Gibson '56 Goldtop Aged — RS Guitarworks Makeover

Among people who know, the 1956 Goldtop is one of the most sought-after Les Paul years there is, and for good reason. It's the last chapter before the humbucker era: two P-90s, the wraparound bridge and that inimitable mix of attack, midrange bite and warmth.

Pick up a '56 and you notice immediately that it behaves differently from a later Les Paul. The P-90s have considerably more transparency and aggression than a humbucker without ever sounding thin. At the bridge you get that raspy, cutting tone that holds its own in any mix and that shaped the early rock'n'roll and blues records. At the neck it turns warm, vocal and nuanced, and the middle position gives you the ringing sound you associate with the golden years.

The guitar was worked over by RS Guitarworks, and anyone interested in vintage-correct makeovers knows the name. The Kentucky workshop has built a reputation as one of the best addresses in the world. A goldtop finish ages like almost nothing else anyway — it discolours, it checks, it develops character. Here that process has been brought forward. The result is genuinely impressive and could pass for a vintage original.

At the amp it's a joy. You can steer the whole thing from the volume control, from clean shimmer to full crunch, without touching the amp. That behaviour is exactly what separates a good instrument from a great one.

A goldtop with first-class fine-tuning, from Ede's Private Stock.