Gibson Custom ’57 Les Paul Custom VOS Candy Apple Blue – Used Gibson Custom Shop

Another guitar from the collection of our good friend and gear nerd, Mr. Brian Fallon.

This barely used Gibson Custom Shop, Wildwood Spec 1957 Les Paul Custom is in excellent condition.  There is one mild ding on the back, near the bass side lower bout and some very mild scratching on and around the control cavity cover. These issues are very difficult to photograph due to the gloss finish. Enough about what’s wrong, let’s talk about what’s right.

This 2018 Wildwood Spec Les Paul Custom boasts the candy apple blue maple top paired with a natural gloss finished mahogany back, sides and neck. This particular candy apple blue appears to have a hair more gold in it that some others we’ve seen. Really a spectacular deep finish. It was spec’d as VOS but there is a higher gloss than we’re generally used to seeing on VOS guitars.

This LP is dressed in gold hardware from head to toe including reissue waffle back tuners. Multiply binding is wrapped around the top, the back and the peg head. The overlay is adorned with the traditional Les Paul Custom diamond inlay in mother of pearl. The fingerboard is traditional ebony (no substitutions here) adhered to the neck with hot hide glue like they did in the 50’s. Hide glue does not creep like some more modern glues can. It also crystalizes rock hard for ultimate transfer of sonic vibrations. Fingerboard binding is comfortably filed and rolled with nibs intact. Inlays are mother of pearl blocks. Neck profile is a beefy, but not over the top, “early 50’s”. Feels good in the hand without being comically oversized.

This guitar sings before you even plug it in. Could be the solid mahogany body or just the sum of all of the parts but it definitely invites you to plug it in. Pickups are both warm and round with good audible separation between neck and bridge, albeit complimentary.

Case is brown Gibson Custom with pink plush interior, ships with COA.

Please feel free to reach out for more photos or videos as candy apple blue can be somewhat difficult to capture on film.