As Bonamassa fans and vintage tone gurus alike here at Music Experience, it's always a treat when the man himself shares instruments inspired by his extensive catalog of rare guitars. The Joe Bonamassa ’59 Les Paul Custom is based on what is perceived to be one of the rarest Les Pauls ever built — a late 1950s two-pickup “Black Beauty” with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece. All the trimmings that make the original stand out are present in this carefully crafted all-mahogany-body Epiphone homage, from the aged binding and ‘50s-style rounded mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard down to the Grover Imperial tuning buttons. To complete the vintage vibe, the Joe Bonamassa ’59 Les Paul Custom comes stocked with a set of Epiphone ProBucker pickups bursting with PAF-inspired punch and dynamics. From museum-quality aesthetics to smooth playability, the Joe Bonamassa ’59 Les Paul Custom is built to serve as a stage-ready instrument worthy of the blues icon’s namesake.

Aged styling just like Joe’s

One look at the Joe Bonamassa ’59 Les Paul Custom and you’ll find it to be a spitting image of Joe's treasured original. To start, aged, yellowed binding surrounds the mahogany body’s front and back as well as the neck and Kalamazoo-style headstock, creating a lived-in yet cherished aesthetic. Matched with a vintage gloss polyurethane finish and complementary gold hardware, including the factory-installed Bigsby and matching Grover Imperial tuners, this guitar screams classic Les Paul vibes.

Traditional tonewood combination

The Epiphone Joe Bonamassa ’59 Les Paul Custom doesn't just look good — it feels like a classic solidbody guitar. While the Custom-style all-mahogany body exudes warmth and resonance, the mahogany neck features a period-accurate 1959 Rounded Medium C profile full of singing sustain and comfort. Topped with a genuine ebony fingerboard for a smooth feel and added bite, you can count on the Epiphone Joe Bonamassa ’59 Les Paul Custom for an extravagantly rich and balanced tone.

ProBucker pickups deliver PAF-era clean and crunch tones

The key ingredient to the Les Paul's early success was the PAF humbucking pickup. As the first of its kind to hit the mainstream, Patent Applied For humbuckers defined the sound of a generation with their fat tone and clear response. The ProBucker pickup set is inspired by the original PAF sound: full, tight-sounding lows, incredible clarity, singing sustain and harmonics, and a midrange crunch that satisfies any sonic appetite. When you plug in, you'll instantly recognize the signature Les Paul punch.

What Epiphone Says...

Joe Bonamassa is widely renowned for his guitar-playing prowess and as a world-class guitar collector. One prized gem in his collection is his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Custom. The original Les Paul Custom came to be known as the “Black Beauty,” and examples from the late 50s are highly sought after, but this particular guitar is quite unique. Joe’s guitar is a rare custom order with two pickups instead of the standard three-pickup configuration. Adding to its allure, it also sports Grover® Imperial™ tuners and a Bigsby® vibrato tailpiece. The Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1959 Les Paul Custom faithfully recreates this exceptional guitar for players everywhere to enjoy and at an accessible price. It has an Antique Ebony finish over its all-mahogany body, which features aged multi-ply binding on the top and back. The mahogany neck has a 1959 Rounded Medium C profile and is topped with a bound ebony fretboard that is equipped with 22 medium jumbo frets and dressed up with pearloid block position marker inlays. The multi-ply bound 60s Kalamazoo-style headstock features the Epiphone logo and the iconic Custom Split Diamond inlay in mother of pearl and is outfitted with a low-friction Graph Tech® nut for excellent tuning stability. The Joe Bonamassa ’59 Les Paul Custom is powered by a pair of punchy-sounding Epiphone ProBucker™ Custom pickups that are wired to individual volume and tone controls that use high-quality CTS® potentiometers for outstanding reliability and tonal versatility. As is fitting for a Les Paul Custom, the hardware is gold, including a LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ bridge, the Grover tuners, and the Bigsby B70 vibrato tailpiece. The combination of these elements creates an instrument that is not only visually stunning but also remarkably versatile in its sound. The Epiphone Joe Bonamassa ’59 Les Paul Custom comes with a certificate of authenticity and a hardshell case with “Nerdville” graphics. This limited edition Epiphone Joe Bonamassa ’59 Les Paul Custom is a tribute to a legendary guitarist and an iconic guitar and represents both a lasting investment and excellence in musical instrument craftsmanship.