Gibson Ace Frehley Budokan Custom Les Paul Electric Guitar One of the most coveted Les Paul Customs of the 1970s with triple Dimarzio pickups. These very rarely come on the market. Epitomising the rock concert as spectacle in the 1970s, KISS merged infectious metal riffs and glam-rock imagery more fully than any band to strut the stage. The glitz, makeup and pure musical fury climaxed in 1977 when KISS, having just been named the œmost popular band in America in a Gallup poll, flew to Japan to perform five sold-out shows at the legendary Budokan arena, breaking the record of four capacity concerts that was held by The Beatles. In his white-and-silver œSpace Ace makeup, lead guitarist Ace Frehley strutted the Budokan stage like he owned the world, laying down signature riffs from hits like œRock and Roll All Nite and œDetroit Rock City on a three-pickup 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom that would instantly be the object of desire of every aspiring teenage rocker the world over. Bringing this iconic Custom back to life for the mere mortal guitarists among us, Gibson USA announces the release of the Ace Frehley œBudokan Les Paul Custom. With its luscious Cherry Sunburst nitrocellulose finish, traditional Les Paul Custom inlays and appointments, and three super-charged DiMarzio humbucking pickups, this guitar is the spitting image of Frehley's original in looks, feel and tone, and its ready to rock you all night long. The Ace Frehley œBudokan Les Paul Custom is crafted with the traditional ingredients of the Les Paul Custom circa the early to mid-1970s. It's carved Grade-A maple top is joined to a Grade-A mahogany body that is weight relieved to reduce the load and enhance resonance. This classic tonewood pairing gives you the blend of maple's snap and articulation with mahogany depth and warmth, cornerstones of the legendary Les Paul sound. Seven-ply white-and-black body binding enhances the Custom, as do the necks acrylic Pearloid block markers and the headstocks multi-ply binding and split-diamond inlays. The quarter-sawn mahogany neck is carved to a traditional slim, yet rounded, profile that measures .818 at the 1st fret and .963 at the 12th, and is topped with a fingerboard made from renewable Richlite. A fabricated material composed of cellulose fibre and phenolic resin, Richlite offers the constructional and resonant properties of fine hardwood, but with improved durability, for a superb playing feel. In the image of Aces original guitar, the Ace Frehley œBudokan Les Paul Custom from Gibson USA is loaded with three period-correct, double-cream DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups for maximum rhythm crunch and lead tones of unparalleled fire and fury. To maximise the sonic versatility of the traditional three-way toggle switch and four-knob control section, the guitar is wired to select the neck pickup alone in the switches upper position, both middle and bridge pickups in the middle position (sharing the lower volume and tone controls), and bridge pickup alone in the lower position. Hardware includes the classic pairing of chrome Tune-o-Matic bridge and stop bar tailpiece for optimum sustain and precise intonation, with Aces modification of Grover Tuners with Pearloid œbanjo buttons. Strap it on, and it's your own slab or raging glam-rock excess, as well as the perfect Les Paul for any breed of heavy rock and traditional metal riffing.   ·         Mahogany body, Maple top with Heritage Cherry Sunburst nitrocellulose finish ·         Richlite fingerboard with aged white acrylic block inlays ·         Three open-coil, double-cream DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups ·         Chrome-plated bridge and stop bar tailpiece     SPECIFICATIONS Ace Frehley Budokan Les Paul Electric Guitar ·         Body
Top: Maple
Back: Mahogany
Binding: 7-Ply White/Black on Top
Adhesive: Franklin Titebond
Neck
Species: Mahogany
Profile: Slim, Rounded
Truss Rod: Traditional
Joint Angle: 4 (+/- 15 seconds)
Adhesive: Franklin Titebond
Neck: Fit
Joint: Mortise & Tenon
Adhesive: Franklin Titebond
Joint Angle: Tolerance +/- .005"
Fingerboard
Species: Richlite
Frets: 22
Radius: 12"
Scale Length: 24.75"
Binding: White
Inlays: White Acrylic Block
Nut/E.O.B: 1.695/2.260
Nut
Material: Corian
Width: 1.695
Slots: Gibson PLEK System
Headstock
Inlay: Mother-of-Pearl Split Diamond
Logo: Mother-of-Pearl 'Gibson'
Angle: 17 Degrees
Binding: 5-Ply White/Black
Truss Rod Cover: Black/White Antique Bell
Tuners
Model: Grover with Pearloid Banjo Buttons
Plating: Chrome
Tuning Ratio: 14:01
Bridge
Type: Tune-O-Matic
Material: Zamak
Plating: Chrome
Tailpiece
Type: Stop Bar
Material: Zamak
Plating: Chrome
Hardware
Knobs: Gold Speed Knobs
Pickguard: Cream
Toggle Switch: Washer Cream with Gold Screenprint
Pickup Mounting: Rings Cream
Control Plate Cover: Cream
Strings: .010 - .046
Strap Buttons: Aluminium
Pickups
Neck Position: Open Coil, DiMarzio Super Distortion (Ceramic)
Middle Position: Open Coil, DiMarzio Super Distortion (Ceramic)
Bridge Position: Open Coil, DiMarzio Super Distortion (Ceramic)
Electronics
Potentiometers: 2 Volume Controls, 2 Tone Controls
Type: 300k Linear Volume, 500k Non-linear Tone
Toggle Switch: Three-Way with Cream Toggle Cap
Output Jack: Traditional ¼"
Finish
Sealer: Nitrocellulose Lacquer, Heritage Cherry Sunburst
Case
Type: Gibson Hardshell
Case Exterior: Black