NUGD -- 2015 Gibson Collector's Choice Les Paul (#5 "Donna")

[timfitz63]

I was introduced to "Donna" back in February, and she just kept kind-of haunting me afterwards; something about her voice was very compelling.  I went home to Pittsburgh for the Easter weekend and "Donna" was still hanging out there at Empire Music -- like she knew all along that I'd be back...

I was coy; I played a couple of other electric guitars, including a Fender Custom Shop 1963 Stratocaster that was very nice -- but just didn't have quite the tone I was wanting...

Finally, out came "Donna" again.  I launched into the opening riff of "Do Ya":  D / A / G -- and didn't get any farther.  "Donna" was the one...

So, like the song I was using to serenade her was asking, "Donna" got my love...  And Empire got my money -- again...

My brother jokingly pointed out that I'd bought a guitar with a girl's name; I quipped back, "Now all I need is to find a girl with a guitar's name, and I'll be all set..."  Hmm...  Taylor is a girl's name, isn't it...?

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For those wondering what the Collector's Choice Series is:  this is apparently something that Gibson cooked up a few years back -- and it's really a brilliant idea.  They find vintage Gibsons, mostly Les Pauls, owned by renowned collectors and musicians and -- quite literally -- clone them.  The guitars, not the musicians and collectors...   Anyway, Gibson gets so fussy about the details that they literally disassemble the subject guitar in order to analyze (non-destructively, of course) the wood properties, finish, plastic polymers, pickup windings, etc., then duplicate that guitar as closely as possible using new materials and manufacturing.  In other words, they look for wood pieces that match the subject guitar as closely as possible, replicate the plastics, duplicate the materials and windings in the pickups, the construction techniques, the finish, and so on.  They even duplicate every cosmetic detail; if the subject guitar had a nick or a ding or some kind of wear on the finish, the clone gets it too.  The result is -- in my words -- a 90-95% solution at 1/100th the cost of purchasing a vintage Gibson.

My "Donna" (CC #5) is a clone of the real "Donna": a 1959 Les Paul owned by Tom Wittrock.  From what I'm told, the '59 Les Pauls are considered the pinnacle; the very best Les Pauls that have been produced to date.  And after playing this one, I can see why.  The tone is just wonderful and full.  Best-sounding Les Paul I've ever played -- and according to the guys up at Empire, the best they've ever played too...!

[donlyn]

Amazingly awesome axe. 

That's your second Les Paul, isn't it?

[TaylorGirl]

Wonderful, congrats!

[Dwalk]

That's a sweet guitar. I'm a big Les Paul fan myself. Awesome guitars.

[timfitz63]

Amazingly awesome axe. 

That's your second Les Paul, isn't it?

Thanks, Don!  Yes, it's my second one.  With the way this one sounds, I probably won't need another...  But that's never stopped me before...

Wonderful, congrats!

Thanks, Susie!

That's a sweet guitar. I'm a big Les Paul fan myself. Awesome guitars.

Thanks!  "Donna" is the only guitar in the Collector's Choice series that I've played; but if the others (and there are dozens of models in the series) are half as good, it will still be much better-sounding than the standard, run-of-the-mill Les Paul.  You should check into one!  New, they're quite pricey; but a clean, used one (like mine) can be had much more reasonably.  But don't get me wrong:  you'll still be paying more than for a new, factory-grade Les Paul...