Epiphone has once again teamed up with Joe Bonamassa to announce his eighth signature model, the Les Paul Custom “Black Beauty” – an electric guitar based faithfully on one of the distinguished bluesman's most prized six-strings, a 1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom “Black Beauty”.
A product of two years of collaboration at Epiphone's headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, the new creation sports a non-weight-relieved mahogany body and '50s neck profile for an era-correct feel, connected via a bound neck joint. It also features a 22-fret ebony fingerboard with antique ivory binding.
(Image credit: Epiphone)
Pickups include a trio of Epiphone humbuckers – two ProBucker 2s and one ProBucker 3, which can be controlled via the guitar's two volume and two tone knobs.
Other features include unique vintage tuners, Orange Drop capacitors, CTS potentiometers, a Switchcraft output jack and gold hardware. Each guitar comes with a black hardshell case that's adorned with thematic gold hardware and yellow gold plush lining.
“We based my new Epiphone signature on this 1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom,” Bonamassa explains.
“I made it a super-playable instrument, throaty but clean, and the lead pickup just barks. I fell in love with it, it’s a great ‘Black Beauty’ and you just play this thing into the ground. Epiphone did an excellent job recreating this guitar and I’m excited to share it with everyone.”
(Image credit: Epiphone)
Says Gibson CMO Cesar Gueikian, “Working with Joe to recreate his 1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom ‘Black Beauty’ was an incredible journey. Every one of the guitars in Joe's collection has a story; I encourage everyone to watch The Collection with Joe Bonamassa on Gibson TV to learn more about this guitar.”
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The Les Paul Custom “Black Beauty” is available now for $799. For more information, head to Epiphone.
Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
