Billy Gibbons’ legendary Pearly Gates, a rare 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, is like no other guitar in the world, and now you can own a painstaking replica of this legendary instrument. The figured Maple top was selected just for this limited edition Pearly gates model.
Gibson's Custom Shop has matched the faded Billy Gibbons Burst finish perfectly. The naturally darkened edges give way to the beautiful patterns of the Maple grain. Even the original’s distinctive red Mahogany back is replicated. Although no two guitars could ever have exactly the same top and finish, this is as close as it gets to the original which has been used on every ZZ Top hit. In concert, Billy Gibbons relies on Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates humbuckers to replicate the original’s superb tone (he uses the 1959 original only for recording). No detail was overlooked by the Gibson Custom Shop when making this faithful replica. There’s all nickel hardware, gold top hat control knobs, vintage Kluson-style tulip tuners, and a lightweight aluminum string-over stopbar that lets you set up the strings just like Billy. The one-piece Mahogany neck with a 1959 rounded profile also sports the same long-neck tenon found in every Les Paul Standard from Gibson’s Golden Era. You also get period-correct CTS potentiometers and bumble bee capacitors. It’s all there, plus all the case candy is present along with the Pearly Gates cotton shroud and collectors’ Custom Shop wallet containing a picture of Billy with Pearly Gates and the certificate for this example. This guitar is virtually unplayed, highly desirable and no longer available. Don’t let this one slip away! SOLD