Gibson is to release a production line Les Paul Standard version of its Silverburst Adam Jones Les Paul. Gibson's collaboration with Jones has already produced some of the most sought-after electric guitars in recent history, with the Tool guitarist's limited-run 1979 Les Paul Customs selling out in record time.
Indeed, such was the demand and hype around the original releases, which were guaranteed to be collector's pieces, 13 of the Silverburst Customs were stolen en route to Sweetwater in a premeditated theft worth $95,000. That a production line model is coming is big news to anyone who missed out the first time around, either through to scarcity or the heft price tag.
Jones himself had previously teased a Silverburst Flying V on his Instagram page and speculation peaked when he posted Epiphone and Gibson USA cases, but in the latest episode of Gibson TV's The Collection, Gibson brand president Cesar Gueikian and director of brand experience Mark Agnesi have confirmed that a Standard is on the way.
Agnesi was getting a tour of Gueikian's epic gear stash, and as the pair were joined by Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner and Megadeth's Dave Mustaine, Agnesi grabbed one of many Silverburst Les Pauls – and it just so happened to be a prototype of a Gibson Adam Jones Les Paul Standard.
“That’s the one you’re not supposed to grab,” joked Gueikian. “Hey, it’s on camera. It’s all good.”
This being a Gibson USA production-line model, we'd expect this to a little easier on the bank balance than the Custom Shop models, perhaps priced in line with the Slash Les Paul Standard, which retails for $2,999.
While there were scant details of the spec, the prototype featured Adam Jones' logo on the rear of the headstock, and the coverless bridge pickup. Time will tell if that bridge pickup will be a custom-wound Seymour Duncan DDJ humbucker and whether the custom profile maple neck makes the cut.
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Earlier on in the show, which you can watch above, it was Gueikian's turn to surprise Agnesi and the viewers alike, unveiling two "golden samples" from the Murphy Lab – a '58 Korina Explorer and a '58 Korina Flying V. “You actually haven’t seen these,” said Gueikian to Agnesi. “These two in particular will come with the historic case and case cover, and Brazilian ‘boards.“
The '58 Explorer has a one-piece body while the V has a center-seam build, with both constructed from African korina and meticulously aged in the newly opened Tom Murphy Lab. Gibson used a variety of reference models from the vault and took its scanning tech to take the spec from a number of other '58s.
This was not so easy. There aren't many out there in the wild, with only 19 Explorers and 81 Flying Vs shipping in 1958. And, you guessed it, Gibson will stick to that quota for what is guaranteed to be the most collectible Murphy Lab release so far.
For more details on the Murphy Lab, head on over to Gibson.
If you're looking for a 1979 Adam Jones Les Paul Custom, expect to pay $18,000 online for the aged and signed model and in excess of $10,500 for the, y'know, regular common or garden Custom Shop dream guitar.
