson Custom Shop. The original 1959 Les Paul that was used to re-create this guitar was owned by Tom Wittrock and appears on page the front cover and on pp. 35, 44, 83, 98 & 99 of Vic DaPra's Burst Believers with the following caption "Serial # 9 0850. One of the best bursts I have ever gazed upon. This is the burst in the California Guitar ad from GP magazine."

"Collector's Choice #9 is among one of the most aesthetically beautiful examples of an original in the series, this special guitar has been recreated based on unrestricted access to the original, allowing Gibson Custom to capture all of its details, well beyond those only experienced with the eyes. From its classic, full, round neck, to a tone that's described as "an amazing balance of boldness and clarity", each replica is crafted to capture a complete representation of the original. (The original Gibson 2013 MSRP was $19,058)

"If late-’50s sunburst Les Pauls are the most lust-worthy electric guitars ever made, this entrant in Gibson Custom’s Collector’s Choice series takes “desirable” right off the charts. Tracked down by collector and author Vic DaPra over the course of 30 years after it first appeared publicly for sale in an ad in Guitar Player magazine in 1980, this dramatically figured burst with wide chevrons in its carved maple top—newly recreated as Collector’s Choice Les Paul #9, serial #9-0850 aka “Believer Burst”—is one of the most beautiful original bursts in existence, and also one of the most famous. It became the centerpiece of DaPra’s collection in 2008, and appears on the cover of his 2013 book Burst Believers. Thanks to DaPra’s close cooperation, Gibson Custom has scanned, traced, and measured every curve and parameter of the “Believer Burst” to bring this most exalted of ’59 Les Pauls into the hands of discerning players and collectors today. From its classic full, round neck, to tone described as “an amazing balance of boldness and clarity”, to its faded finish and precise hand ageing, this is as close as you can get to owning one of the world’s most coveted vintage Les Pauls… without selling the house to buy the real thing." (www.gibson.com).