Epiphone has partnered with Takahiro 'Tak' Matsumoto – a Grammy-winning session musician, solo artist and record producer – for a 1955 Les Paul Standard signature guitar.
Matsumoto is no stranger to signature models, and over the past decade or so has been honored with a range of Artist Series Gibsons and Epiphones. Back in 2012, the guitarist – who is also the co-founder and guitarist for Japan's best-selling musical act, the rock duo B’z – helped develop a sleek Gibson Double Cut Custom Ebony.
That Double Cut design ha been adopted across both the Gibson and Epiphone brands for a string of like-minded models, including a wealth of Japanese market-exclusive runs.
More recently, in 2022 he was honored with a top-of-the-range Custom Shop recreation of his gold 1955 Gibson Les Paul Standard – a model that has now been revisited for his newest signature Epiphone.
Visually, it’s a like-for-like replica of his Gibson model, right down to the open book headstock style that has now become the norm for high-end Epiphones.
Notably, the guitar boasts an Antique Gold finish that covers the entire instrument – including the rear of the body and the back of the neck – as well as a handful of vintage flourishes, such as the sole wraparound bridge with set intonation screws.
Both the maple-topped mahogany body and 12” radius laurel fretboard are bound, while the Custom Tak ’59 Rounded C neck is sourced from one piece of mahogany. There’s also a Graph Tech nut, Long Tenon neck joint, mother of pearl trapezoid inlays and Gold Speed knobs to complement the vintage vibe.
A pair of Gibson Burstbucker Pro Alnico 5 humbuckers are drafted in (always a nice addition to Epiphone models) and can be controlled via the standard Les Paul control layout.
With Matsumoto’s signature seemingly absent from the guitar itself, this particular model is well-positioned to be a hugely accessible electric guitar that will probably strike a chord with those on the hunt for a ’55-inspired Epiphone Les Paul with some faithful vintage flair.
To that end, this wouldn’t look out of place as a standard model in Epiphone’s recently announced Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop range.
The Tak Matsumoto 1955 Les Paul Standard Antique Gold is available as an Epiphone exclusive. A price is yet to be confirmed, but according to Epiphone’s site filter, it sits in the ‘$1,299 or more’ bracket.
Head over to Epiphone to find out more.
