Billy Gibbons 'Pearly Gates' - One of 250 R9 Reissues from 2009

2009 Gibson Custom Shop R9 Les Paul 'Pearly Gates'

This fourteen-year-old spectacular reissue of Billy Gibbons' 1959 Les Paul Standard "Pearly Gates" is an early example of the just two hundred and fifty guitars (worldwide) produced by the Gibson Custom Shop in 2009. This superb guitar, perfect in every detail, has a near perfect 'Burst' weight of 8.80 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 just over 1 11/16 inches, a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches and a typical '59 thick 'baseball bat' profile (0.93 inch behind the first fret rising to 1.03 inch behind the 12th fret). Bound Indian rosewood fretboard with 22  medium 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 [Kluson] Gibson Deluxe 'double-line' tuners with single-ring Keystone plastic buttons. Serial number "BG-056" stamped in black on back of headstock. Single-layer cream plastic pickguard. Two Seymour Duncan 'specially voiced' humbucker PAF re-issue humbuckers, both with a small white rectangular label on the underside with "SWD Custom Shop / Billy Gibbons HB Neck" and "SWD Custom Shop / Billy Gibbons HB Bridge", each with cream plastic surrounds and very strong outputs of 7.58k and 8.28k. 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 controls cavity is "R9" stamped in black and of course the requisite two 'Bumble-Bee' capacitors. Also the end of the neck tenon has "BG 056" written in black marker. This guitar is in mint (9.50) condition. Housed in the original Gibson Custom, five-latch, shaped black hardshell case with padded burgundy plush lining and Billy Gibbons signature stamped in gold (9.50). Complete with all of the original 'case candy' including the original brown folder containing the Gibson Custom Certificate of Authenticity Inspired by Series: "Billy Gibbons "Pearly Gates" Les Paul V.O.S. / BG 056 / Serial Number. The instrument bearing the serial number above is 1 of 250 hand built / by Gibson Custom, where highly skilled artisans are committed to / carrying ``on the company's century-old tradition of creating exquisite, / investment-quaility instruments. This guitar boldly reflects the highest / standards of imaginative design and masterful craftsmanship. [Signed in facsimile] by Billy Gibbons [&] Rick Gembar / General Manager, Senior Vice President / Gibson Custom Shop." Also included is the "Gibson Gold Warranty" with the Pre-Pack Checklist with details including the serial number in black ink. Also including the rest of the original case candy including the original metal jack plate cover which has been changed for a cream plastic replica plate. This is the the prettiest example that we have evr seen - the 'uber' flame top is really quite dramatic. The guitar is in brand new, unplayed condition and with the specially-voiced re-issue PAFs sounds quite amazing.