Despite his tragically short career, Paul Kossoff's guitar work invariably enters at the top of any discussion of classic Les Paul performances. His playing with seminal British blues-rockers Free, and on his acclaimed solo album Backstreet Crawler, exhibited a tone, skill, energy and pure musicality that put him among the pantheon of great British guitar stars such as Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jimmy Page, Mick Ronson and Jeff Beck. Brian May of Queen was heavily influenced by Kossoff's technique and feel. "In the early days of Queen, we loved the music of Free, and frequently played their songs in sound checks, and at home for fun," May said. "Kossoff was the epitome of cool. Influence me? Ha! I would say the riff of ‘Hammer to Fall' is not a million miles away from Kossoff!" Paul had a unique take on the blues-rock movement, exhibited particularly in the masterful vibrato that helped to give his Les Paul a huge, dynamic voice—and the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard on which he achieved such heights is known to be one of greatest sounding 'Bursts ever made. Since Paul's death in 1976, this coveted guitar has remained in the possession of Arthur Ramm, Paul's close personal friend. Now, in cooperation with the Kossoff estate, Gibson Custom has gained access to this incredible Les Paul in order to painstakingly recreate it in strictly limited numbers. Digitally scanned, measured and tested in England by Gibson Custom, this rare piece of musical history has been documented in intimate detail in order to recreate as closely as possible the tone, look and feel of the guitar in its current condition, as Paul left it when he passed away. The result, presented by Gibson Custom in the form of the Paul Kossoff 1959 Les Paul Standard, will be reproduced as just 100 hand-aged guitars, and a further 250 guitars treated with Gibson's proprietary VOS process. The greatest-ever Les Pauls were considered to be produced between 1958 and 1960, with the real cream of the crop—in many a player's estimation—coming in 1959, and Paul Kossoff's Les Paul is truly one of the best of the best. The Paul Kossoff 1959 Les Paul Standard from Gibson Custom recreates its glory as closely as is humanly possible. Like great 'Bursts of the late '50s, it has an elegantly figured two-piece carved maple top married to a solid, one-piece, lightweight mahogany body. Gibson Custom has accurately mirrored both the correct "dish" carve on the top of the guitar, and the finish that has faded the original cherry sunburst to a sumptuous "Green Lemon" hue, while selecting figured maple that closely reflects the unique grain on Paul's original guitar. Custom Shop craftsmen meticulously hand-age the finish and hardware of 100 guitars to accurately reflect the condition of Kossoff's existing Les Paul, while these elements are given a gently aged patina through Gibson's VOS process on 250 further examples. The quarter-sawn mahogany neck is attached with the long-tenon neck joint that helps to give vintage Les Pauls their unparalleled resonance and sustain, and is carved to the unique profile of Paul's own guitar. Aged acrylic trapezoid inlays, aged cream fingerboard and body binding, and a nylon 6/6 nut are among the period-correct features. The "Patent Applied For" humbucking pickups on Paul Kossoff's Les Paul were a big part of his mammoth, searing tone. Gibson Custom has carefully measured these outstanding PAFs to produce detail-accurate recreations for the Paul Kossoff 1959 Les Paul Standard. Each guitar carries a set of Custom Buckers wound with the characteristic mismatched, potted coils of 42-AWG plain-enamel coated wire, with genuine Alnico III magnets for a rich response with outstanding articulation. The sonic results are heard in the thick, creamy blues-rock tone at the neck position, the crispy snarl and bite at the bridge, and the snappy, round, slightly funky tones in between. The guitar carries Gibson's classic pairing of ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge and wraparound tailpiece, along with the gold-plated Grover™ tuners that Paul added as a modification to his own guitar. On the 100 Murphy Aged examples, all are meticulously distressed to match the wear of the hardware on the original guitar, while those on the 250 VOS guitars have the gently aged patina that that process brings. From look, to feel, to tone, the Paul Kossoff 1959 Les Paul Standard is as close as you can come to owning one of the greatest-ever vintage 'Bursts, and it is available in strictly limited numbers. See your authorized Gibson Custom dealer today to reserve yours.