1959 Gibson Les Paul Special
The double-cutaway 1959 Les Paul Special offers the full-access ergonomics with two P-90 pickups. These are excellent gigging instruments with genuine vintage tone.
Current Market Value
* Prices are estimates based on recent market data. Actual value depends on originality, condition, and provenance. Pricing methodology
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Recent Sales
Showing 10 verified sales for 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special. Reissues, replicas, and parts listings are filtered out.
Specifications
| Body Wood | Mahogany (slab body, double-cutaway) |
| Neck Wood | Mahogany |
| Fingerboard | Rosewood |
| Scale Length | 24.750" |
| Frets | 22 |
| Pickup Config | HH |
| Bridge | Wraparound combination bridge/tailpiece |
| Tuners | Kluson Deluxe single-ring |
| Finish Options | TV Yellow, Cherry |
Pickups & Electronics
Two P-90 soap-bar pickups. Double-cutaway body introduced in 1959.
What Changed in 1959
Body became double-cutaway in 1959, mirroring the Junior's transition. The DC Special with two P-90s is a highly capable instrument.
Collector's Notes
TV Yellow finish is the most collectible. Double-cut Specials are more versatile than single-cuts due to improved upper fret access.
How to Authenticate a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special
Gibson serial numbers from this era are ink-stamped on the back of the headstock. Cross-reference with known Gibson serial tables — numbering was not strictly sequential. Potentiometer date codes are critical: look for CTS pots (code 137) with two-digit year codes matching 1959 or up to 18 months earlier. This is the most reliable dating method for Gibson guitars of this era. The finish should be nitrocellulose lacquer showing age-appropriate checking (fine crazing). Under blacklight, original nitro fluoresces a distinctive green-yellow — refinished instruments lack this characteristic. Verify both P-90 pickups are original with correct bobbin construction and Alnico magnets. Flat mahogany body with two P-90s. Double-cutaway SG-predecessor shape. TV Yellow finish should show age-appropriate ambering. Original Kluson Deluxe single-ring should be present with no evidence of replacement (no oversized bushing holes). Original hardshell case adds provenance value.