2012 Collectors Choice #3 "The Babe" - Signed by Joe Bonamassa at a Meet and Greet

2012 Gibson Les Paul Collectors Choice #3 "The Babe" 0-0137

This Collectors Choice # 3, is a perfect reproduction of Joe Bonamassa's early 1960 Les Paul 'The Babe' is number 107 of just one hundred and sixty-fve  guitars (worldwide) specially made and accurately 'aged' for 2012. This superb guitar, accurate in every detail, has an almost perfect 'Burst' weight of 8.90 lbs - and yes that is including the Bigsby. Two-piece book-matched solid carved '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 wonderful huge 'baseball bat' profile (0.94 behind the first fret gently rising to 1.02 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 03A 107" 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 7.69k and 7.63k. 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 of the maple top is "0 0137" stamped in black, and also "R9". The requisite 'bumble-bee' capacitors are present. This guitar is in mint (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: "0-0137 / CC 03A 107/ The instrument bearing the serial number above is a limited edition / for 2012 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 pickguard has been signed in black marker by Joe Bonamassa at a 'meet and greet' before a concert.

The Gibson Gold Warranty has the following information filled out in black ink: Model No. "CC #3 Aged"; Serial No. CC 03A 107".

"Collector's Choice #3 Les Paul "The Babe": aka "Joe Bonamassa Bigsby Burst". Well, here she is! Even with the Bigsby she is just a tad over 9 lbs. A replica of 0 0137 as Collector's Choice #3 in VOS finish with light aging. Although Gibson calls this model "The Babe", which was the name given to her by a previous anonymous owner, I prefer to call it the "Joe Bonamassa Bigsby Burst", since Joe now owns it. Joe calls the Bigsby his "Five Speed Transmission". The neck feels wonderful in the hands, the action is low, and it plays and sounds dreamy!" (Mike Slubowski, The Les Paul Forum).