It has long been the pinnacle of Gibson's guitar range and has even disappeared occasionally only to resurface again triumphantly! No other guitar creates the same level of eager anticipation when it arrives at the guitar store and everybody gathers round to open the case for the first time.So the '59 Les Paul is up there as pretty much one of a very small number of truly benchmark guitars. Its legacy has inspired countless thousand players and indeed, instruments, in the decades since its introduction. For instance, the adhesives used to connect the finest timbers of the 2018 Historic '59 Les Paul Standard are back to the old Hot Hide glues, despite it being smelly and much more difficult to work with! And on the other end of the spectrum, detailed modern chemical analysis of the plastics used in the original instruments has led to the development of new, far more authentic, reissue parts. And the slightly-slimmer than previous reissue '59 neck profile is taken directly from a genuine 1959 guitar.So the Gibson Custom 2018 Historic '59 Les Paul Standard really is the holy grail! Available with either a choice of nitrocellulose lacquer finishes- either a shiny gloss or a vintage patina VOS, the 2018 spec Historic '59 Les Paul Standard is as close as you can get to an original.