THE GIBSON 'BURST 1958-1960. Jay Scott, Vic DaPra.
The Gibson 'Burst 1958, '59, '60
Series: Guitar
Publisher: Centerstream Publications
Format: Softcover
Author: Jay Scott
Author: Vic DaPra
A musical instrument or a cultural icon? Certainly, the Gibson Les Paul “Sunburst” Standard has become the single most desirable and collectable electric guitar ever made. The late '50s middle-of-the-road guitar emerges as the turn-of-the-century Holy Grail. With over 300 'Bursts shown and 16 pages of full color photos, this is the book for all collectors. Also includes a 1958, '59, and '60 Sunburst Les Paul serial number list.
“Since the first publication of this book til today, the Sunburst has continued to inspire me and new generations of musicians. Thank you, Les.” – Jimmy Page
Inventory #HL 00000423
ISBN: 9781574242034
UPC: 884088069261
Width: 9.0"
Length: 12.0"
128 pages
Certainly, the Gibson Les Paul "sunburst" Standard has become the singularly most desirable and collectable electric guitar ever made. Its repute and value are virtually common knowledge and its marque has almost become a household name. Its devotees invest mortgage-size sums into individual examples and kings' ransoms into life-long collections of the blue-chip, investable guitar, and lovingly lavish nicknames on the objects of their affection in a kind of dementia author Richard Smith has referred to a sunburst psychosis. But it wasn't always so. despite contemporary sunburst enthusiasts' need to elevate the instrument to the sanctum sanctorum, sound historical perspective and an insight into corporate reasoning insinuates that the company viewed the new 1958model askance, as a bit of a pariah, a second-rate guitar, a marketing and design compromise. contemporary hysteria and emotion aside, the sunburst Standard followed a Les Paul goldtop sales slide that had decreased Les Paul model production 200%by the mid-fifties. Obviously, Gibson reasoned correctly, it was time for a change. But how to shore up slumping sales of the company's second-best solidbody? The answer was reasonable - and typical - for a traditional firm like Gibson: put a flamed maple top with a sunburst finish on the model. In every sense this was a retrogression for the Les Paul model, and Gibson knew it. the gold-finished Les Paul had been a stretch for the company, a bold stroke of color and daring for the stodgy, sunburst-and-natural-finish-oriented manufacturer. So, when the corporate decision was made to return to the sunburst finish, it was, in a very real sense, a de-evolution, a step backwards. One even gets the impression of boardroom exasperation and resignation, of not knowing what to do next with the damn model. combined with the fact that the standard was relatively cheap -- the Super 400, L-5, Byrdland, ES-350,the higher line thinlines and other were the company's heavy hitters; even the Les Paul Custom cost almost twice as much as the Standard -- a feeling of near-indifference emerges: "Well,the goldtop was good for us for a few years but sales are in the toilet now. So let's go back to the look that got us where we are; we'll make the thing look like a baby L-5 or Super 400, put a sunburst finish on it since Fender seems to be doing okay with their Stratocaster, price it cheap and pitch it as a second instrument for the pro who doesn't want to take his L-5 to the gig or to the guy who wants to sit home and play and won't feel bad about laying out 250 bucks for a guitar that sort of looks like our good stuff.... and see if it flies."
No, it didn't. And for one reason or another (primarily poor sales) the guitar was removed from the line at the end of 1960after an unremarkable 2 1/2 years in Gibson's – another Gibson solidbody debacle, certainly not of the magnitude of Gibson's BIG faux pas, the Korina series, but surely nothing to write home to Kalamazoo about. With such inauspicious beginnings, even the most devout 'burst worshippers must admit, the Standard was not a glowing success.... and it seems Gibson knew it wasn't going to be. Or else how does one explain the almost casual disregard the company showed in matching curly maple tops on many of the Standards? Or the fact that 75% of all Standards do not have dramatic figure in their maple caps ... or little or no figure at all? Or the reason such a light-fugitive (light sensitive) red aniline dye was used for the cherry sunburst when Gibson knew it was going to fade and was well aware of the availability of better, more durable, more light-fast, more costly dyes? (Michael Dresdner, "Restoration Clinic," Vintage Guitar Bulletin, Vol 3 No.1, Jan., 1984). The answer to all these rhetorical questions is obvious. But as all of us have so often learned in the dominion of the classic American guitar yesterday's debacle sometimes turns into today's treasure; the past's pariah reappears as the present's avatar. In the case of the 1958-'60Les Paul Standard, a late-'50's middle-of-the-road yawner emerges as the turn-of-the-century Holy Grail. The prodigal son has returned home a saint.
In preparing the revisions and additions for this resuscitated edition of our Sunburst book, my co-author, Vic DaPra and I had numerous conversations about content, of course, but eventually virtually all our talks edged into a more - how shall I say this – philosophical realm. More precisely, we invariably came to discuss, somewhat sadly, somewhat bemusedly, the astronomical prices that particular examples of the guitar had achieved over the past few years. 'Bursts have skyrocketed in value from low-five-figure collectibles to six-figure untouchables, sometimes commanding prices in excess of $200,000.affordable only by millionaires. 'Burst ownership has become the province of high-profile authors and their publishers, prominent actors, doctors and lawyers ...entrepreneurial titans, not musicians. Vicwould chuckle that many of the original proponents of the model couldn't begin to afford one now.
This begs the obvious question, then: what precisely are we dealing with here ...now ...precisely? Is this a musical instrument or a cultural icon? Apparently, its very nature has changed along with its raison d'etre. The days when dirty white boys blared jungle music on these hammers of the gods and in so doing busted down all kinds of walls have clearly past; a 'burst is as much a guitar nowadays as a Louis Quatorze table is an eating platform. Sure, occasionally still, some atavistic giant like Slash, Joe Perry, Joe Walsh or Billy Gibbons has the balls to step center-stage and burn on an original sunburst Les Paul like the old days unafraid he might fracture a headstock and so ruin his investment. But what has become painfully evident is that the nature of the beast, the 'burst's essence, has changed. Indisputably, the epoch of 'burst-as-bauble is upon us. The sunburst-finished 1958-1960Les Paul Model/Les Paul Standard is now the domain of the super-rich; Peter Green need not apply. What New York City-based, sunburst maven Doug Myer of Dan Courtenay's Chelsea Guitars so aptly wrote about Slash, the last-ever, 'burst welding, guitar god, several years ago now seems equally apropos to the instrument he proffered: after he bashed his way through the temple doors with his flametops, the closed behind him forever. Jay Scott (I can't believe I'm still in) Rochester, New York, 2005
1959 Standard/E Clark. Photo W. Draffen
Vic DaPra has always been an intergral part of the music scene in the Pittsburgh, PA area. A lifelong devotee of the guitar about which he would eventually co-author two books, Vic receied his first 'burst as a gift in the early 1970s; it cost a then-outrageous $1600. Since that time he has owned many examples of what has become a pre-eminent American collectible. Along with partner Tim Matyas, he opened the Guitar Gallery in Canonsburg, PA in 1985,preferring Gibson Historic Les Paul reissues and other high quality six-strings.
Jay Scott is a Jesuit-educated throwback whose publications include The Guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company, '50s Cool: Kay Guitars, Sunburst Alley and the first edition of this book as well as dozens of articles for such periodicals as Guitar World and 20th Century Guitar magazines. His life has been notably unremarkable and unproductive, save for the generation of his glorious, albeit autistic, son Gianni Lux Amlfi-Scognetti Scott, himself a published author and illustrator of two books, Playing Games and From Pumpkin Seed To Pumpkin Pie (Parker Publishing), and the few aforementioned sporadic insights.
This revitalized version of our paradigmatic Sunburst book is lovingly dedicated to my co-author Vic DaFra whose implaceable goading and cajoling inevitably led to my revising this edition. If I had a nickel for every time Vic would, you'll excuse the expression, fan the flames of my interest in it's revision using Gerard Manley Hopkins' famous finishing couplet from "The Windhover" "... And blue bleak embers, ah my dear, fall, gall themselves and gash gold vermillion" , I'd have enough money to buy an original 'burst. Here's to the once-and-future Pharoah of Flame!! To Steve DiVenuta, the office tiger, who coalesced all our efforts to bring this project to - I use the word loosely – fruition. To Ron Middlebrook, Centerstream Publishing Finally and most gratefully to Larry and Jim Acunto of 20th Century Guitar magazine/ Seventh string Press - for 20 years of friendship and association and for graciously and generously releasing on this book thereby allowing yet another guitar book to be foisted on the already – over· helmed, guitar-related public.
Contents:
Scott Frielich, Top Shelf Music
Chelsea Second Hand Guitars
Art Atwood
Au th0rs
Preface
Jimmy Page
Robby Kriger
Introduction .
Prologue .
1958's
Tradition to 1959 .
Color Section
Tabacco Sunburst Finish.
Burst with Bigsbys.
1960's.
The Patent Applied for (PAF) Humbucker .
Cherry Sunburst.
7000 Series
Sunburst Les Paul Serial Number List .
Aknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the following businesses and individuals without those participation this book would have been less complete:
Tom Wittrock, Third Eye Music Gary Winterflood
Richie Frieman, We Buy Guitars Mark Quinton
Kosta Kovachev Scott Chinery
Albert Molinaro Rudy Pensa
Revised Layout: Dave Collins
Italiano
English
